In 1914, Europe was a powder keg (a barrel of gunpowder). Its most powerful nations had spent the previous decades building their armies, making alliances, and pumping up their populations with tales of the superiority of their country. Many people could sense that a war was coming. In fact, some people were hoping for one and figured that their country would win in a handful of months. All it would take is one spark and the powder keg would explode.

The spark proved to be the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian Archduke. The resulting war would be one of the most terrible and bloody in history. It is quite fitting that its causes can be summed up with then acronym: M.A.N.I.A.