See also: List of Althists 1914: Europe is on the verge of war. Austrian Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated in Bosnia and Austria issues an ultimatum to the Serbs who are blamed for the action. The “July Crisis” sees nations preparing for war and all political parties are pressured to support their homelands. For the socialists of the Western European countries, the move to war pits political principles of international proletarian solidarity against patriotic fervor.