Franz Ferdinand of Austria:

• Date and Location: The assassination occurred on June 28, 1914, in

Sarajevo, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now in Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
• Archduke Franz Ferdinand: He was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian
throne. His visit to Sarajevo was seen as a symbol of the empire's authority over the
newly annexed region.
• Assassins: The assassination was carried out by Gavrilo Princip, a
Bosnian Serb nationalist, and a group of fellow conspirators. They were part of a secret
organization called the Black Hand.
• Motivation: The assassins were motivated by a desire for the
independence of South Slavic peoples from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They saw the
Archduke's visit as an opportunity to protest against imperial rule.
• The Assassination: Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were
traveling in an open car through Sarajevo when they were attacked. Gavrilo Princip shot
and killed them both.
• Immediate Consequences: The assassination set off a chain of events
that ultimately led to World War I. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, which then
triggered a series of alliances and declarations of war among European powers.
• World War I: The conflict that followed the assassination of Franz
Ferdinand became one of the deadliest and most destructive wars in history, involving
many major world powers and lasting from 1914 to 1918.
• Treaty of Versailles: World War I ended with the Treaty of
Versailles in 1919, which imposed harsh penalties on Germany and redrew the map of
Europe.
• Legacy: The assassination of Franz Ferdinand is often regarded as
the spark that ignited World War I, reshaping the course of the 20th century and leading
to significant political, social, and economic changes worldwide.
• Sarajevo Today: Sarajevo has preserved the historical sites related to
the assassination, and there is a museum at the location of the shooting, allowing visitors
to learn more about this pivotal moment in history.