The main purpose of the Alliance system leading up to World War I was to create a network of military pacts aimed at ensuring national security and deterring aggression among European powers. This system involved major alliances, including the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) and the Triple Entente (France, Russia, Britain). However, the intertwined alliances also contributed to the escalation of conflict, as obligations to support allies drew multiple nations into the war following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, leading to the global conflict of World War I.