Lesson Y9-U02-L03

The Balkans and the Assassination, 1914 Quiz: KS3 History, Unit 15

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y9-U02-L03, The Balkans and the Assassination, 1914: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 History (National Curriculum), Unit 15: Year 9: WW1 Causes, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What did the decline of the Ottoman Empire create in the Balkans?

    • A lasting peace
    • Economic stability
    • A power vacuum
    • A united democracy

  2. Which territory did Austria-Hungary annex in 1908, deeply angering Serbia?

    • Morocco
    • Bosnia
    • Serbia
    • Belgium

  3. Why was Russia unable to effectively support Serbia in 1908?

    • Revolutionary civil war
    • Defeat by Japan
    • Alliance with Germany
    • Economic bankruptcy

  4. What happened to Serbia's territory during the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913?

    • Annexed by Russia
    • Doubled in size
    • Remained unchanged
    • Halved in size

  5. What was the official name of the Black Hand?

    • Peaceful trade union
    • Ruling political party
    • Secret society
    • Official state army

  6. On what date was Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo?

    • 25 June 1876
    • 28 June 1914
    • 28 June 1908
    • 4 July 1901

  7. Who fired the fatal shots at Franz Ferdinand?

    • Gavrilo Princip
    • Ferdinand Porsche
    • Franz Joseph
    • Alex Franz Brandt

  8. Who was assassinated alongside Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo?

    • His son Wilhelm
    • General Oskar Potiorek
    • Emperor Franz Joseph
    • His wife Sophie

  9. Why was Franz Ferdinand's visit to Sarajevo on 28 June seen as deeply provocative?

    • Austrian independence day
    • A religious fasting date
    • Serbia's national day
    • The royal wedding anniversary

  10. What critical driving error brought the Archduke's car directly to Gavrilo Princip?

    • Engine breakdown
    • A flat tyre
    • Running out of fuel
    • A wrong turn

  11. What happened to the first explosive device thrown at the Archduke's car?

    • Failed to detonate
    • Killed the driver
    • Bounced off
    • Destroyed the engine

  12. Which empire ruled over Bosnia-Herzegovina prior to its annexation by Austria-Hungary?

    • British Empire
    • Ottoman Empire
    • Russian Empire
    • German Empire

  13. What was the alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy called?

    • Central Powers
    • Triple Entente
    • Allied Powers
    • Triple Alliance

  14. Why did Russia feel compelled to protect Serbia following the Sarajevo assassination?

    • Shared borders
    • Trade agreements
    • Fellow Slavs
    • Religious loyalty

  15. Which country's decision to mobilise its army drew its allies further into the crisis?

    • Serbia's neighbour Bulgaria
    • Bosnia
    • Russia
    • Italy

  16. According to historical sources, what was Gavrilo Princip's primary political aim?

    • Habsburg dominance
    • South Slav union
    • Russian expansion
    • Ottoman restoration

  17. Why is the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum limited as historical evidence?

    • Biased official note
    • Neutral eyewitness account
    • Uncensored diary entry
    • Objective foreign report

  18. Why must historians treat Gavrilo Princip's trial testimony with caution?

    • Austro-Hungarian court
    • Translated from English
    • Written years later
    • Found in Berlin

  19. What action directly led to Archduke Franz Ferdinand encountering his assassin after the bomb attack?

    • Surrendered to police
    • Fled to Budapest
    • Cancelled the visit
    • Continued the tour

  20. What structural feature of European politics turned a local Balkan crisis into a world war?

    • Global imperialism
    • Industrial manufacturing
    • Naval arms race
    • Alliance system

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