Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand — 1914 murder in Sarajevo, Austria-Hungary
The murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo triggered the July Crisis and directly led to the outbreak of World War I.
Key Facts
- Date
- 28 June 1914
- Assassin
- Gavrilo Princip, Bosnian Serb student
- Victims
- Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg
- Total assassins in group
- 6
- Princip's sentence
- 20 years imprisonment (too young to execute)
- Total indicted at 1914 trial
- 25
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Bosnia and Herzegovina had been formally annexed by Austria-Hungary in 1908, fueling resentment among South Slav nationalists who sought independence and unification. Young Bosnia, a revolutionary movement, sought to end Austro-Hungarian rule over Bosnia. The Black Hand, a Serbian secret nationalist organization, provided the conspirators with weapons, training, and logistical support through clandestine networks.
On 28 June 1914, a team of six assassins coordinated by Danilo Ilić positioned themselves along the motorcade route in Sarajevo. Gavrilo Princip shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie at close range while they were being driven through the city, killing both.
The assassination triggered the July Crisis, a rapid diplomatic and military escalation culminating in Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. This set off a chain of alliance obligations that drew the major European powers into conflict, beginning World War I. Princip was convicted of murder and high treason and sentenced to 20 years in prison, while five older conspirators were hanged.