Question

question 5 of 10
in the years leading up to world war i, nationalists in serbia were outraged at austria - hungary due to its:
a. support for the ottoman empire’s claim to rule over serbia.
b. plan to assassinate several important serb leaders.
c. unwillingness to break its alliance with germany.
d. annexation of countries with large populations of serbs.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Austria - Hungary and the Ottoman Empire were not aligned in this way regarding Serbia. The Ottoman Empire was in decline and not supporting claims over Serbia in this context.
• Option B: There is no historical evidence of Austria - Hungary planning to assassinate Serb leaders. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was by a Serbian - affiliated group, not the other way around.
• Option C: Serbia's outrage was not due to Austria - Hungary's alliance with Germany. The main issue was territorial and ethnic, not alliance - related.
• Option D: Austria - Hungary annexed Bosnia - Herzegovina, which had a large Serb population. This was a major source of outrage for Serbian nationalists as they saw these areas as part of a greater Serbian homeland.

Answer:

D. annexation of countries with large populations of Serbs.