"The simple event to describe the outbreak that became World War I was the 1914 assassination of Austria-Hungary?s Archduke Ferdinand, the heir to that country?s throne, by Serbian rebels. However, when Serbia rejected an ultimatum by Austria-Hungary to bring justice for the killing, what was thought to be a simple one-on-one battle turned into a massive campaign involving numerous countries with alliances to both sides that lasted until 1919."--Videodisc jacket.