Page 49 - All About History - Issue 34-16

Bluffer’s Guide
THE ASSASSINATION OF FRANZ FERDINAND

What was it?
Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria-Hungary
and next in line for the throne, was in Sarajevo
with his wife, Duchess Sophie, for a political visit. It
would include inspecting military barracks, an official
reception and a motorcade. However, rather than the
warm reception expected for a royal guest, Ferdinand was
welcomed by six assassins.
The first attempt on Ferdinand’s life came from
Nedeljko Čabrinović, who threw a hand grenade at the car
carrying Ferdinand, but he missed. Realising his failure,
he attempted to commit suicide by taking a cyanide pill
and jumping into the river. Both proved inadequate – he
regurgitated the cyanide pill and the water only came up
to his ankles. He was arrested.
Fearing another attempt, Ferdinand decided on a
different route back, but failed to inform his driver. This
error led him to Gavrilo Princip. Princip only made it
into the history books by luck – he’d given up on the
assassination by the time he came across Ferdinand’s car.
He jumped in front of the car and fired, hitting Ferdinand
in the jugular vein, which caused him to bleed to death.
Why did it happen?
Prior to the assassination, tension between the
neighbouring countries within the Austro-Hungarian
Empire (a large multinational realm that lasted between
1867 and 1918) had been rising. Bosnia and Herzegovina
was fully annexed by Austria-Hungary in 1908, which
caused anger among many Bosniaks and Serbs.
When Ferdinand’s visit to Sarajevo was announced, a
plan for his assassination as an act of vengeance was set
in motion. The assassins, five Serbs and one Bosniak, got
their ammunition and training from the Black Hand, a
Serb terrorist organisation with a serious vendetta towards
the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Black Hand was
fighting for a movement dubbed Young Bosnia, hoping
to break off the South Slav provinces. Danilo Ilić, a key
member of this secret society, is thought to have been the
Did brain behind the operation and recruited the six assassins,
but the Black Hand society was an expansive operation,
you know? and included big names such as Chief of Serbian Military
Intelligence Dragutin Dimitrijević.
Three of the assassins were
sufering fromtuberculosis, Who was involved?
and theirimpending death Gavrilo Princip
meant they needed little 1894 1918
persuasion to join Despite being one of six assassins, Princip
theattempt fired the fateful shot that hit Ferdinand in
the jugular vein, leading to his death.

Duchess Sophie
1868 1914
A commoner before marrying Ferdinand,
1911 1912-1913 her death was partly accidental – she was hit
as Princip aimed for Governor Potiorek.
The Black Hand At the height of
society, concerned increasing tension
with the liberation in the area, the Dragutin Dimitrijević
of the South Slav two Balkan Wars 1876 1917
states, is formed, start in south-east Dimitrijević was in charge of the Black Hand.
consisting mainly of Europe to oppose
Dimitrijević’s fellow the inluence of the He also played a key role in overthrowing © Alamy
army oicers. Ottoman Empire. the Serbian government in 1903.
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