On the 28th of June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip in the city of Sarajevo (then part of Serbia, but now the capital of Bosnia). In reaction to the Archduke's death, Austria-Hungry sent Serbia an ultimatum and one month later, unsatisfied with Serbia's response, Austria-Hungry declared a state of war. This conflict was increased tenfold when the main powers of Europe chose opposing sides. Russia was quick to stand beside Serbia and together with Britain and France, formed the Triple Entente. Germany pledged their support to Austria-Hungary and together they formed the Central Powers of Europe.
What followed was a four year blood bath, accounting for nearly ten million deaths.
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| The Alliances of World War One |
These four years, from 1914 to 1918, delivered some of the darkest chapters in human history, giving the world its First World War, then called The Great War. Colonies of the British Empire, such as Australia and New Zealand, willingly contributed forces to the war effort, adding to the millions of casualties suffered on both sides.
With many of the major powers already using conscription (with the exclusion of Britain), it was heated social issue of the times. Although enthusiastic, Australia received a huge decline in voluntary recruitment towards the end of the war and the idea of conscription tied itself intimately into Australian politics.