The Bullet that Started WWI
Summary
TLDROn June 28, 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip set off a chain of events leading to World War I. Tensions between Serbia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, fueled by the occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the desire for a unified Slavic representation, led to the formation of militant groups like the Black Hand. Despite an initial failed attempt, Princip seized a second chance to assassinate Ferdinand, an act that triggered a diplomatic breakdown and the mobilization of armies, culminating in the Great War.
Takeaways
- 💥 The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip, was a pivotal event that triggered World War I.
- 🌍 In 1914, Europe was divided among major powers such as the German Empire, Russian Empire, and Austro-Hungarian Empire, with tensions particularly high between Austria-Hungary and Serbia.
- 🏰 Serbia's animosity towards Austria-Hungary was fueled by the occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which had a significant Serb minority and was seen by Serbian nationalists as rightfully part of Serbia.
- 👑 Franz Ferdinand's political views, favoring a more unified empire with better representation for Slavic citizens, were contrary to Serbian nationalist goals of an independent and larger Serbian nation.
- 🖤 The formation of the secret revolutionary organization 'The Black Hand' in 1911 aimed to break the southern provinces from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and create an enlarged Serbia.
- 🔫 Gavrilo Princip, a young Bosnian Serb radicalized in his youth, shared the sentiments of The Black Hand and was part of the Young Bosnia group, which was committed to freeing Yugoslavs under Austro-Hungarian control.
- 🚗 The initial attempt to assassinate the Archduke failed when the bomb thrown by Nadelko Cabrinovich rolled off the car and injured people behind the Archduke's vehicle.
- 🔮 The failed assassination attempt led to a change in the Archduke's plans, which inadvertently brought him closer to Princip, who seized the opportunity to assassinate him with a pistol.
- 🏥 The Archduke and his wife were killed instantly, and their deaths led to a rapid escalation of diplomatic and military tensions between Serbia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
- 🔗 The assassination and subsequent events set off a chain reaction of alliances and pacts being honored, leading to the involvement of multiple European powers in what became World War I.
- 📜 The script highlights the complex interplay of nationalism, political ambitions, and secret organizations that contributed to the outbreak of the war, illustrating the intricate web of causation that historians continue to study.
Q & A
What event is considered the catalyst for World War I?
-The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on June 28, 1914, is considered the catalyst for World War I.
Who was the main instigator behind the assassination attempt on Archduke Franz Ferdinand?
-Gavrilo Princip was the main instigator behind the assassination attempt on Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
What was the political climate like in Europe before the assassination?
-Before the assassination, Europe was divided between three major powers: the German Empire, Russian Empire, and Austro-Hungarian Empire, with tensions particularly high between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and its southern neighbor, Serbia.
Why did Serbia have strained relations with the Austro-Hungarian Empire?
-Serbia had strained relations with the Austro-Hungarian Empire due to the occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which contained a sizable Serb minority and was considered by Serbian nationalists to be part of Serbia.
What was the Black Hand organization and what was its goal?
-The Black Hand, also known as Unification or Death, was a secret revolutionary organization that aimed to break the southern provinces from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and create an enlarged, ethnically united Kingdom of Serbia.
What was the significance of Franz Ferdinand's political desires in the eyes of Serbian nationalists?
-Franz Ferdinand's political desires were significant to Serbian nationalists because he favored a more unified empire with better political representation for Slavic citizens, which threatened Serbian nationalists' goal of a separate, larger Serbian nation.
How did the initial assassination attempt by the conspirators fail?
-The initial assassination attempt failed when the bomb thrown by Nadelko Cabrinovich rolled off the back of the car and only wounded people behind the archduke, without harming him.
What was the outcome of the failed assassination attempt for the conspirators?
-After the failed attempt, the conspirators dispersed into the crowd, with some like Cabrinovich attempting suicide with an old and ineffective cyanide pill and being arrested after being found in a shallow part of the river.
How did the assassination ultimately succeed?
-The assassination ultimately succeeded when Gavrilo Princip took advantage of a stopped car carrying the archduke at a cafe and shot both Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, at point-blank range with a pistol.
What were the immediate consequences of the assassination for the conspirators?
-The immediate consequences for the conspirators included the execution of some over 20 years old, while others like Princip, Cabrinovich, and Grabez were imprisoned and died within the next four years.
How did the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand lead to the outbreak of World War I?
-The assassination led to a breakdown in diplomacy between Serbia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which, with the support of the German Empire, declared war on Serbia. This triggered a domino effect of alliances and hostility among European powers, leading to the outbreak of World War I.
Outlines
🔪 The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The first paragraph sets the stage for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, detailing the political tensions between Serbia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It describes the formation of the Black Hand, a secret revolutionary organization aiming to break the southern provinces from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The narrative focuses on the role of Gavrilo Princip, a young Bosnian Serb radicalized in his youth, who was part of the Young Bosnia group. The paragraph also touches on previous assassination attempts by other nationalists, leading up to the failed bomb attack on the Archduke's car by Nadelko Cabrinovich, which injured around 20 people but did not kill the target.
💣 The Failed and Successful Assassination Attempts
This paragraph delves into the planning and execution of the assassination attempt on Archduke Franz Ferdinand. It highlights the involvement of Major Tankosic, a Serbian officer and founder of the Black Hand, who provided weapons for the operation. The narrative follows the seven young Bosnians, including Princip, who were armed with bombs and pistols. The initial attempts by Mehmed Bashtit and Vasco Chubbulovich to throw bombs failed, but Cabrinovich managed to throw a bomb that injured people but did not kill the Archduke. The situation turned comical as Cabrinovich attempted suicide with an ineffective cyanide pill and was caught by the police. The paragraph culminates in the unexpected opportunity presented to Princip when the Archduke's car stopped in front of him, allowing him to shoot and kill the Archduke and his wife, Duchess Sophia.
🌐 The Domino Effect Leading to World War I
The final paragraph explores the aftermath of the assassination and its role in triggering World War I. It describes the diplomatic breakdown between Serbia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, leading to the latter declaring war on Serbia. The paragraph also mentions the involvement of other European powers, such as the German Empire, which supported Austria-Hungary with a 'blank check' of assistance. The narrative underscores the rapid escalation of hostilities as nations scrambled to honor their alliances, ultimately leading to the widespread conflict known as World War I. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the impact of Princip's actions, highlighting how an angry 19-year-old boy set off a chain of events that would engulf Europe in war.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Archduke Franz Ferdinand
💡Austro-Hungarian Empire
💡Serbian Nationalists
💡Black Hand
💡Gavrilo Princip
💡Young Bosnia
💡Assassination
💡World War I
💡Bosnia-Herzegovina
💡Diplomatic Crisis
Highlights
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 was a pivotal event that led to World War I.
Europe in 1914 was divided among the German, Russian, and Austro-Hungarian empires with tensions high, especially between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Serbia.
Serbia resented Austro-Hungary's occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which had a large Serb minority, and believed it should be part of Serbia.
Serbian nationalists formed militant organizations like the Black Hand to achieve their territorial goals against Austro-Hungary.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand's political views threatened Serbian nationalist goals as he favored a unified empire with better representation for Slavic citizens.
Gavrilo Princip, a young Bosnian Serb radicalized from a young age, shared the Black Hand's goals of breaking away southern provinces from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The assassination plot involved multiple conspirators armed with bombs and pistols, showing the extensive planning behind the attack.
The first attempt to assassinate the Archduke failed when the bomb thrown by Nadelko Cabrinovic rolled off the car and injured people behind it.
Cabrinovic's failed suicide attempt by cyanide and the subsequent capture of the conspirators highlighted the chaotic nature of the event.
The Archduke's change of plans to visit the injured from the first bomb attempt inadvertently led Princip to his successful assassination.
Princip's successful assassination of the Archduke and his wife with a pistol at point-blank range had immediate fatal consequences.
The aftermath saw 25 people implicated in the assassination, with some executed and others imprisoned, showing the severity of the repercussions.
The assassination led to a breakdown in diplomacy between Serbia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, with Serbia mobilizing its army with Russian support.
Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia, supported by Germany, set off a domino effect of alliances and hostility among European powers.
The transcript describes the assassination as the trigger for World War I, illustrating the far-reaching impact of a single event.
The conspirators did not anticipate the scale of the conflict that their actions would ignite, showing the unintended consequences of their plot.
Transcripts
guerrilla princip and the assassination
of archduke franz ferdinand
on sunday june 28 1914
serbian nationalist nadelko chabrinovich
threw a bomb at the back of a car
carrying archduke franz ferdinand the
bomb rolled off wounded around 20 people
behind the archduke instead
not the best start to an assassination
that would lead to world war one
in 1914 europe looked a little different
from today most of the continent was
divided between three major powers the
german empire russian empire and the
austro-hungarian empire with france
italy and a few other countries squashed
in
it was that last one the
austro-hungarian empire and its strained
relations with its southern neighbor
serbia that is key to understanding why
the assassination occurred
serbia had grown to detest
austria-hungary after it occupied its
neighbor called bosnia-herzegovina
first in 1878 and formerly in 1908
bosnia-herzegovina contained a sizable
serb minority and was therefore believed
by serbian nationalists that it ought to
be part of their own country
serbia overthrew their
pro-austro-hungary rulers some years
earlier in 1903 and had established a
government that wasn't too fond of the
empire
by 1914 these tensions only increased as
serb and bosnian serb nationalists
stoked the flames of the slowly growing
fire by creating militant organizations
to obtain their territorial objectives
and franz ferdinand's political desires
significant as he was next in line as
the emperor of austria-hungary only
fueled their anger
ferdinand was in favor of a more unified
empire where its slavic citizens in
southeastern europe would get better
political representation
while sounding great on paper to serbian
nationalists it would accomplish nothing
but weakening their goals for a separate
larger serbian nation and so sought to
prevent it
in may 1911 the black hand was formed
although back then it was better known
as unification or death
it was a secret revolutionary
organization whose name tied in with its
ultimate goal to break the southern
provinces from the austro-hungarian
empire and create an enlarged supposedly
ethnically united kingdom of
serbia although not part of the black
hand young poor bosnian serb gavrilo
princip who had been radicalized since
his youth shared their sentiments and
had befriended other radicals determined
to change the tide of history later
being introduced to the young bosnia
group
like many others he believed serbia had
a moral duty to free yugoslavs still
under austro-hungarian control
princip was just 19 when he met other
bosnian serbs like himself after
traveling to and living in belgrade
some of these later co-conspirators were
students others were already
revolutionary exiles because of their
socialist beliefs
over the last 10 years leading up to
1914 there had been multiple attempts on
government officials lives by other
nationalists the most notable of this
was bogdan zaraich who attempted to
assassinate general marian varshani
governor of bosnia in sarajevo in 1910.
he shot five times in his direction
before turning the gun on himself
this is one of the events that spurred
on princip and his co-conspirators just
a few years later
in 1913 relations between bosnia and the
rest of the empire had reached an
all-time low a state of emergency was
declared by general oscar patilrec
leading to the dissolution of the
bosnian parliament the imposition of
martial law and the shutdown of serbian
cultural and educational societies
this of course only incited princep's
rage further and he formed a group with
two other friends nadelko chabrinovich
and trifco grabbish whose goal was to
ultimately follow the earlier zaraiich's
example but with more successful results
they were not the only ones who had such
designs the black hand who princip was
already friendly with were already busy
forming their own plans
in sarajevo a prominent member of the
organization daniel irich sent
chabrinovich a note a newspaper clipping
regarding the archduke's planned visit
and a single word in the margins
greetings
chabrinovich showed the paper to princip
who had the same thought this was their
opportunity
this was not the young men's first
encounter
and princip were already friends along
with chabrinovich and all members of the
young bosnia group a revolutionary
anti-austro-hungary group
elitch would later claim he coordinated
the attack completely although in truth
he had been less the puppeteer than the
puppet
from there the three boys consulted
major tankosic a serbian officer and one
of the founders of the black hand who
agreed to provide the group with weapons
to carry out the attempt
they sent ward to elij who immediately
organized things in bosnia itself
arranging to send three other young
revolutionaries to meet the others in
sarajevo their names were sejetko
popovich vasso chubbulovich and mehmed
mehmet
armed with six bombs four pistols and a
cyanide pill each to be taken
immediately after the assassination the
seven young bosnians began their attempt
it was june 28 1914
archduke franz ferdinand and his wife
the duchess sophia were to inspect a
military garrison before traveling
towards the city hall to open a new
state museum daniel illich had
positioned the assassins along their
route each young man armed with a bomb
but it turns out killing is a lot easier
in theory than in practice
first the motorcade went past mehmed
bashtit who lost his nerve and failed to
throw his bomb
the same happened next with chuberlovich
who also failed to act when he saw the
car coming
but the same cannot be said of
chibrinovic when the car came down his
part of the route he summed up all the
courage of a 19 year old who had never
seen war and threw his bomb
which promptly rolled off the back of
the archduke's car and under the wheels
of the one behind in the motorcade
injuring around 20 people but killing
none
what followed was more like a looney
tunes episode than real life
chabrinovich immediately swallowed his
cyanide pill before jumping in the river
unfortunately the pills were old and
ineffective so rather than kill the
young student all it did was make him
vomit
and rather than the river washing him
away chabrinovich found himself standing
in 13 centimeters of water as the river
had dried up in the heat before being
dragged out by police and beaten up
before being taken into custody
the rest vanished into the crowds in the
confusion disheartened and angry their
attempt had failed
but unexpectedly for all of them that
wasn't the group's last chance at the
archduke
after hearing others had been injured by
the bomb ferdinand changed his plans to
visit the museum deciding instead he
wanted to travel to the hospital and
check on the injured but that message
did not reach the archduke's drivers who
continued with the original plan
meanwhile cabrillo princip was lamenting
the group's failures at the nearby
moritz schiller cafe when a twist of
fate changed the course of history
almost directly in front of the young
rebel the car carrying the archduke was
told to stop the driver being told of
his error when the car came to a stop
and put into a slow reverse princip saw
his chance
summoning his courage he pulled out the
pistol tanko said she'd given him and at
point-blank range shot arched franz
ferdinand in the neck and his wife
sophia in the abdomen immediately after
both were dead before they reached the
hospital
in the aftermath 25 persons were
implicated in the assassination mehmet
bastich escaped to serbia but the others
were not so lucky
being over 20 years old trebilovich
ilyich and fellow conspirator jovanovich
were executed and princip chabrinovich
and grebsche found themselves imprisoned
at tresinstadt where all three would die
in the next four years
interviews with princip gibrnovich and
popovich during their trials showed that
these three at least did not regret
their actions but they also didn't
anticipate what would come next
just a month later diplomacy and
civility between serbia and the
austro-hungarian empire had broken down
completely
serbia with the knowledge of new support
from the russian empire still acquiesced
to some of these demands by
austro-hungary that included suppressing
propaganda against the empire and
allowing their officials to join the
serbian inquiry into the assassination
but without a complete agreement
austro-hungary responded by breaking
diplomatic relations
the serbian army mobilized assured of
russian support behind it
austria-hungary 2 did not stand alone
however having nurtured a pact of
alliance with the german empire
seeking to assure their ally kaiser
wilhelm ii and his administration issued
the infamous blank check to the
austro-hungarian government promising
uncompromised assistance in their
endeavors in the balkans
emboldened by their ally on july 28 1914
austria-hungary declared war on serbia
shelling the national capital of
belgrade that very night what occurred
in the days that followed was a near
domino effect of hostility as european
powers and nations scrambled to honor
pacts of friendship and alliance europe
as historian christopher clark is
written sleepwalked into war triggered
in earnest by an angry 19-year-old boy
gabrillo princip
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