The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 sparked World War I. The Archduke, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was killed by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist. This event set off a chain reaction of alliances and mobilizations, leading to a conflict involving many nations, including those within Europe and beyond. The war lasted from 1914 to 1918 and resulted in significant geopolitical changes, the end of empires, and the establishment of new nations. The consequences of the war paved the way for geopolitical tensions that would lead to World War II.