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A century ago, two bullets sparked the 'Great War'

Flickr- Ruslan

It’s been a full century since the event that triggered what the world once believed to be “the war to end all wars.” 

On June 28, 1914, the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated on the streets of Sarajevo. World War One hastened the collapse of old powers and saw the rise of new ones.

Current State’s Kevin Lavery talked with Michigan State University historian Roger Rosentreter about the First World War starting with a short bio of Franz Ferdinand.

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
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