In the late 19th century, some European countries that had not been much for building empires, such as Germany and the Slavic states, started to push to expand their territory and influence. This led to tension with those nations such as Britain, France and Russia who had already been building empires for several hundred years. As alliances were built and tension spread in the colonies across the globe, it became apparent to many that there was going to have to be a Great War to resolve it all. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand kicked it all off mainly due to the alliances that had been put into place.