During the 19th century, the major European powers went to great lengths to maintain a balance of power throughout Europe, resulting in the existence of a complex network of political and military alliances throughout the continent by the early 1900’s. But with a new leader in Germany, Kaiser Wilhelm II, and rising tensions in the Balkans after a series of short conflicts within the territory led to unrest among the great powers of Europe. On one side of the Balkans sat the triple Alliance, Italy, Germany, and Austria-Hungary, and on the other France and Russia. With military pressure mounting, the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand to set off the powder keg of Europe and thus began the worst military slaughter in history, the Great War.