Video

Video by Kyle Davis

WWI on the Russian Front | Part 1 of 4, Origins of the War: Vials of Wrath

Army University Press

Aug. 1, 2025 | 14:15

Part 1 of 4: The roots of the First World War grew in Balkan tensions, nationalism, imperial rivalry, regional conflicts, and a tangled system of alliances. These factors directly contributed to the outbreak of WWI and its rapid spread across Europe. This documentary sheds light on many of the causes of one of the most significant conflicts in modern history. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 by a Serbian nationalist served as the spark that ignited the European powder keg. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, triggering alliances – Germany backed Austria-Hungary, Russia backed Serbia, and soon France and Britain joined against Germany. This quickly escalated into a continent-wide, then global, conflict. Like, comment, and subscribe! Timestamps: 0:14 -Stacked Firewood 1:39 -Introduction 2:43 -The Sick Man of Europe 3:47 -The Russian Empire 6:03 -Alliances 6:35 -Austro-Hungarian Empire 8:34 -Eastern European Instability 10:11 -June 28, 1914 11:04 -Mobilization 12:12 -Conclusion