The "shot that started the war" in reference to the start of World War I is often attributed to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on June 28, 1914. This event took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia, when Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist, killed the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. The assassination set off a chain reaction of political maneuvers and alliances that ultimately led to the outbreak of a global conflict. Tensions had already been high in Europe due to militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism, but this pivotal assassination is viewed as the immediate catalyst for the war.