The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by Serbian nationalists in Sarajevo in 1914 directly led to World War I through a series of events. A Serbian radical group called the Black Hand planned the assassination to protest Austria's annexation of Bosnia. Their attempt with a grenade failed but Archduke Ferdinand was shot later when his driver took a wrong turn. Austria declared war on Serbia, drawing in allies on both sides through a system of alliances. Within a few weeks, the major European powers were at war due to the interconnecting web of defense agreements and the desire of countries to defend their interests, setting the stage for a four-year global war.