9
QuizMultiple Choice

Unit Test — Unit test

Question 9 • SASPBL SPRING 2026 VA-World History II CR

What was the "spark" that set off World War I?

Answer
A
Germany’s invasion of neutral Belgium
B
the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by a Serbian nationalist
C
the sinking of the Lusitania by a German U-boat
D
Germany's declaration of war on Russia and France

Explanation

The immediate spark of World War I was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. Austria-Hungary’s response to the assassination set off a chain of declarations of war among European powers. Germany’s invasion of Belgium happened later, as the war expanded.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

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