After the 1878 Treaty of Berlin, Austria-Hungary was to occupy and administer the Ottoman Vilayet of Bosnia, although the Ottoman Empire kept official sovereignty; additionally, the Principality of Serbia was officially recognized as a sovereign state. It was to become a kingdom four years later under Prince Milan IV Obrenović and maintained close relations with Austria-Hungary. However, in 1903, when the king was assassinated, Peter I of the House of Karađorđević was installed as king. The new regime, which was more nationalist, was more closely allied to Russia and less to Austria-Hungary. It also began a period when Serbia started to try to rebuild its power and reclaim its empire. The resultant Serbian military successes and outrage over the Austro-Hungarian annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina goaded the Serbian nationalists.
Franz Ferdinand, archduke of Austria, and his wife Sophie riding in an open carriage at Sarajevo shortly before their assassination. (Photo by Henry Guttmann Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images))/colorized
Prior to 1914, lone assassins unsuccessfully tried to assassinate Austro-Hungarian officials. A collective of revolutionary groups, which came to be called Young Bosnia, formed with the goal of ending Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia, and unifying the Slavs in Southeastern Europe. Then, in 1911, the Black Hand was established. This secret society was dedicated to creating a Greater Serbia through “terroristic action.” Because of his political stances, and his planned reforms, Peter I was seen as a threat.
Franz Ferdinand Was Sent To Bosnia To Observe Military Maneuvers
Franz Ferdinand. Source: (Wikipedia).
In June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was commanded by Emperor Franz Joseph to observe the military maneuvers in Bosnia. Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie planned to open the state museum in its new premises in Sarajevo after this.
Sophie and Franz Ferdinand were to observe their 14th anniversary on June 28. Because Sophie was not from a dynastic family, she was never able to enjoy the benefits of Franz Ferdinand’s rank unless he was acting in a military capacity. He then chose the date of June 28 (June 15 on the Julian calendar) to inspect the army so that she could ride in the open carriage by his side.
Leading Up To The Assassination
Shortly before the assassination. Source: (Wikimedia/colorized).
The choice of the assassination date also had significance, as it was the feast of St. Vitus, the date that marks the 1389 Battle of Kosovo. On that day a Serb assassinated the Sultan. Members of Young Bosnia were enamored with the story, and Princip knew all of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš's The Mountain Wreath, a work that celebrates the Kosovo Myth. Once they learned of the upcoming visit in May, Gavrilo Princip, Trifko Grabez, and Nedljko Cabrinovic went to Belgrade and got six handheld bombs, four semi-automatic pistols, and suicide capsules from the Black Hand, and then, after practicing with their pistols, they returned to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
On June 23, Franz Ferdinand and Sophie began the journey to Bosnia-Herzegovina, despite a number of warnings. While in a spa town just outside Sarajevo, Franz Ferdinand attended the military exercises for two days; Sophie, meanwhile, visited schools and orphanages. They also drove into Sarajevo one evening to check out the bazaars. While there, they were greeted by onlookers, including Princip. The night before the assassination, the couple attended a banquet with religious and political leaders. On the morning of the assassination, they took a train into Sarajevo. They got into an open-topped car to take a motorcade ride to city hall. Their car was supposed to follow a car with six trained officers, but it only had one, accompanied by three local policemen. The route had been published ahead of time, and when it passed by Cabrinovic, he inquired about which car held Franz Ferdinand, before lobbing his bomb at the car. It bounced off the retracted roof of the car and rolled under another car, where it detonated, wounding two army officers and a few bystanders, and Cabrinovic tried to escape but was apprehended.
Franz Ferdinand Made The Choice Not To Flee
Princip. Source: (Wikipedia/colorized).
Franz Ferdinand made the choice to not flee Sarajevo, continuing on to City Hall, after which he went to the hospital to visit the wounded officers. They decided to speed down the Appel Quay so that they could dissuade anyone else from throwing bombs. They accidentally turned down a side street, and Princip was standing there. Although they did try to back out of the street and return to the Appel Quay, Princip managed to fire two shots from point-blank range. He hit Franz Ferdinand in the neck and Sophie in the abdomen. The two passed away in minutes. Princip, who was just shy of facing the death penalty, was sentenced to 20 years. He died at the age of 23 in 1918, after contracting tuberculosis. The assassination, of course, would have dire consequences, as it precipitated an already tense Europe’s entrance into World War I.
