How the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Unfolded with Dan Snow

Summary

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria visited Sarajevo, Bosnia, with his wife Sophie. During their visit, a group of Serbian nationalists planned an assassination to free Bosnia from Austrian rule. The first attempt, a bomb thrown by a desperate young assassin, failed. Later, due to a miscommunication, the royal couple's car stopped near another assassin, Gavrilo Princip. He fired two fatal shots, killing both Ferdinand and Sophie. This act ignited World War I, which ultimately claimed over 10 million lives.

Takeaways

• 🎯 The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, ignited World War I.
• 👑 Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, visited Sarajevo with his wife Sophie for their wedding anniversary.
• 🇷🇸 The date, Vidovdan, was significant for Serbians as it marked the anniversary of the 1389 Battle of Kosovo against the Ottoman Empire.
• 🔫 The assassination was carried out by a group of young men committed to freeing Bosnia from Austrian rule and uniting it with Serbia.
• 🤦‍♂️ The first assassin froze and failed to act as the convoy passed.
• 💣 A second assassin, Nedeljko Čabrinović, threw a bomb at the car, but it bounced off and exploded behind it, injuring others but missing Franz Ferdinand.
• 🚗 After the bombing, the Archduke continued to his planned reception at the town hall, reading a speech covered in the blood of one of his injured assistants.
• 🛑 On the way to visit those injured in the hospital, a wrong turn led the convoy to slow down, bringing the car near assassin Gavrilo Princip.
• 🔫 Princip fired two shots at close range, killing Sophie with a shot to the abdomen and mortally wounding Franz Ferdinand by grazing his jugular.
• ⚔️ These two shots were the catalyst for World War I, which resulted in over 10 million deaths.

Q & A

Who was assassinated on June 28th, 1914, in Sarajevo, Bosnia?

Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian Empire, was assassinated along with his wife, Sophie.

Why is June 28th significant to Serbs?

June 28th, known as Vidovdan, marks the anniversary of the 1389 Battle of Kosovo, where the Serbs were defeated by the Ottoman Turks. It is a day on which Serbs renew their ambition for independence from foreign rule.

What was Franz Ferdinand doing in Sarajevo at the time of the assassination?

Franz Ferdinand was visiting Sarajevo to conduct a troop inspection and attend a lavish reception at the Town Hall.

How many assassination attempts were made on Franz Ferdinand during his visit to Sarajevo?

Multiple assassination attempts were made. The first attempt involved a bomb, but it failed. The second attempt was successful when Gavrilo Princip shot Franz Ferdinand and his wife.

Who threw the first bomb during the assassination attempt?

Nedeljko Čabrinović threw the first bomb, but it bounced off Franz Ferdinand's car and exploded under the car behind it, injuring several people.

How did the driver of Franz Ferdinand's car inadvertently contribute to the success of the assassination?

The driver mistakenly took a wrong turn at the same location where one of the assassins, Gavrilo Princip, was standing. The car stalled, giving Princip the opportunity to fire his shots.

Who was Gavrilo Princip, and what role did he play in the assassination?

Gavrilo Princip was a young Bosnian Serb nationalist who, after a failed bomb attempt, shot and killed Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie at close range.

What were Franz Ferdinand’s and Sophie’s injuries from the assassination?

Sophie was shot in the abdomen, while Franz Ferdinand was shot in the neck. Both were mortally wounded and died shortly afterward.

How did Franz Ferdinand react after surviving the initial assassination attempt?

Franz Ferdinand attended the reception at the Town Hall despite the first assassination attempt. His speech was covered in the blood of his assistant, who was injured in the explosion.

What larger event was sparked by the assassination of Franz Ferdinand?

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand is widely regarded as the event that sparked World War I, leading to the deaths of over 10 million people.