Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in World War I

The murder of Austria’s Archduke Ferdinand sparked a chain of global events that eventually brought about World War I. The majority of people agree that this particular occurrence was crucial in setting the stage for conflict.

Who was Archduke Ferdinand?

On December 18, 1863, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was born in the city of Graz. He succeeded his father and cousin as heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. Franz Joseph, his uncle, was the reigning emperor of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire at the time. The Duchess of Hohenberg Sophie was his wife.

Immediately before the Assassination

Bosnia was a region located in Austria-Hungary’s southernmost section. Numerous Bosnians desired independence from Austria-Hungary and their own nation. Serbia, which is located just south of the border between Austria and Hungary, supported Bosnian independence as well. Austria-Hungary was aligned with Germany, and Serbia was allied with the formidable Russian Empire.

Bosnian nationalists (those who wanted Bosnia to be its own country) saw their chance to attack the Austrian Empire when Archduke Ferdinand announced his visit to Sarajevo. Assassins were enlisted and trained to kill the Archduke as he passed through the streets of Sarajevo with assistance from the neighbouring nation of Serbia. These killers belonged to the Black Hand, a terrorist organisation.

The Assassination

On June 28, 1914, Franz Ferdinand was riding in the third automobile of a motorcade to the Town Hall through Sarajevo. Along the path, The Black Hand had six assassins waiting.

The first attempt at murder happened on route to the Town Hall. Nedeljko Cabrinovic, a man, tossed a bomb into the Archduke’s automobile. The bomb, nevertheless, bounced off the vehicle and landed beneath the motorcade’s following vehicle. The Archduke’s automobile was able to accelerate and arrive at the Town Hall without incident.

The killers, however, persisted. The motorcade made a mistake while heading back. Another assassin called Gavrilo Princip happened to be right next to the automobile when the driver started to reverse. He seized the chance and started shooting at the Archduke. The Archduke and his wife Sophie were each struck once by his two shots.

Princip was assaulted by the mob and taken into custody by the police. The automobile accelerated to the governor’s house to receive medical assistance at the same moment. Sadly, Sophie had passed away before they got there, and the Archduke passed away shortly after.

Results and Why it Started WWI

The assassination was viewed by the Austria-Hungarian administration as an assault on the nation. They thought the Bosnian terrorists had received assistance from the Serbians throughout the assault. The Serbians refused their harsh demands, which they made on them. At the same time, Russia started preparing its military to defend Serbia. The requests were refused by Serbia, and Austria-Hungary thereupon declared war on it. A few days later, in order to support its ally Austria-Hungary, Germany declared war on Russia. France then started to prepare to aid its ally Russia, and Germany soon after that declared war on France. The start of World War I.

The Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand: Interesting Facts

“Sophie!” Ferdinand yelled as soon as he realised his wife had been shot. Avoid dying! For the sake of the kids, remain alive.

Princip and Cabrinovic both attempted self-immolation by taking cyanide pills, but the poisons simply made them very ill.

Ferdinand went to a ceremony held at City Hall by the Major of Sarajevo between the bombing and the shooting.

Prior to the attack, the Serbian Prime Minister was informed about the attempted assassination. He made an effort to warn the Austrians, but because of the ambiguity of his warning, they were unable to assess the seriousness of the threat.