![](\"http:\/\/gcsehistory.org.uk\/modernworld\/britainatwar\/assassinationoffranzferdinand_files\/image002.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the spark that led to the outbreak of the First World War.\u00a0Tension had been rising between the European powers for many years.\u00a0 The events that took place in Sarajevo in 1914, unleashed a series of events that finally lighted a fuse which would explode into the First World War.\u00a0 The key event, which started this chain reaction was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who was the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.<\/p>\n
Source A:\u00a0 Archduke just before he was assassinated, 1914.<\/b><\/p>\n
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The large Austro-Hungarian Empire contained many different nationalities, including millions of Slavs.\u00a0 Many of these Slavs wanted to break away from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and set up their own country.\u00a0 Their fellow Slavs in Serbia encouraged this unrest.\u00a0 A secret terrorist organisation called the Black Hand was set up in Serbia with the aim of freeing all Slav people.\u00a0 In order to achieve this it was decided to assassinate the Archduke.\u00a0 They decided the best time and place to do this was when he visited Sarajevo with his wife Sophie on the 28th June 1914.<\/p>\n
From the beginning of their visit the royal couple were cheered everywhere they went.\u00a0 They were visiting Sarajevo to celebrate their wedding anniversary.\u00a0 Security was lax as there were no soldiers on duty and only a few police.\u00a0 At 10.10 am a tall man wearing a long black coat and hat threw a hand grenade and at the Archdukes car.\u00a0 The driver saw the bomb coming and accelerated his car so it missed him.\u00a0 The bomb bounced underneath the next car in the procession and injured about 20 people.\u00a0 The damaged car was pushed onto the pavement.<\/p>\n
Source B: The last photograph of Franz Ferdinand taken shortly before his death.<\/b><\/p>\n
Even though someone had just tried to kill him, the Archduke decided to carry on with his royal visit.\u00a0 Unknown to him there were at least two other men waiting to try and assassinate him.\u00a0 One man failed because he could not get the bomb out of his pocket. The people next to him\u00a0 were jammed against his side.\u00a0 However, the third assassin was lucky enough to succeed in killing the Archduke.<\/p>\n During the two failed attempts to kill the Franz Ferdinand another young assassin called Gavrilo Princip, a 19 year old Serb, was waiting for his chance to kill him.\u00a0 He was a member of the Black Hand and at first he thought that his other friends had been successful.\u00a0 When he saw the Archduke\u2019s car go flying by he felt depressed and decided to have a cup of coffee in a nearby cafe .\u00a0 In his pocket was a revolver.\u00a0 He had fired a few practice shots the day before, but had missed the target.\u00a0 Besides, he had never been taught at a moving target.At 10.45 am the Archduke decided to cut short his reception at the town hall and decided to visit a policeman injured in the bomb attack on his car.\u00a0 During the journey to the hospital the car with his bodyguards took a wrong turning.\u00a0 The Archduke\u2019s driver slammed on the brakes to try and catch up with the other car.\u00a0 However, the car engine stalled outside the cafe where Princip was having his cup of coffee.\u00a0 Princip could not believe his luck.\u00a0 He pushed through the crowd and pulled out his revolver.\u00a0 A policeman saw him and tried to stop him but was hit by someone behind him.\u00a0 Princip jumped onto the car\u2019s running board and fired at point blank range.\u00a0 He missed the Archduke and shot his wife.\u00a0 He tried again and finally succeeded.\u00a0 As he died the Archduke cried to his wife \u2018Sophie, Sophie don\u2019t die.<\/p>\n Source C: \u2018The Habsburgs\u2019 by McGuigan published in the 1970s.<\/b><\/p>\n Franz Ferdinand cried out. \u2018Sophie, Sophie! Don\u2019t die! Stay alive for the children!\u2019\u00a0 His plumed hat had fallen off, and now as his attendant tried to prop him upright he slumped over his wife\u2019s dead body and died.<\/p>\n Source D: Princip\u2019s statement at his trial, 1914.<\/b><\/p>\n The main motive which guided me in my deed was the avenging of the Serbian people … I am a Nationalist.\u00a0 I aimed to free the Yugoslavs, for I am a Yugoslav … As far as Serbia is concerned, it is her duty to free us … I aimed at the Archduke … I do not remember what I thought at that moment.\u00a0 I only know that I fired twice or perhaps several times, without knowing whether I had hit or missed.<\/p>\n Princip later died in prison after he had been badly treated by the authorities.\u00a0 His actions lead to a chain reaction that exploded into the First World War.<\/p>\n Source E:\u00a0 The bloodstained tunic, hat, gloves and plumed hat worn by the Archduke on the day of his assassination<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n First World War<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Causes of the First World War<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Timeline of Causes<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Forgotten Causes<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Assassination of Franz Ferdinand<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Schlieffen Plan<\/a>\u00a0– Historiography of the Causes of the First World War<\/a><\/p>\n Outbreak of War<\/strong>\u00a0(Public reaction in Britain)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The British Expeditionary Force in 1914<\/a><\/p>\n Trench Warfare<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Simulation: Would you make a good officer in the trenches?<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0British contribution to the Western Front<\/a><\/p>\n Battles of the First World War<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0First Battle of the Marne\u00a0<\/a>\u2013\u00a0The Gallipoli Campaign<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of Verdun<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of Jutland<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Brusilov Offensive<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of the Somme<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of Passchendaele<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Spring Offensive<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Battle of Amiens<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Victory on the Western Front?<\/a><\/p>\n The Home Front<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Revision exercise<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Changing role of Women<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Propaganda<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Censorship<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Conscientious Objectors<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Rationing and Recruitment<\/a><\/p>\n Personalities<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Douglas Haig and the Somme<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Charles Gass<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Billy Bishop<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Ludendorff<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Bradford Pals<\/a>\u00a0– Black History and the First World War<\/a><\/p>\n Technology and New Weapons<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>British Tanks<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Machine Guns<\/a><\/p>\n Medicine in the First World War<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The Norman Conquest<\/a> – The Wars of the Roses<\/a> – The British and English Civil Wars<\/a> – The Second World War<\/a>\u00a0– Vietnam War<\/a> – Cold War<\/a><\/p>\n Battle of Hastings<\/a>\u00a0– Battle of Towton<\/a> – Battle of Bosworth<\/a> – D Day<\/a><\/p>\n The British Empire<\/a> – The Treaty of Versailles<\/a> – Impact of the War on Germany<\/a>\u00a0– Primary History<\/a> – History Teachers Resources<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the spark that led to the outbreak of the First World War.\u00a0Tension had been rising between the European powers for many years.\u00a0 The events that took place in Sarajevo in 1914, unleashed a series of events that finally lighted a fuse which would explode into the First World… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5166,"parent":144,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-831","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t![\"Assassination](\"http:\/\/gcsehistory.org.uk\/modernworld\/britainatwar\/assassinationoffranzferdinand_files\/image004.gif\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAssassination of Franz Ferdinand<\/h2>\n
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