The sound of two bullets being fired rang out in once peaceful Savejo Street. Each shot was followed by the sickening sound of lead piercing flesh as the sovereign duke of Austria-Hungary fell. People ran up and attempted to assault the assailant but where quickly held back by the police who took control of the situation. A small mob quickly formed, gathered around the victims and came to an unsettling conclusion. On June 28th, 1914 Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife Sophie were assassinated by an overly passionate 17-year-old nationalist, Gavrilo Princip("Francis Ferdinand, archduke of Austria-Este" Encyclopedia Britannica). People mourned his death and were outraged when Princip was sent to prison instead of being executed(Duffy, "Who's Who - Gavirlo Princip"). Little did they know that the shot fired at the duke would have greater impact than the shot heard around the world. This lone bullet would release the pent-up aggression of ancient nations and embroil the world in a war of the likes it has never seen. How did the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand affect wars within Europe for the next 100 years? Well due to the broadness of this question I cannot possibly explain its impact in the span of only 2000 words; instead I will be focusing primarily on WWI and WWII. In answer to the question above The Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, combining with other factors, allowed for the waging of World War I, while sowing the seeds for the Second World War to sprout and flourish from.
Ferdinand's death was not much mourned over by the Austria-Hungary government or Frank Joseph the Emperor at the time. This loss was instead used as an excuse to establish authority and influence within the Balkans, via the Ser...
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"international relations" Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2011.
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United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. "TREATY OF VERSAILLES, 1919." HOLOCAUST ENCYCLOPEDIA. WASHINGTON, D.C.:Web..
"Versailles, Treaty of" Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online School Edition.Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2011.
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"World War I" Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online School Edition.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2011.
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Imagine four years of justing trying to capture the other teams trench, how dreadfully boring. World war one a great war of powers, invoked first by serbia’s overwhelming feeling to be their own people separate from Austria-hungary which thus lead to the assassination of the archduke Ferdinand of the Austrian-hungarian empire, which then lead to all the countries allied with Austria-hungary to support Austria in it’s attack on serbia, then all the countries allied with serbia to bring up arms on Austria, and Austria’s allies. This in terms of alliances had come upon through imperialism that lead to germany already against Austria in terms of expansion.
On June 28, 1914, Franz Ferdinand and his wife were visiting Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, to inspect the army. At the same time, seven young Bosnian Serbs, part of a terrorist group known as the Black Hand, were putting their plan to assassinate Franz Ferdinand, into action. Franz Ferdinand and his wife were in the motorcade when one of the members threw a grenade at it. It missed and instead it it the car behind them. At this point, Franz Ferdinand decided to abandon the visit and return home via another route. However, no one informed the chauffeur and he ended up taking the wrong turn. He drove by Gavrilo Princip, one of the conspirators, who was at the time returning home thinking he had failed. When he saw the motorcade, he realized he still had a chance. Princip pulled out his revolver and shot at both Franz Ferdinand and his wife. They were dead within minutes. The Austrian government was looking for a reason to to send ultimatum to Serbia and they finally had a chance. Serbia refused to comply and Austria declared war. Europe's “long-smoldering feuds” had finally erupted into war.
Nearing the end of his life, Otto von Bismarck said, “One day the great European War will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans,” (History.com Staff 1). As it so happens, Mr. von Bismarck was correct. The first World War was triggered by the unmerited assassination of the Austro-Hungarian Archduke. The day Ferdinand was killed, was his and his wife’s wedding anniversary (History.com Staff 1). The couple was visiting Sarajevo in a open car, a rarity at the time (Ben Cosgrove 1). Unfortunately, this city held threatening nationalists and terrorists. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by a young man named Gavrilo Princip. Princip had been trained in terrorism by the Black Hand, a Serbian secret society (The Editors of Encyclopedia
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria visited the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo. A group of six assassins, supplied by a Bosnian based terrorist group the Black Hand, had gathered on the streets where the Archduke's motorcade would pass. Some attempted to kill the Archduke, including one who attempted to throw a grenade at the car but missed. Others failed to act as the car drove past them. Later on the route through the city, the motorcade took a wrong turn onto a previously designated street. Gavrilo Princip, a Black Hand assassin, stood waiting with a pistol. Princip shot and killed Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. However, the assassination received almost disregard back in Austria. Yet, the death of the Archduke and his wife would be the beginning of an all out war in Europe as Austria-Hungary would declare war on Serbia. This declaration would bring in Germany on the side of Austria-Hungarian empire and Russia aiding the Serbians. By joining sides this would convey in France, Great Britain and during the later part of the war, Italy, Japan and the United States. Official war began on July 28, 1914.
Bosnia and Herzegovina were provinces just south of Austria, which had, until 1878, been governed by the Turks. The Treaty of Berlin, in 1878, settled the disposition of lands lost by the Turks following their disastrous war with Russia. Austria was granted the power to administer the two provinces indefinitely. Many Bosnian-Serbs felt a strong nationalistic desire to have their province joined with that of their Serb brothers across the river in Serbia. Many in Serbia openly shared that desire.
In late July of 1914, the world was plunged into its first total war-World War I (WWI), or the Great War. There were many factors leading up to this, many being economic, political, and social. These were bringing tensions higher and higher until it was almost to the breaking point. Then, bang. Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophia were shot dead in Sarajevo, Bosnia on June 28, 1914. Otto von Bismarck was right when he said, “One day the great European War will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans (goodreads).” Gavrilo Princip was an influential person of the 20th century because of his assassination of Archduke Ferdinand II. This was the catalyst that set off World War I, which indirectly caused the crash of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the formation and destruction of the Weimar Republic, World War II, and the Cold War.
After the Hungarian defeat in 1526, the Arch Duke of Austria, Ferdinand I of Habsburg, claimed the empty Hungarian throne by right of his wife, Anna of Bohemia and Hungary, who was the heirless Louis II’s sister. However, there was a dispute over the power in Hungary; Ferdinand took recognition only in the west, while a Transylvanian noble named John Zápolya challenged him for the crown in the east. Zápolya tr...
Mingst, K. A. (2011). Essentials of international relations. (5th ed., p. 79). New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.
“Treaty of Versailles: Articles 231-247 and Annexes.” First World War.com - A Multimedia History of World War One, accessed November 2, 2013. http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/versailles231-247.htm.
World War I was a crucial point in history. Started by an assassination that shocked the world, it brought fear, chaos, and death to countries around the globe. But what about the assassination? Who was killed? Why is it important? If you ask most people, they’ll have no idea, and yet it was one of the most important parts of the war. The assassinated was no other than Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary, who was assassinated on June 28, 1914. The Archduke was murdered by a serbian nationalist in his motorcade as he was heading through the streets of Sarajevo because was not very well liked amongst his people and neighboring countries, especially the Serbians. He said and did many things that
World War I, the war to end all wars involved most of the civilized world. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand in 1914 is regarded as the cause of World War I, but really, can a single event be blamed for causing a war of this caliber? Preceding the assassination the...
Conklin, Dennis. Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (June 28, 1914). The University of Southern Mississippi. Lecture. 4 April 2012.
Starting off with the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand which was an Austrian that was killed along with his wife on June 28, 1914. Based on Twentieth Century World by Findley, and Rothney “The shots fired by Princip at Sarajevo in 1914 killed not only the heir to the Hapsburg throne but eventually the European- dominated world system. That marked one of the great turning points of history” [Findley, Rothney (2011). Causes of World War 1 (p. 55). Twentieth- Century World. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.]. With that being said it’s implying that due to this
Grimshaw, Ashley. "The Treaty of Versailles." Lemoyne.edu. Le Moyne College, 17 Apr. 2008. Web. 10 Mar. 2014
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife was definitely the most significant cause of the calamity that is World War I. Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro- Hungarian throne, was simply visiting Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unfortunately, a secret Serbian society known as the Black Hand awaited the Archduke’s arrival. This nationalist group targeted Ferdinand due to the feeling amongst Serbians that once appointed to the throne; Ferdinand would uphold the persecution of Serbs inhabiting the borders of the Austro- Hungarian Empire. Gavrilo Princip was one of eight members of the Black Hand chosen to execute Franz Ferdinand. Unloading two shots, Princip had assassinated both Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie. Seized by the police, he was beaten and put into prison, and there he died. The shots of this young man echoed all over the world to initiate the explosion of World War I.