Who was Archduke Franz Ferdinand ?

His complete name was Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

He was born in 1863 in Graz, Austria. He became wealthy just before he reached his teen because one of his cousins died and Archduke was chosen inherit the wast of state another death in 1889, changed his destiny enormously, the suicide of his cousin crown prince Rudolf. This left Ferdinand father captured the throne of Austria and Hungary, but he immediately renounced his position leaving Franz Ferdinand next in line to rule the empire. Not most of people liked him

Sophie, wife of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

but except his wife Sophia, she was a Bohiminian aristocrat and without actual royal blood neither Sophie nor any author children could ever inherit the throne.

Ferdinand was passionate for hunting he apparently recorded over 2,50,000 creatures killed in his fifty years on earth (Mostly in India). He was very conservative, he hated the Hungarian, he thought that Serbs are pigs. He was a radical Roman catholic and also anti Jewish, anti Jesuit at the same time.

He advocated granting greater autonomy to ethnic groups within the Empire and addressing their grievances, especially the Czechs in Bohemia and the south Slavic peoples in Croatia and Bosnia, who had been left out of the Austro-Hungarian compromise of 1867.
He was disappointed when Austria-Hungary failed to act as a Great Power, such as during the Boxer Rebellion, in 1900. Other nations, including, in his description, “dwarf states like Belgium and Portugal”, had soldiers stationed in China, but Austria-Hungary did not.

Death :

He and his wife Sophie was killed in Sarajevo on a Sunday morning on 28th June 1914. A Bosnian nationalist Gavrilo Princip, who was the member of Black Hand society, assassinated Archduke and his wife Sophie. One bullet pierced Franz Ferdinand’s neck and other hit Sophie’s abdomen.

Gavrilo Princip planned to kill Archduke, when he announced his visit to Bosnia in June. Princip and other conspirators came to Sarajevo to kill Archduke. Archduke said that ” the day he starts his journey to Sarajevo and his car overheated “. Here’s his quote “Our journey starts with an extremely promising omen. Here our car burns and down there they will throw bomb at us.” They both arrived Sarajevo earlier and surprised everyone. They had a nice time wondering around the town, later that evening came that time. A member of Bosnian parliament who urged Sophie and Ferdinand to cancel the whole trip for reasons of safety…Sophie said this “Things do not always turn out the way you say they will, wherever we have been, everyone, down to the last Serb, has greeted us with such great friendliness, politeness and true warmth, there we are happy with our visit”. Next morning Archduke car left Sarajevo station, seven young Bosnian were deployed on the town bridges. One of the young Bosnian through the bomb on the Archduke’s car but it bounced of his hood before it exploded it wounded one of the Archduke’s man.

Picture, after Archduke changed his plan

The motorcade drove to the tow hall listen to the the bunch of usual speeches, and than Franz Ferdinand changed his plan, he decided to visit the man who was hurt by the bomb to see that if he was well. In the way of hospital there were lot of confusion in the route, when Archduke’s driver turned off the key, he stopped his right next to a Gavrilo Princip. Princip fired twice with his pistol, Sophie died instantly, after few moments Franz Ferdinand died.

News paper after the death of Archduke and his wife Sophie

Immediate results of that was, the news of assassination spread throughout Europe and in Bosnia by the end of July more than 5 thousand Serbs were in prison.

Who was Gavrilo Princip ?

• Early life :

Gavrilo Princip the person who is known as the main cause to spark the First World War, as he shot Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. Some historians give their views, that because on him about 60 million people lost their lives, and injured more than that.

Gavrilo Princip (in Prison)

He was born in Obljaj Bosnia, on July 25th, 1894. When he was baptized a month later a young priest recorded date of his birth in parish register on July 13, 1894, but the date he recorded on the civil register was different. This conflict would play a pivotal role at his sentencing 19th year later.

• Joining of ‘BLACK HAND’ Society :

Black hand was a secret military society, formed on May 9th, 1911. It’s purpose was to liberate the Austro-Hungarian Yougoslavists. It’s motto was ‘Unification or Death’ . This society originated in the conspiracy group that assassinated the Serbian royal couple.

Logo of  Black Hand Society

Princip left home at the age of 13 and went to Sarajevo to live with his brother, Jovo. As he was a good student, he studied in many schools but after some time his ideals began to change, and he became more deeply involved in greater Serbian cause. At the age of 18, he travelled to Belgrade, where he took a more Serb nationalist education. Princip went on to become the most famous moving into the rank of Black Hand. He clearly identified that “I am Yugoslav nationalist, aiming for the unification of Yugoslavis and I do not care what form of state, but it must be free from Austria”, and finally at the young age he joined the Black Hand or ‘Unification of Death’ society.

• Killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand :

World saw the final journey of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie on 25th June 1914. A group of very young conspirators in which there was seven assassins. Their mission was to kill Archduke and they wanted to free the Balkan from the hold of Austro-Hungarian Empire. The first attempt of killing was made from a homemade bomb , failed. Despite that the royal possession race on regardlessto the town hall for civic function. Princip leaves his position because his first attempt was failed, he crosses the road wondering what to do, milling around and suddenly the royal on to the rush, return. At the Lateiner Bridge the driver of Archduke stops apparently confused to which way he supposed to go. Archduke stops in front of him. Princip gives two shot before he leaves.

Killing of Archduke and his wife Sophie

The first shot mortally touches Sophie and second hits the Archduke and he died right there. The second bullet made enormous consequences in history, that bullet kills 21 million people. It was most important murder in history because it initiated the First World War.

Gun that was used in killing of Archduke and his wife

• Vengeance of Gavrilo Princip :

After killing of Archduke tried to kill himself with his gun but gun wrestled from his hand before he fire another shot, and he was arrested. After a 18 days trial Princip and five others were sent to Terezin fortress which also helps political prisoners, in that prison prisoners were kept in small cells.

Prison where he was kept earlier

Princip was singled out for harsh punishment. For the first 18 months he was kept at solitary confinement, chained at night in his cell. Princip was later transferred to a hospital near fortress with other Sariavo conspirators. In the prison he again tried to kill himself but failed.

Prison where he sent later

The views of Princip and other conspirators have were recorded during prison interviews and they all remain defined until the end. The main toll of their speeches was that they did not changed and that they glad to take part in assassination.

• Death :

At the age of 23 on April 28th, 1918, he was died because of tuberculosis and berried secretly at the cemetery outside, what is now the Czech town. In 1920 the location of remains was discovered and they moved to a church in Sariavo.

Church where Princip remains were kept

A slab in chrch shows deaths in motion events

A slab in that church markets the lives and deaths in motion events who shows the death of many millions.

• Gavrilo: Hero or Villian ?

Princip statue in Serbia

As already mentioned that Princip was a Serbian nationalist. He wanted to make Bosnia a part of Serbia for its further expansion. Forty years earlier Bosnia has been captured by Austro-Hungry, so Serbia trying to get freedom from Austrians, but to be honest, Bosnia was continue advancing and flourished more than ever had. They build best transportation, Education and medical facilities. The nationalist saw them oppressed and their main goal become, to unite the Yugoslavs under the ruler. Princip was the only person who could help the Bosnians and Serbs. He wanted to give lots of power to Slavic people in their pronged empire.
He was looking to expend it to a three way empire with the Austrians, Hungarians and Slaves. Archduke was the only person wanted to help the Serbians. With the killing of Archduke he not only lost the chance to strengthen the Slavic people rather started the war. The Balkans was a fire all they needed was a spark which Princip provided, subsequently started a war which took millions of lives.
As a nationalist he did everything to unite the country and the Yugoslavia but in this process it converted into the war. So what do you think a Hero or Villian ?