Assassination in Sarajevo

Setting the scene

The assassination in Sarajevo occurred on June 28, 1914, when Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie were shot dead by Gavrilo Princip, a 19-year-old Bosnian Serb nationalist. Franz Ferdinand was visiting Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which Austria-Hungary had annexed in 1908, angering Serbian nationalists who wanted Bosnia to join Serbia. Princip was a member of Young Bosnia, a group supplied by the Black Hand, a secret Serbian military society.

What happened

The assassination was almost a failure—earlier that morning, a bomb thrown by another conspirator bounced off the archduke's car. Franz Ferdinand continued his visit, but his driver took a wrong turn onto Franz Josef Street, where Princip happened to be at a café. Seeing the car reverse, Princip stepped forward and fired two shots at point-blank range, killing Sophie in the abdomen and Franz Ferdinand in the neck. Both died within minutes.

Why it still matters

The assassination triggered the July Crisis. Austria-Hungary, backed by Germany, issued an ultimatum to Serbia, which Serbia partially rejected. Austria-Hungary declared war on July 28, Russia mobilized to defend Serbia, Germany declared war on Russia and France, and Britain entered after Germany invaded Belgium. Within five weeks, Europe was at war. The assassination did not cause World War I—underlying causes included alliances, militarism, imperialism, and nationalism—but it was the spark that ignited the powder keg. Princip's two shots killed 20 million people and destroyed four empires.

Background

July crisis led to World War I.