What crisis in 1904 led to the war of World War 1?

The crisis in 1904 that contributed to the lead-up to World War I was the Russo-Japanese War, where Japan sought to expand its influence in East Asia, particularly in Korea and Manchuria. The conflict marked the first major military victory of an Asian power over a European nation, altering the balance of power and escalating tensions among European countries. The war also strained alliances, particularly between Russia and Germany, and heightened nationalist sentiments, setting the stage for the complex web of alliances and hostilities that would eventually ignite World War I in 1914.