Daddy, how did the First World War Start?
Events Leading Up to the Assassination of Prince Franz Ferdinand and Sophie
Bosnia and Herzegovina were provinces south of Austria which had until 1878, been governed by the Turks. The Treaty of Berlin 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.
Primarily four groups populated Bosnia: Croats predominantly Roman Catholic; ethnic Serbs; Serb-Orthodox and Muslims.
There was a strong desire by the Bosnian Serbs to amalgamate with Serbia.
The Annexation
On 6th October 1908, Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina directly into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The reasons were twofold.
Annexation would remove any hope the Turks might have for reclaiming the provinces. Full inclusion into the empire would give Bosnians full rights and privileges.
The annexation caused concern to a number of Europe’s powers. The move was regarded by some as illegal. Russia was particularly concerned by the move despite previously giving approval to the annexation.
After tough negotiations Austria paid Turkey a cash settlement. This seemed to placate most of Europe.
The Serbs, however, were not happy. They coveted the provinces to expand the Serb empire.
The Black Hand
The Black Hand was established to spread anti-Austrian propaganda within Serbia as well as sabotage, espionage and political murders abroad. This terrorist group included many government officials, professionals and army officers.
The Black Hand became aware that the heir-apparent to the Austrian throne, Franz Ferdinand, was scheduled to visit Sarajevo in June of 1914 – it was decided to assassinate him. Three young Bosnians were recruited, trained and equipped: Gavrilo Princip, Nedjelko Cabrinovic and Trifko Grabez.
The Serbian Government
Because the Black Hand had infiltrated both the government and the army, the plot became widely known. When the Serbian Prime Minister Pasic learned of the assassination plot, he faced a difficult decision. If he remained silent and the plot succeeded, the Black Hand’s involvement would be revealed. If the clandestine connections between the Black Hand and the Serbian government came to light Serbia would be put in a very onerous position. There would be a very real chance that war between the two nations would erupt.
His problem was that if he warned the Austrians of the plot, his countrymen would see him as a traitor. He would also be admitting to his knowledge of Black Hand’s operations.
A half-hearted attempt was made to intercept the assassins at the border. When that failed, Pasic decided diplomacy should be attempted.
The Serbian Ambassador to Vienna, Jovan Jovanovic, was given the task of warning the Austrians. He was aligned with Black Hand and was not well received by the Austrian Foreign Ministry. He did, however, have a good relationship with the Minister of Finance, Dr Leon von Bilinski.
On 5th June Jovanovic told Bilinski that it might not be a good idea if Franz Ferdinand went to Sarajevo.
‘Some young Serb might put a live rather than a blank cartridge in his gun and fire it.’
Bilinski, unaccustomed to subtle diplomatic innuendo, completely missed the warning. ‘Let us hope nothing does happen,’ he responded good-humouredly.
Jovanovic knew that Bilinski did not understand, but made no further effort to convey the warning.
Preparations
The three Black Hand assassins secretly made their way to Sarajevo a month before Franz Ferdinand was due to visit. A fourth man, Danilo Ilic, had joined the group and on his own initiative recruited three others. Vaso Cubrilovic and Cvijetko Popovic were seventeen-year-old high school students. Muhamed Mehmedbasic, a Bosnian Muslim, was added to give the group a bipartisan appearance. Officers from the Serbian army supplied four Serbian army pistols and six bombs.
Prince Franz Ferdinand and Sophie’s Royal Visit
Franz Ferdinand accepted the invitation of Bosnia’s governor, General Oskar Potoirek, to inspect army manoeuvres outside Sarajevo. The Archduke’s role as Inspector General of the Army made the visit logical. It had also been four years since a prominent Royal had made a goodwill visit to Bosnia.
The visit would also coincide with his fourteenth wedding anniversary. Security during the visit was not particularly tight. Franz Ferdinand disliked the presence of secret service men. Nor did he like the idea of a cordon of soldiers between the crowd and himself. The Bosnians welcomed Franz Ferdinand warmly. Sarajevo was not seen as hostile territory; the normal police guard was present, nothing more.
28th June 1914
At approximately 10:00 am the Austrian party left Philipovic army camp, where Franz Ferdinand had performed a brief review of the troops. The motorcade, consisting of six automobiles, headed for City Hall where a reception was to be hosted by Sarajevo’s mayor. The chosen route was a wide avenue, Appel Quay, which followed the north bank of the River Miljacka.
In the first automobile rode the Mayor Fehim Effendi Curcic and the city’s Commissioner of Police, Dr Gerde. The second automobile was a 1911 Gräf & Stift Double Phaeton. It had its top folded down and was flying the Royal Hapsburg pennant. This was the vehicle Franz Ferdinand, Sophie and General Potoirek were travelling in. The car’s owner, Count Harrach, rode on the car’s running board acting as a bodyguard for the Royal couple.
The third automobile in the procession carried the head of Franz Ferdinand’s Military Chancellery; Sophie’s lady-in-waiting; Potoirek’s chief adjutant; Lieutenant Colonel Merizzi; the car’s owner Count Harrach and his driver. The fourth and fifth automobiles carried other members of Franz Ferdinand’s staff and assorted Bosnian officials. The sixth automobile was empty, a spare should one of the others break down.
The morning was sunny and warm and many of the houses and buildings lining the route were decorated with flags and flowers. Crowds lined the Appel Quay to cheer the imperial couple. Amid the festive crowd lurked seven young assassins. They took up their assigned positions, all but one along the riverside of the Appel Quay. First in line was Mehmedbasic, to the west of the Cumurja Bridge. Near him was Cabrinovic. The others were strung out as far back as the Kaiser Bridge.
The Bomb
The motorcade approached and the crowds began to cheer. As Franz Ferdinand’s car passed Mehmedbasic, he did nothing. The next assassin in line, Cabrinovic, had more resolve. He took the bomb from his coat pocket, struck the bomb’s percussion cap against a lamppost, took aim and threw the bomb directly at Franz Ferdinand.
In the short time it took the bomb to sail through the air, many small but significant events took place. The car’s owner, Count Harrach, hearing the bomb being struck against the lamppost thought they had suffered a flat tyre. The driver apparently saw the bomb flying. He reacted quickly, accelerating away from the scene. As a result of the driver’s quick thinking the bomb would not land where intended. Franz Ferdinand raised his arm attempting to deflect the bomb away from Sophie.
The bomb glanced off Franz Ferdinand’s arm, bouncing off the folded car top and into the street behind them. The resulting explosion injured a number of spectators. The third car was hit by shrapnel and stalled. Merizzi received head injuries. Others in the party received minor cuts. The first and second cars continued on for a hundred metres or so, then stopped while they assessed who was injured.
The Aftermath
Cabrinovic attempted to commit suicide but the cyanide capsule was well and truly past its use-by date – he just vomited, then jumped into the river hoping to drown. This proved futile, as the river was only a few inches deep.
He was seized by the crowd and arrested by the police. The motorcade continued on to City Hall, passing the other assassins on route. Not one of them attempted to assassinate the Royal couple.
At City Hall, a furious Franz Ferdinand confronted the Mayor.
‘Mr Mayor, one comes here for a visit and is received by bombs! It is outrageous!’
The Mayor was either completely unaware of what had happened, or naïve.
‘Your Royal and Imperial Highness! Our hearts are full of happiness…’
By the end of the Mayor’s speech, Franz Ferdinand had regained his composure and thanked his host for his cordial welcome.
‘There is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.’
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Discussions were held as to whether to abandon Franz Ferdinand’s schedule. The Archduke did not wish to cancel his visit to the museum and the lunch at the Governor’s residence. One change he wished to make was to include a visit to Merizzi in the hospital: he was very concerned for Merizzi.
The motorcade set out once again along the Appel Quay, but neither the Mayor’s driver nor Franz Ferdinand’s driver had been informed of the change in schedule.
The young Black Hand assassins had counted on succeeding on the first attempt. With no assurance that Franz Ferdinand would follow his original itinerary, the remaining assassins took up various other positions along the Appel Quay. Gavrilo Princip crossed the Appel Quay and strolled down Franz Josef Street. He stepped into Moritz Schiller’s food store to get a sandwich. As he emerged, he met a friend and engaged in light conversation.
Fate Plays its Part
The Mayor’s car, followed by Franz Ferdinand’s turned off the Appel Quay and onto Franz Josef Street, as originally planned, to travel to the museum. General Potoirek leaned forward.
‘What is this? This is the wrong way! We’re supposed to take the Appel Quay!’
The driver applied the brakes and backed up. Franz Ferdinand’s car stopped directly in front of Schiller’s store, five feet away from Princip, the assassin.
An Opportunity Too Good to be True
Princip was quick to recognise what had happened. He pulled the pistol from his pocket, took a step towards the car and fired twice. General Potoirek happened to look directly at Princip as he fired.
Both Franz Ferdinand and Sophie were still sitting upright. Potoirek, thinking the shots had missed, ordered the driver to drive directly to the Governor’s residence at speed.
Princip then turned the gun on himself, but was mobbed by the crowd. Police were able to arrest him. Princip also attempted suicide by swallowing cyanide. He too was violently ill, but did not die.
Mortal Wounds
As the car sped across the Lateiner Bridge, a stream of blood shot from Franz Ferdinand’s mouth. He had been shot in the neck. Sophie, seeing this, exclaimed: ‘For Heaven’s sake! What happened to you?’
She sank down in her seat. Potoirek and Harrach thought she had fainted and were trying to help her up. Franz Ferdinand, knowing his wife better, suspected the truth. Sophie had been shot in the abdomen and was bleeding internally.
‘Sopherl! Sopherl!’ he pleaded. ‘Sterbe nicht! Bleibe am Leben für unsere Kinder!’ (‘Sophie dear! Sophie dear! Don’t die! Stay alive for our children!’)
The cars rushed to the Governor’s residence. Sophie died before they arrived. Franz Ferdinand died shortly afterward.
The Horrific Result
On 23rd July the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Serbia delivered an ultimatum:
‘The Serbian government must take steps to wipe out terrorist organisations within its borders, suppress anti-Austrian propaganda and accept an independent investigation by the Austro-Hungarian government into Franz Ferdinand’s assassination, or face military action.’
Serbia appealed to Russia for help; the Czar’s government began moving towards mobilisation of its army, believing that Germany was using the crisis as an excuse to launch a war in the Balkans. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on 28th July. On 1st August, after hearing news of Russia’s general mobilisation, Germany declared war on Russia. The German Army then launched its attack on Russia’s ally France through Belgium, violating Belgian neutrality and bringing Great Britain into the war.
