The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (AQA GCSE History)

The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand - Timeline & Summary

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Nationalism was growing rapidly in Europe and becoming a serious threat to peace. Countries like Germany focused on building up their military power, putting their own interests above other nations. At the same time, countries like Serbia wanted independence for Slavic regions controlled by larger empires, such as Austria-Hungary.

In 1911, a secret organisation called the Black Hand was formed in Belgrade, Serbia. Its goal was to unite all Slavic people, even if it meant using acts of terror. During the early 1910s, the Black Hand carried out assassination attempts on high-ranking members of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in pursuit of their goals. Although these attempts failed, the group successfully assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo in 1914.

Many European nations believed this assassination would have little impact outside of Austria-Hungary and Serbia. However, the killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand set off a chain reaction of events and alliances, leading directly to the outbreak of the First World War.

Who was Archduke Franz Ferdinand?

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austrian-Hungarian Empire

  • His uncle, Franz Josef was emperor of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire

  • He was married to Countess Sophia Chotek

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand understood that the Austrian-Hungarian Empire was beginning to collapse

  • The Archduke wanted a triple monarchy, where Slavic people would have equal representation in the government

    • This change in the monarchy was unpopular among the Austrian-Hungarian government and was denied

Who were the Black Hand gang?

• One significant consequence of the Balkans Crisis was the creation of the Black Hand in 1911

• The Black Hand were a secret group that aimed to:

  • unify all Serbs through terrorist action

  • establish a South Slavic state

• There were approximately 2,500 members of the Black Hand

  • Many of the members worked in the Serbian government and as guards along the Serbian and Bosnian border

    • This allowed the Black Hand to carry out terrorist attacks

• Between the years 1911 and 1914, the Black Hand had failed attempts to assassinate high-profile figures in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire

  • The Black Hand Gang attempted to assassinate:

    • Emperor Franz Josef in 1911

    • a member of the Austrian government

• In March 1914, it was announced that Archduke Franz Ferdinand was to inspect the military in June 1914 and open a state museum in Sarajevo, Bosnia

  • The Black Hand saw this as an opportunity to assassinate the Archduke

  • The assassination of the Archduke would aid their plans as they believed that he threatened Serbian independence

• The Inspection date, 28th June, was a National Day in Serbia - Saint Vitus Day

  • It commemorates the Battle of Kosovo where Serbia lost its independence

    • This was a very important date in the Serbian calendar

    • This was seen as an insult and a threat by many Serbians

How was Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated?

• On the 28th of June 1914, six members of the Black Hang lined up along the Apple Quay in Sarajevo to assassinate the Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• The original plan was for the Archduke to attend a military exercise in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo

• At 9:28 am, the Archduke and his wife, Sophie, left the Sarajevo train station

  • They drove down the Apple Quay and waved at the crowds who lined the streets

  • A bomb is thrown at the car which the Archduke is in

    • However, it bounced off and fell underneath the car behind them and explodes

  • After the explosion, the Archduke's car accelerated towards the City Hall

• Once at the City Hall, the Archduke continued with the military exercise

  • After the military exercise, the Archduke wished to visit the hospital to see those who were injured

  • Both the Archduke and Sophie leave the City Hall

    • No one told the driver of the change plans and drove along the pre-planned route for the day

• The driver was informed of the changed route outside of Schiller's Café

  • The driver stopped outside of the café and attempted to turn around

• Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black Hand, was outside of the café and saw the stopped car with the Archduke inside

  • Princip pulled out his gun and shot both the Archduke and Sophie

    • The Archduke was shot in the throat, and Sophie was shot in the stomach

    • They both died from their injuries

• Princip was arrested immediately

  • He was sentenced to 20 years in prison

  • He died in 1918 from tuberculosis (TB)

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Consequences of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• The assassination of the Archduke had a series of significant consequences which resulted in the start of the First World War

• Despite the significance of this event, most European countries thought that the assassination was a local issue which would not have any effect on the rest of Europe

• After the assassination, the members of the Black Hand are arrested and interrogated

• Austria-Hungary believed that the Serbian government was involved in the assassination based on circumstantial evidence

  • Austria-Hungary issued a ten-point ultimatum to Serbia

  • Serbia refused to accept all of the ten-points

  • Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on 28th July 1914

• Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia triggers the alliance system

• By the 3rd of August 1914, all of the major European powers, except for Britain, were at war