The Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Declares War on Serbia 28 July 1914

Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, was murdered in Sarajevo by the Serb assassin, Gavrilo Princip. The Monarchy retaliated against Serbia via military intervention, a decision Hungary accepted in spite of the Hungarian government’s initial unwillingness to support military involvement. The First World War’s progression not only brought mixed results on the front while exacting an enormous, human toll on all sides; for Hungary the conflict also meant devastating defeat.