What was the immediate cause of the First World War?

Correct option is D

The correct answer is (d) Assassination of Austrian Prince Ferdinand

Explanation:
• The immediate cause of the First World War was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne, and his wife, Sophie, on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist.
• This event set off a chain reaction among the major European powers, leading to the outbreak of the war.
• Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and because of alliances, the conflict escalated into a world war.

Information Booster:
• The assassination acted as a catalyst in a Europe already rife with tensions between the great powers, many of whom had existing alliances.
• The war began just a month later, in August 1914, after the failure of diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.

Additional Knowledge:
Policy of William Kaiser 
• Kaiser Wilhelm II's policies, such as militarism and aggressive foreign policies, contributed to tensions in Europe but were not the immediate cause of the war.

Conflicting Factions
• The existence of two main factions (the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance) did contribute to the war's escalation but was not the immediate cause.

Arms Race 
• The arms race among European powers in the early 20th century increased tensions and military readiness but did not directly trigger the war.