Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated - Jun 28, 1914 - HISTORY.com Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated Publisher A+E Networks In an event that is widely acknowledged to have sparked the outbreak of World War I, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, nephew of Emperor Franz Josef and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is shot to death along with his wife by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on this day in 1914. The great Prussian statesman Otto von Bismarck, the man most responsible for the unification of Germany in 1871, was quoted as saying at the end of his life that “One day the great European War will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans.” It went as he predicted. The archduke traveled to Sarajevo in June 1914 to inspect the imperial armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, former Ottoman territories in the turbulent Balkan region that were annexed by Austria-Hungary in 1908 to the indignation of Serbian nationalists, who believed they should become part of the newly independent and ambitious Serbian nation.

The date scheduled for his visit, June 28, coincided with the anniversary of the First Battle of Kosovo in 1389, in which medieval Serbia was defeated by the Turks. Despite the fact that Serbia did not truly lose its independence until the Second Battle of Kosovo in 1448, June 28 was a day of great significance to Serbian nationalists, and one on which they could be expected to take exception to a demonstration of Austrian imperial strength in Bosnia. June 28 was also Franz Ferdinand’s wedding anniversary. His beloved wife, Sophie, a former lady-in-waiting, was denied royal status in Austria due to her birth as a poor Czech aristocrat, as were the couple’s children. In Bosnia, however, due to its limbo status as an annexed territory, Sophie could appear beside him at official proceedings. On June 28, 1914, then, Franz Ferdinand and Sophie were touring Sarajevo in an open car, with surprisingly little security, when Serbian nationalist Nedjelko Cabrinovic threw a bomb at their car; it rolled off the back of the vehicle and wounded an officer and some bystanders.

Later that day, on the way to visit the injured officer, the archduke’s procession took a wrong turn at the junction of Appel quay and Franzjosefstrasse, where one of Cabrinovic’s cohorts, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip, happened to be loitering. Seeing his opportunity, Princip fired into the car, shooting Franz Ferdinand and Sophie at point-blank range. Princip then turned the gun on himself, but was prevented from shooting it by a bystander who threw himself upon the young assassin. A mob of angry onlookers attacked Princip, who fought back and was subsequently wrestled away by the police. Meanwhile, Franz Ferdinand and Sophie lay fatally wounded in their limousine as it rushed to seek help; they both died within the hour. The assassination of Franz-Ferdinand and Sophie set off a rapid chain of events: Austria-Hungary, like many in countries around the world, blamed the Serbian government for the attack and hoped to use the incident as justification for settling the question of Slav nationalism once and for all.

As Russia supported Serbia, an Austro-Hungarian declaration of war was delayed until its leaders received assurances from German leader Kaiser Wilhelm that Germany would support their cause in the event of a Russian intervention–which would likely involve Russia’s ally, France, and possibly Britain as well. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the tenuous peace between Europe’s great powers collapsed. Within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Serbia had lined up against Austria-Hungary and Germany, and World War I had begun. Related Videos World War I/Causes/Franz Ferdinand - Wikibooks, open books for an open world World War I/Causes/Franz Ferdinand Jump to: navigation , search Franz Ferdinand As stated in the introduction to the causes section of this Wikibook, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was an event which led directly to declarations of war starting World War I. The assassination was carried out by a group of six assassins, who intended to end the Austro-Hungarian Empire's control of some of it's southern provinces.

Contents 5.1 Declarations of war Preparation of the assassination[ edit ] Danilo Ilić, who co-ordinated the assassination, discussed the idea of using violent direct action to achieve his goals in late 1913. Originally Ilić's plan was to kill the governor of the region, although on March 26, 1914, he changed his intentions, and decided to plan an assassination of Franz Ferdinand. In April Ilić persuaded Vaso Čubrilović and Cvjetko Popović to assist in the plot to assassinate the archduke. In addition, Gavrilo Princip, Trifun Grabež and Nedjelko Čabrinović, the other individuals involved in the assassination, became involved in the plot at a similar time, after approaching others stating their wish to participate in an assassination. Milan Ciganović, who had access to weapons and was a former guerrilla fighter agreed in April 1914 with Princip, Grabež and Čabrinović to provide the assassins with the weapons required to carry out the assassination. Due to a delay, the weapons were only delivered on May 26.

Ciganović provided the assassins with training, suicide pills and money, in addition to six hand grenades and four automatic pistols with ammunition. Travel[ edit ] The route of the assassins from Belgrade to Sarajevo, where the assassination took place. On May 28, just two days after the delivery of the weapons, Princip, Grabež, and Čabrinović left Belgrade by boat. In the Sava River, the group traveled to Šabac, where they assumed the identities of custom officials. With this new identity, the group took the train to Loznica, a town that was on the border between Serbia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In Loznica, Princip and Grabež fell out with Čabrinović, who they believed to have been constantly failing to ensure security. As a result, he gave all his weapons to the other two members of the group and traveled to Tuzla alone (see illustration). On May 30, the remaining two walked to Isaković’s Island, an island in the Drina river, that was located on the border between Austria-Hungary and Serbia.

At this point they were guided to Tulza by agents of Serbian nationalist organization Narodna Odbrana. After arriving in Tulza, the group left the agents and met up with Čabrinović. Following this, Sarajevo Princip waited at a co-conspirators house for the arrival of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, while Grabež and Čabrinović both stayed with their parents. For the next eleven days, the group attempted to avoid attention as much as possible. Final preparation[ edit ] On June 27, the day before the planned assassination, the conspirators were provided with the weapons they needed to carry out the assassination. The day of the assassination[ edit ] A map showing the location of the assassination While reading this section, it is important to be aware of the fact that inconsistent witness statements mean that one can not be entirely sure of the true course of events. This section provides the events with facts that are generally accepted, although all information must be taken with a pinch of salt.

It is believed that when, on June 28, 1914, Ferdinand got in his car in Sarajevo an error meant that some special security officers intended to protect the archduke failed to leave with him. The first attempt at assassinating Ferdinand failed, with the assassins failing to throw the bomb. Due to this Čabrinović was given the weapons needed for another assassination attempt later in the day. This attempt also failed, with the bomb bouncing off the archduke's car onto the road. It's explosion injured twenty people, but the archduke survived. After failing to commit an assassination Čabrinović attempted to commit suicide by swallowing a cyanide pill and jumping into a nearby river. The suicide attempt failed, however, as the river was too shallow to cause drowning and the cyanide pill only had the strength to cause vomiting. Due to this failure, the assassins attempted an assassination slightly later into the Archduke's journey. However, the motorcade passed Gavrilo Princip, Cvjetko Popović and Trifun Grabež, the potential assassins, without any of them taking any action.

Following these two failed attempts Ferdinand arrived at the town hall of Sarajevo, where in addition to making the speech at which he had prepared, he angrily said "I came here on a visit and I get bombs thrown at me. It is outrageous." Following this, Ferdinand decided to visit the people injured by the first assassination attempt. Then, at 10:45, he went back into his care and continued the parade. Meanwhile, Princip went to a local shop to buy a sandwich, after being made aware that the assassination attempt had failed. Coincidentally, the archduke and his wife traveled past Princip after he had left the shop, and as a result he had the opportunity to complete a successful assassination. This time he killed both Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie. In the hours after the assassination, people in Sajerevo started rioting against the Serbs, with the military being forced to take action to stop the rioting.

Aftermath[ edit ] On July 23, 1914 Austria-Hungary provided the Serbian government with the "July Ultimatum", which demanded that Serbia: Ban publications criticizing the monarchy of Austria Hungary Dissolve Serbian nationalists groups such as Narodna Odbrana Stop teaching anything against Austria Hungary Remove opponents of Austria Hungary from it's military Allow the Austro-Hungarian government to intervene to enforce condition one (above) Launch a judicial inquiry into the assassination Arrest Vojislav Tankosić and Milan Ciganović, who Austria wrongly believed to be involved in the assassination. Co-operate with moves limiting arm-trafficking into Austria Hungary Give Austria-Hungary explanations from powerful officials for their previous opposition to Austria-Hungary Notify Austria Hungary of their compliance with the above conditions Serbia didn't comply in full with any of the conditions except for conditions eight and ten. In response to this, Austria-Hungary ended all its diplomatic relations with Serbia, while Serbia prepared its army for possible war. Declarations of war[ edit ] The German declaration of war On July 26, Serbian troops accidentally entered Austria Hungarian territory.

The Austrian leader received reports exaggerating the severity of this event, and, as a result, declared war on Serbia. In response, Serbian allies Russia mobilized its troops on July 30, and, in response to this Austria-Hungary mobilized its army on July 31. Also on July 31, Germany demanded that Russia stops mobilizing it's troops within 12 hours. Russia failed to do this, so, in response, Germany declared war against Russia on August 1. Then, on August 2, Germany invaded Luxembourg to prepare for its planned invasion of Belgium. After this, on August 3, Germany demanded that Belgium permit the German army to pass through their country on the passage to France. Belgium refused, so, on August 4, Germany declared war on both Belgium and France. Britain, who were allied with France, then declared war in response to the German attacks on France. The aforementioned declarations of war meant that most of Europe was now in conflict, and, as Europeans controlled large numbers of countries across the world, many countries across multiple continents were involved in the war.

First World War centenary: the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, as it happened - Telegraph World War One First World War centenary: the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, as it happened On Sunday June 28 1914 in Sarajevo, Gavrilo Princip fired the shot that killed the Archduke and started the train of events that led to global war. Here is a step by step account of how the dramatic day unfolded The Daily Telegraph, June 29 1914 By Richard Preston 8:19PM BST 27 Jun 2014 Our journey starts with an extremely promising omen. Here our car burns, and down there they will throw bombs at us. Archduke Franz Ferdinand comments wryly on the fact that his journey to Bosnia in June 1914 begins with his car overheating The Archduke: Franz Ferdinand, the bumptious, little-loved 51-year-old nephew of the ailing Emperor Franz Joseph, was heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne.

In 1913 he was made inspector general of the armed forces of Austria-Hungary; it was this role that took him to Bosnia in June 1914, to inspect the army’s summer manoeuvres. The Duchess: Franz Ferdinand married Countess Sophie Chotek for love, for which both paid a price. She was from a Czech noble family but was deemed unfit to be a Habsburg bride; she had been a lady-in-waiting to Archduchess Isabella, whose sister Franz Ferdinand was expected to marry. Their marriage was morganatic, meaning their children were excluded from the line of succession. Although she was made Duchess of Hohenberg in 1909, the slights were constant at functions such as imperial banquets, where she had to enter the room last. [Sophie] could never share [Franz Ferdinand’s] rank ... could never share his splendours, could never even sit by his side on any public occasion. There was one loophole ... his wife could enjoy the recognition of his rank when he was acting in a military capacity. Hence, he decided, in 1914, to inspect the army in Bosnia.

There, at its capital Sarajevo, the Archduke and his wife could ride in an open carriage side by side ... Thus, for love, did the Archduke go to his death. AJP Taylor Related Articles What sort of a man was Archduke Franz Ferdinand? 28 Jun 2014 The family: Three much-loved children, aged between 10 and 12 – Princess Sophie von Hohenberg (1901-1990), Maximilian, Duke of Hohenberg (1902-1962), Prince Ernst von Hohenberg (1904-1954); there was also a stillborn son (d. 1908). On the morning of his death, the Archduke sent a telegram to his children, congratulating Max on his recent exams. The empire: 11 nationalities lived under the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, with as many grievances – 50 million people across modern-day Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, parts of Poland and northern Italy.

Bosnia-Herzegovina was the most recent addition, having been annexed in 1908. Franz Ferdinand had opposed the annexation, not from any love for the southern Slavs, but as a pointless provocation of them and of Russia. The grievance: The formal independence of Serbia had been recognised at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. Bosnian Serbs dreamt of joining it in a Greater Serbia. While Franz Ferdinand had no personal liking for the Serbs, he was not hostile to them: in fact he was thought to be a ‘federalist’ who supported giving more autonomy to Slavic lands. This alarmed the Serbs, who foresaw the creation of a third crown in the Austro-Hungarian empire with Zagreb the possible capital – if that happened the chances of creating Greater Serbia would vanish. The targeting of the Archduke thus exemplified one abiding strand in the logic of terrorist movements, namely that reformers and moderates are more to be feared than outright enemies and hardliners.

Christopher Clark The martyr: Bogdan Žerajić, a 22-year-old Serb medical student from Herzegovina, resolved to kill Emperor Franz Joseph at the opening of a new parliament in Sarajevo in June 1910. In the event, he fired at Marijan Varešanin, the governor of the province, missed, then killed himself with his final bullet. Vladimir Gaćinović, a driving force behind the liberation movement Mlada Bosna – Young Bosnia – wrote a pamphlet celebrating Žerajić and made a hero of him; his grave became a shrine. Among those inspired by his memory was Gavrilo Princip. I often spent whole nights there, thinking about our situation, about our miserable conditions... and so it was that I resolved to carry out the assassination. Gavrilo Princip, the eventual assassin, explains at his trial how he was drawn to Žerajić’s grave The Black Hand: The annexation of 1908 helped radicalise Serb nationalist groups. On March 3 1911, in a Belgrade apartment, Ujedinjenje ili smrt! – Union or Death!

– was formed, the secret society that came to be known as the ‘Black Hand’. Gen Potiorek and Dragutin Dimitrijevic - 'Apis' The plot: Just as they were intended to be, the details of the plot are difficult to nail down. The prime mover was Dragutin Dimitrijević, nicknamed ‘Apis’ (after the Egyptian bull god), 36-year-old head of Serbian military intelligence. In May 1903, he had led Serbian officers in overthrowing King Alexander I and his wife Queen Draga, who were murdered. The conspirators installed Peter I as the new king. Apis was present at the founding meeting of the Black Hand in 1911, as was his co-conspirator from 1903, Vojislav Tankosić, who was one of the handlers of the Sarajevo assassins. Meanwhile Gaćinović, who had joined the Black Hand in 1912, instigated a plot to kill Gen Oscar Potiorek, governor of Bosnia-Herzegovina, in January 1914, but the would-be assassins' nerve failed.

Planning now focused on the Archduke's visit to Sarajevo on June 28, rumours of which had circulated as early as autumn 1913. The assassins: The three principal recruits were radicalised in the cafes of Belgrade by the Black Hand. Trifko Grabež, Nedeljko Čabrinović and Gavrilo Princip Trifko Grabež, 19, the son of an Orthodox priest in Pale, came to the city for his schooling. Nedeljko Čabrinović, 19, who had left school at 14, went to Belgrade and found work with a printer. Gavrilo Princip, 19, left Sarajevo in May 1912 for Belgrade after being expelled from school (where he had been with Grabež). He volunteered to join Serbian guerrillas fighting Ottoman Turks in the First Balkan War but was rejected as too weak and sickly. Princip’s interest extended beyond merely the Serb cause to the freedom of all southern Slavs.

I am a Yugoslav nationalist, aiming for the unification of all Yugoslavs, and I do not care what form of state, but it must be free from Austria. Gavrilo Princip at his trial Milan Ciganović, a Black Hand member and employee of Serbian state railways, was their handler; he reported to Tankosić who in turn reported to Apis. On May 27, Tankosić gave Princip and Čabrinović four Browning pistols and six small grenade-sized bombs from the Serbian State Arsenal, as well as cyanide powder with which to kill themselves after the assassination. Čabrinović was smuggled into Bosnia on May 30, Princip and Grabež followed on May 31. The pistols used by the assassins, now in a museum in Vienna They were joined in Sarajevo by a four-man cell recruited by Danilo Ilić, a Black Hand member aged 23. He had trained as a schoolteacher, and worked in Sarajevo as a proof-reader and the editor of a local paper.

His recruits were: Muhamed Mehmedbašić, 28, a Muslim carpenter from Herzegovina, who had been involved in the botched plan to kill Potiorek earlier in the year. Cvjetko Popović, 18, was a school pupil in Sarajevo (he died in the city in 1980) Vaso Čubrilović, 17, was also at school in Sarajevo and a member of Mlada Bosna, Young Bosnia. The warnings: Serbian prime minister Nikola Pašić knew of the plot. If he did nothing and it succeeded, the Black Hand’s close relationship to the government would almost certainly be exposed; but an overt warning to Austria-Hungary would mark him as a traitor to many Serbs. So a veiled warning was sent to Vienna, via Dr Leon von Bilinski. the Austrian minister of finance, who was told that if Franz Ferdinand were to go to Sarajevo, ‘Some young Serb might put a live rather than a blank cartridge in his gun and fire it’. Bilinski rather missed the point: ‘Let us hope nothing does happen,’ he replied cheerfully.

The fateful day: Sunday June 28 1914 was St Vitus’s Day, the anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo on the ‘Field of Blackbirds’ in 1389, in which the Ottomans annihilated the Serbs. It remained a day of profound significance to all Serb nationalists. It was also the 14th wedding anniversary of Franz Ferdinand and Sophie, a reminder of the day on which he had had to sign the Oath of Renunciation confirming that their children could not succeed to the imperial throne. The day before had been cold and wet but the morning of June 28 was sunny. The couple had been staying outside Sarajevo at Ilidze for three days. So relaxed were they that they had come into Sarajevo two days before for a shopping trip, during which they were shadowed by Princip. You are wrong after all...

Everywhere we have gone here, we have been treated with so much friendliness – and by every last Serb, too – with so much cordiality and warmth that we are very happy about it The Duchess to Dr Josip Sunaric, Bosnian Croat leader, the night before the assassination The Archduke and the Countess arrive in Sarajevo by train The couple were to drive in the second of a six-car motorcade from the railway station along the river to the City Hall. Danic and the six other would-be assassins were stationed along the route. The car: a 32-horsepower, four-cylinder, open-topped Double Phaeton built in 1910 by the Viennese firm of Gräf & Sift. The numberplate was A III 118 – in which those who believe such things can see a portent of the eventual Armistice date in 1918. The Archduke's car is now in a museum in Vienna Franz Ferdinand and Sophie travelled with Gen Oscar Potiorek, the governor of Bosnia. Next to the driver in the front was Count Franz von Harrach, in charge of their security.

The royal party in the car He wore: the dress uniform of a cavalry general – blue tunic, gold collar with three silver stars, black trousers with red stripe and a helmet with green peacock feathers. She wore: white hat and veil, a long white silk dress with red and white fabric roses tucked into a red sash, and an ermine stole on her shoulders. The first attempt: Mehmedbašić was the first of the young assassination team to be passed by the motorcade. As the Archduke’s car neared, he was about to throw his bomb but panicked. Čabrinović, who was standing by river, was the first to act. He primed his bomb and threw it. The driver saw it coming and accelerated. It exploded beneath the car travelling behind the Archduke’s, the third in the motorcade, injuring several officers. A small splinter cut Sophie’s cheek. Čabrinović swallowed his cyanide powder and jumped into the shallow waters of the river Miljacka. The poison didn’t work and he was arrested. Come on, that fellow is clearly insane, let us proceed with our programme. Franz Ferdinand reacts to the bomb The remaining assassins lost their nerve.

By the time the motorcade passed Princip it was moving too fast for him to shoot. Knowing that the party would return from City Hall later, he moved across to the right-hand side of Franz Joseph Street. I didn’t pull out the revolver because I saw that the Duchess was there. I felt sorry for her Vaso Čubrilović The pause: At City Hall, the mayor of Sarajevo, Fehim Effendi Curcic, who had been in the first car, began a nervous speech of welcome. Franz Ferdinand interrupted, furiously: ‘I come here as your guest and you people greet me with bombs!’ The mayor was allowed to continue, then the Archduke spoke, the paper he held bearing the bloodstains of one of the officers in the third car. Having gathered himself, he praised the cheers of the people of Sarajevo, which he took to be an expression of relief at the failure of the assassination. The couple leave City Hall The change of plan: The motorcade was to have returned along Appel Quay and turned right into Franz Joseph Street, heading for the National Museum. But now the museum visit was cancelled; the route would be straight back back down Appel Quay.

Franz Ferdinand wanted to visit Potiorek’s wounded adjutant in hospital. Originally, Sophie was to have gone to the governor’s palace while her husband went to the museum, but now she said she wished to accompany him. No one told the drivers of the change of plan, so when the lead car in the motorcade turned right into Franz Joseph Street, the Archduke’s driver followed. Potiorek yelled that this was the wrong the way. The car was stopped and – without a reverse gear – it had to be pushed backwards. The finale: Princip had been standing outside Moritz Schiller’s cafe on Franz Joseph Street. Now he ran forward, his pistol drawn. He paused on seeing the Duchess but fired twice at point-blank range. Whether he was lucky or whether his firearms training in Belgrade had paid off, both bullets hit their targets. The first went through the door of the car and hit Sophie in the abdomen; the second hit Franz Ferdinand in the neck. Harrach, aware of the continuing threat, had been travelling on the running board. Now he saw the Duchess slump across her husband, surely aware that both were dying, and heard the Archduke’s beseeching words to her: Sopherl!

Sopherl! Sterbe nicht! Bleibe am Leben für unsere Kinde! – Sophie, Sophie, don’t die, stay alive for our children! As Princip prepared to kill himself his gun was knocked from his hands, as well as his packet of cyanide, as the crowd swarmed around him, kicking and punching; he was saved from probable death by his arrest. Čabrinović arrested. Above, Princip after his capture Franz Ferdinand and Sophie were rushed to the Konak palace. Shortly after 11am both were dead. Franz Ferdinand and Sophie lying in state The reaction: The next morning, The Daily Telegraph began its leading article: 'A dark cloud of Fate seems to overhang the fortunes of the House of Habsburg... The circumstances are so peculiar that it is very difficult to understand the reasons for the crime or the exact motives of the murderer... His death is, we believe, a serious loss to Europe at large, as well as to Austria-Hungary herself...

At a period when the world suffers from a lack of great personalities, the death of a man so strong and self-reliant as the Archduke Franz Ferdinand is a real disaster, of which it is difficult to overestimate the importance.' The paper reported that news of the deaths was relayed to the aged emperor Franz Joseph at Ischl. 'I am spared nothing,' he is said to have murmured on hearing of the assassinations. George V and Queen Mary were told the news by telegram from the British embassy in Vienna. They expressed their deep distress by return telegram. It was announced that the English Court would go into mourning for a week and a State Ball was cancelled. Kaiser Wilhelm II was in Kiel inspecting German and British warships after the reopening of the canal. It was reported that at 5pm all the ships in the harbour hoisted the Austro-Hungarian flag at half mast, including the British warships. Among German newspapers, the Berliner Tageblatt anticipated that 'the already sufficiently tense relationships of Austria-Hungary will undoubtedly be aggravated, even if no great Serbian conspiracy is demonstrable, and only Austrian subjects of Serbian nationality participated in the crime'.

In France, the Journal des Debats recognised that the Archduke's death was 'a European event of the highest political importance. The character of the late Archduke, the intentions that were ascribed to him, and his political and religious tendencies, caused it to be generally believed that his accession to power in the Dual Monarchy would be the signal of far-reaching changes'. Follow Telegraph stories of the unfolding crisis from 1914 day by day on Twitter – @TeleArchive Read the paper of 100 years ago at telegraph.co.uk/ww1archive World War I for Kids: Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand World War I Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand The assassination of Austria's Archduke Ferdinand set into motion a series of international events that led to World War I. This one event is widely considered the most important event in leading up to war. Gavrilo Princip killing Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo by Achille Beltrame The Archduke and his wife were shot while riding in their car Who was Archduke Ferdinand? Archduke Franz Ferdinand was born in the city of Graz on December 18, 1863.

After his cousin and father died, he became the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His uncle, Franz Joseph, was the current emperor of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. He was married to Sophie, the Duchess of Hohenberg. Leading up to the Assassination In the southern portion of Austria-Hungary was a region called Bosnia. Many of the Bosnians wanted to have their own country and not be under the rule of Austria-Hungary. The country of Serbia, just south of the Austria-Hungary border also wanted the freedom of the Bosnians. Serbia was an ally with the powerful Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary was allied with Germany. When Archduke Ferdinand announced his trip to Sarajevo, Bosnian nationalists (people who wanted Bosnia to be its own country) saw their opportunity to strike at the Austrian Empire. With help from the neighboring country of Serbia , assassins were recruited and trained to kill the Archduke as he traveled through the streets of Sarajevo. These assassins were members of a terrorist group called the Black Hand.

The Assassination On June 28, 1914 Franz Ferdinand and his wife were in the third car of a motorcade traveling through Sarajevo to the Town Hall. The Black Hand had several assassins positioned along the route. On the way to the Town Hall, the first assassination attempt occurred. A man named Nedeljko Cabrinovic threw a bomb into the car with the Archduke. However, the bombed bounced off the car and landed under the next car in the motorcade. The car with the Archduke was able to speed away and make it safely to the Town Hall. The assassins did not give up, however. On the return trip, the motorcade took a wrong turn. When the driver began to back up, another assassin named Gavrilo Princip happened to be right next to the car. He took advantage of this opportunity and began firing at the Archduke. He fired twice, hitting the Archduke once and his wife Sophie. The crowd jumped on Princip and he was arrested by the police. At the same time the car sped to the Governor's residence to get medical help. Unfortunately, Sofie was dead before they arrived and the Archduke died a few minutes later.

Results and Why it Started WW1 The Austria-Hungary government saw the assassination as a direct attack on the country. They believed that the Serbians had helped the Bosnian terrorists in the attack. They made harsh demands on the Serbians which the Serbians rejected. At the same time, Russia began to mobilize their army to help protect Serbia. When Serbia rejected the demands, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. A few days later, Germany declared war on Russia to help its ally Austria-Hungary. Then France began to mobilize to help its ally Russia, and Germany followed by declaring war on France. World War I had begun. Interesting Facts about the Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand When Ferdinand saw that his wife was shot he exclaimed "Sophie! Don't die! Stay alive for the children!" Both Princip and Cabrinovic tried to kill themselves with cyanide pills, but the pills only made them very sick. Between the bomb and the shooting, Ferdinand attended a ceremony given by the Major of Sarajevo at City Hall. The Serbian Prime Minister learned of the assassination attempt prior to the attack.

He tried to warn the Austrians, but his warning was so vague that the Austrians did not understand how real the threat was. Activities Take a ten question quiz about this page. Learn More about World War I: Overview: Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, 1914 Printer Friendly Version >>> Two bullets fired on a Sarajevo street on a sunny June morning in 1914 set in motion a series of events that shaped the world we live in today. World War One, World War Two, the Cold War and its conclusion all trace their origins to the gunshots that interrupted that summer day. Berliners cheer a regiment of Lancers headed for the Front. August 1914 The victims, Archduke Franz Ferdinand - heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife Sophie, were in the Bosnian city in conjunction with Austrian troop exercises nearby. The couple was returning from an official visit to City Hall. The assassin, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip burned with the fire of Slavic nationalism. He envisioned the death of the Archduke as the key that would unlock the shackles binding his people to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

A third party, Serbia, figured prominently in the plot. Independent Serbia provided the guns, ammunition and training that made the assassination possible. The Balkan Region of Europe entered the twentieth century much as she left it: a caldron of seething political intrigue needing only the slightest increase of heat to boil over into open conflict. The shots that day in Sarajevo pushed the caldron to the boiling point and beyond. ADVERTISMENT A Royal Murder Seven conspirators joined the crowd lining the Archduke's route to City Hall. Each took a different position, ready to attack the royal car if the opportunity presented itself. The six-car procession approached one conspirator, Gabrinovic (or Cabrinovic), who threw his bomb only to see it bounce off the Archduke's car and explode near the following car. Unhurt, the Archduke and his wife sped to the reception at City Hall. The ceremonies finished, the Royal procession amazingly retraced its steps bringing the Archduke into the range of the leader of the conspiracy, Gavrilo Princip. More amazingly, the royal car stopped right in front of Princip providing him the opportunity to fire two shots. Both bullets hit home.

Borijove Jevtic, one of the conspirators gave this eyewitness account: "When Francis Ferdinand and his retinue drove from the station they were allowed to pass the first two conspirators. The motor cars were driving too fast to make an attempt feasible and in the crowd were many Serbians; throwing a grenade would have killed many innocent people. When the car passed Gabrinovic, the compositor, he threw his grenade. It hit the side of the car, but Francis Ferdinand with presence of mind threw himself back and was uninjured. Several officers riding in his attendance were injured. The cars sped to the Town Hall and the rest of the conspirators did not interfere with them. After the reception in the Town Hall General Potiorek, the Austrian Commander, pleaded with Francis Ferdinand to leave the city, as it was seething with rebellion. The Archduke was persuaded to drive the shortest way out of the city and to go quickly. Members of the crowd try to attack Princip after his capture The road to the maneuvers was shaped like the letter V, making a sharp turn at the bridge over the River Nilgacka [Miljacka].

Francis Ferdinand's car could go fast enough until it reached this spot but here it was forced to slow down for the turn. Here Princip had taken his stand. As the car came abreast he stepped forward from the curb, drew his automatic pistol from his coat and fired two shots. The first struck the wife of the Archduke, the Archduchess Sofia, in the abdomen. She was an expectant mother. She died instantly. The second bullet struck the Archduke close to the heart. He uttered only one word, 'Sofia' -- a call to his stricken wife. Then his head fell back and he collapsed. He died almost instantly. The officers seized Princip. They beat him over the head with the flat of their swords. They knocked him down, they kicked him, scraped the skin from his neck with the edges of their swords, tortured him, all but killed him." Another Perspective Count Franz von Harrach rode on the running board of the royal car serving as a bodyguard for the Archduke. His account begins immediately after Princip fires his two shots: The Archduke and his wife leave City Hall.

Count Harrach rides the running board "As the car quickly reversed, a thin stream of blood spurted from His Highness's mouth onto my right check. As I was pulling out my handkerchief to wipe the blood away from his mouth, the Duchess cried out to him, 'In Heaven's name, what has happened to you?' At that she slid off the seat and lay on the floor of the car, with her face between his knees. I had no idea that she too was hit and thought she had simply fainted with fright. Then I heard His Imperial Highness say, 'Sopherl, Sopherl, don't die. Stay alive for the children!' At that, I seized the Archduke by the collar of his uniform, to stop his head dropping forward and asked him if he was in great pain. He answered me quite distinctly, 'It's nothing!' His face began to twist somewhat but he went on repeating, six or seven times, ever more faintly as he gradually lost consciousness, 'It's nothing!' Then, after a short pause, there was a violent choking sound caused by the bleeding.

It was stopped as we reached the Konak." References: Brook-Shepard, Gordon, Archduke of Sarajevo (1984); Dedijer, Vladimir, The Road To Sarajevo (1966); Morton, Frederick, Thunder At Twilight (1989). How To Cite This Article: "Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, 1914," EyeWitness to History, (1998). Gavrilo Princip (age 19) was sentenced to twenty years of hard labor. He escaped the death penalty because he was under the age of 21. Three other conspirators were tried including Cabrinovic, the bomb-thrower. He and another under-aged conspirator received a sentence of 20 years hard labor. The 3rd conspirator, Danilo Ilic, was executed on Feb. 3, 1915. Princip died in prison of tuberculosis on April 28, 1918. His two fellow conspirators preceded him in death, also dying of tuberculosis.

BBC - GCSE Bitesize: The assassination - the basics Next The assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife was critical in setting off the chain of events that led to the First World War. Not only was it a bad day for the Archduke and his family, but also a bad day for Europe. The assassination - the basics 1. Sarajevo was in Bosnia, the province that - to Serbia's anger - had been annexed [Annexed: To join with or take over, so the less powerful country becomes part of the more powerful. ] by Austria-Hungary in 1908. 2. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. He was inspecting the army in Sarajevo with his wife Sophie. The royal couple arrived by train at 9.28am. 3. Seven young Bosnian Serbs planned to assassinate Franz Ferdinand as he drove along the main road in Sarajevo, the Appel Quay. 4. The first conspirator who tried to kill Franz Ferdinand threw a bomb at his car. He missed and was arrested. 5. The Archduke escaped unhurt.

He decided to abandon the visit and return home via a different route to the one planned. . 6. No one had told the driver the route had changed. On the way back, therefore, the driver turned into Franz Josef Street, following the published route and, when told of his error, stopped the car to turn around. 7. Unfortunately, the car stopped in front of Gavrilo Princip, one of the conspirators, who was on his way home thinking he had failed. 8. Princip pulled out a gun and shot at Franz Ferdinand, hitting him in the jugular vein. There was a tussle, during which Princip shot and killed Sophie. By 11.30am, Franz Ferdinand had bled to death. Page: World War One - Assassination of Franz Ferdinand | HistoryOnTheNet World War One World War One - Assassination of Franz Ferdinand Last Updated: 08/05/2014 - 07:15 28th June 1914 Franz Ferdinand, aged 51, was heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire . He was married to Sophie Chotek von Chotvoka and had three children.

Franz Ferdinand was, however, very unpopular because he had made it clear that once he became Emperor he would make changes. The map below, of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1914, shows that Bosnia/ Herzegovnia was controlled by Austria. Austria had annexed Bosnia in 1908, a move that was not popular with the Bosnian people. Franz Ferdinand decided to visit Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovnia, to make an inspection of the Austro-Hungarian troops there. The inspection was scheduled for 28th June 1914. It was planned that Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie would be met at the station and taken by car to the City Hall where they would have lunch before going to inspect the troops. A Serbian terrorist group, called The Black Hand , had decided that the Archduke should be assassinated and the planned visit provided the ideal opportunity. Seven young men who had been trained in bomb throwing and marksmanship were stationed along the route that Franz Ferdinand's car would follow from the City Hall to the inspection. The first two terrorists were unable to throw their grenades because the streets were too crowded and the car was travelling quite fast.

The third terrorist, a young man called Cabrinovic, threw a grenade which exploded under the car following that of the Archduke. Although the Archduke and his wife were unhurt, some of his attendants were injured and had to be taken to hospital. After lunch at the City Hall, Franz Ferdinand insisted on visiting the injured attendants in hospital. However, on the way to the hospital the driver took a wrong turn. Realising his mistake he stopped the car and began to reverse. Another terrorist, named Gavrilo Princip, stepped forward and fired two shots. The first hit the pregnant Sophia in the stomach, she died almost instantly. The second shot hit the Archduke in the neck. He died a short while later. Drawing of the arrest of Gavrilo Princip Gavrilo Princip was arrested but was not executed because he was under 20 years. He was sentenced to twenty years in prison where he died of TB in 1918.

Archduke Ferdinand assassinated - Jun 28, 1914 - HISTORY.com Archduke Ferdinand assassinated Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie are shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. The killings sparked a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War I by early August. On June 28, 1919, five years to the day after Franz Ferdinand’s death, Germany and the Allied Powers signed the Treaty of Versailles, officially marking the end of World War I. The archduke traveled to Sarajevo in June 1914 to inspect the imperial armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, annexed by Austria-Hungary in 1908. The annexation had angered Serbian nationalists, who believed the territories should be part of Serbia.

A group of young nationalists hatched a plot to kill the archduke during his visit to Sarajevo, and after some missteps, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip was able to shoot the royal couple at point-blank range, while they traveled in their official procession, killing both almost instantly. The assassination set off a rapid chain of events, as Austria-Hungary immediately blamed the Serbian government for the attack. As large and powerful Russia supported Serbia, Austria asked for assurances that Germany would step in on its side against Russia and its allies, including France and possibly Great Britain. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the fragile peace between Europe’s great powers collapsed, beginning the devastating conflict now known as the First World War. After more than four years of bloodshed, the Great War ended on November 11, 1918, after Germany, the last of the Central Powers, surrendered to the Allies. At the peace conference in Paris in 1919, Allied leaders would state their desire to build a post-war world that was safe from future wars of such enormous scale.

The Versailles Treaty, signed on June 28, 1919, tragically failed to achieve this objective. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson’s grand dreams of an international peace-keeping organization faltered when put into practice as the League of Nations. Even worse, the harsh terms imposed on Germany, the war’s biggest loser, led to widespread resentment of the treaty and its authors in that country–a resentment that would culminate in the outbreak of the Second World War two decades later. Related Videos What Started World War 1? | Curiosity Aroused Home > Politics > What Started World War 1? What Started World War 1? Quick NotesQ: When did World War 1 Start? Austria – Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28th, 1914 Q: What started World War 1? How did World War 1 Start? The assassination of Austria – Hungary’s heir of the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparked a war between Austria – Hungary and Serbia, which caused a number of other countries to get involved due to the treaty alliance system. Q: Why did World War 1 start?

Once Austria – Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia stepped in, causing Germany to step in. France, Britain, Belgium, and many other countries then followed. Eventually, because Germany was blocking a majority of their commercial shipments, the United States was forced to enter into the war despite President Woodrow Wilson’s statement declaring the United States’ neutrality. An In-Depth Look: What Started World War 1? Gabro Princip as he is arrested shortly after assassinating Prince Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo (Photo credit: Wikipedia) World War 1 was caused by a series of events triggered by Serbia’s response to Austria-Hungary’s demands, and the treaty alliance system that ensured that many other countries would be drawn into the conflict. At the start of World War One, Europe was a powder keg waiting to be lit. As soon as Archduke Franz Ferdinand – the heir of Austria-Hungary’s throne – was assassinated on June 28, 1914, the fuse was lit. Ferdinand’s death happened under the care of the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist secret society and it caused a series of events culminating into the world’s first ever global war.

Common knowledge suggests that the war started all because of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria but this notion isn’t 100% correct. Austria-Hungary’s Reaction to the Assassination of Their Heir Surprisingly, the people did not care about the assassination itself. Even the Austrian newspapers reported that it was a general consensus amongst political circles that the assassination was for the best. The emperor Franz Josef expressed his relief because he didn’t like Ferdinand at all. Nobody cared about the assassination itself, but there had been thoughts of a ‘preventative war’ that they wanted to wage against Serbia. This war was meant to be short and sweet but due to the treaty alliance system that was in place, a small conflict turned into one of the bloodiest wars in human history with over 15 million deaths. Austria-Hungary reacted to the death of their heir by taking the opportunity to come down strong on the Serbians to crush the nationalist movement residing in the country and thereby cementing their influence on the Balkans. They now had the support of the German’s who promised that they would aid in a war with Serbia, and possibly Russia if they chose to go into battle.

Austria-Hungary did not expect Russia to join in on the war as it was expected to be a small one that would be over fairly quickly. After waiting three weeks, Austria-Hungary issued Serbia an ultimatum with demands that the assassins be brought to justice. Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia with severe terms hoping that Serbia would deny compliance and they would be able to go into a limited war to reclaim territory on the Balkans. Serbia got the ultimatum and they responded in a positive manner, but changed a few clauses in their response. Austria-Hungary saw this as a reason to go to war. A map of World War 1 participants: Green – Allied powers, Orange – Central Powers, Grey – Neutral (Photo credit: Wikipedia) A series of events occurred due to the existing treaties between different states and groups of nations, which escalated a small clash into the first giant war. This is the sequence of events that led to the ‘Great War’ – a name that had been given to the war before it even started: 1. Austria – Hungary was unsatisfied with the response that Serbia gave them after they received the ultimatum.

Their response was almost entirely in compliance with Austria – Hungary’s wishes but a few minor clauses in the response made Austria – Hungary wish to wage battle. They declared war on Serbia on July 28th, 1914. 2. Russia announced that they were mobilizing an army to Serbia’s defense. Russia was very slow in their process and it took about six weeks to finally get moving. 3. Germany and Austria-Hungary formulated a treaty before they waged war and they declared war on Russia. 4. France was bound to an agreement with Russia and was forced to step in to go to war with Germany. Germany declared war against Belgium and invaded so that they could have easy access to France when they wanted to attack. 5. Britain was an ally of France and due to the existing treaty, declared war against Germany. Germany did not expect that Britain was going to enter into the war because the treaty they had with France was written in loose wording. The two countries weren’t entirely bonded and Britain wasn’t expected to help. However, Britain had a very old treaty with Belgium as well so they decided to enter into the war and wage battle against Germany. 6.

Canada, India, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand entered the war as colonies of Britain. 7. Japan honored its treaty with Britain and they went to war against Germany. 8. In 1917, the United States decided that they would join the war. Originally, President Woodrow Wilson declared absolute neutrality in a United States policy. Originally, they had not wanted to but German submarines were hindering the United States’ commercial shipping operation. The United States was shipping supplies to their allies. 9. Italy was an ally to both Germany and Austria – Hungary, yet they avoided entering the war in the beginning by crafting a clause that would enable them to wave obligations to both parties. Eventually, they were forced to enter the war on the side of the Allies in May 1915.

Question: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria caused what cataclysmic world event?
Answer: The First World War