World War I started a long time before the first shots were fired in August 1914. In the decades leading up to the outbreak, there was a powerful man maneuvering kings, princes and entire nations into place. This man knew the personalities, follies and vices of all these nation's leaders – and how to best manipulate and exploit them. Learn the identity of this man and how he influenced the biggest war in the world at that point in history, which killed 17 million and shattered Europe.