Bismarck is reported as having said towards the end of his life "If ever there is another war in Europe it will come out of some damned silly thing in the Balkans". While it is humanities greatest wish for war never to be fought, there are times when such a wish is impossible. Arguably, World War 1 was one of those times. Without a doubt, the events beginning around the turn of the century and until 1914 had every effect on starting the war. Ranging from establishing new nations, and high profile assassinations, the first fourteen years of the twentieth century in Europe were those of grea…
