Assassination at Sarajevo :: Essays Papers

Assassination at Sarajevo Important Places/Dates of event: April,1914- Narodna Obrandna recieves paper that says that Francis Ferdinand will be coming to Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 Sarajevo-June28, 1914- Francis Ferdinand and Sofia Chotek are assassinated July 23- Austria sends ultimatum to Serbian leaders July 28-Austria declares war on Serbia August 1, 1914- Germany declares war on Russia August 2, 1914- Germany asks for free transit in Belgium; Belgium refuses, but German’s enter anyway August 3, 1914- Germany declares war on France August 4, 1914- Germany admits to violation of Belgian rights, promises to restore order after war October 12, 1914- Gavrilo Princip’s trial Key Idnividuals/Roles: Francis Joseph- emperor of Austria-Hungary Francis Ferdinand –Archduke, heir to the thone; assassinated Sofia Chotek- Francis Ferdinand’s wife; assassinated Gavrilo Princip-assassin and revolutionary terrorist Description/Summary of Event: Of all the European rulers at the time, none was probably more unlucky or unhappy as Francis Joseph, emperor of Austria-Hungary. Francis Joseph’s brother Maximillian was killed by a Mexican firing squad, his sister-in-law went insane, his wife was killed by an anarchist, and his son had either committed suicide or was murdered along with his mistress. As if this wasn’t enough on Sunday June 28,1914 Francis Joseph’s nephew and heir was assassinated along with his wife in Sarajevo. The assassin at Sarajevo was a 19-year-old man named Gavrilo Princip, a member of Narodna Obrandna, which was a secret Serbian patriotic-terrorist group. This groups goal was to restore Serbia back to the way it used to be and becoming free of Austrian rule. In April of 1914 Narodna Obrandna received a piece of paper saying that Francis Ferdinand will be coming to Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. The Serbs saw this event as an insult and an opportunity. June 28 is day in the hearts of all Serbs called Vidovnan. On this day the Turks conquered the old Serb kingdom at the battle of Amsefelde in 1389. It also was the day during the 2nd Balkan war when Serbian armies took revenge on the Turks. Francis Ferdinand’s visit on this day made Serbian’s mad but it meant something totally different for the Narodna Obrandna. They saw this as an opportunity to kill Francis Ferdinand and start the revolutionary movement against Austria-Hungary. From the date Narodna Obrandna received the paper telling of the event, to a few days before they prepared the assassination. The guns and hand grenades were bought from Major Tankosic, a leader of a Serbian radical group.