Contextualizing the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

In order to see the importance of Franz Ferdinand's assassination, it helps to understand the general surroundings of the event.

In the late 19th century, power shifts had been accelerating due to technological change (especially the Industrial Revolution), the rise of imperialism and waves of nationalism across the continent and abroad.

Shifting Powers in Europe

The Ottoman Empire, then still one of the major world powers, was in a state of decline. Germany was on the rise, and much of Eastern Europe and the Balkans was getting gobbled up by larger, ambitious powers.

One of these soon-to-be-gobbled regions was the Austro-Hungarian empire, which had recently laid claim to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Serbia also wanted this region, and the rivalry between the two powers had become increasingly hostile.

Europe as a 'Powder Keg'

A term commonly used to describe Europe (and beyond, given the reaches of the Ottoman empire) at this time is "powder keg."

The older world of Kings and Emperors was giving way — kicking and screaming — to modern nations with different ideas about government and international relations. Competition for resources, technology, political clout and cultural pride was getting intense.

Sooner or later, it seemed, the keg was going to explode. And that's exactly what happened in 1914, when the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand occurred.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand is still a household name, or close to it. (Certainly, having a successful indie rock band named after him has helped keep the name current.) But who was this guy, with his waxed mustaches and a row of medals pinned across his chest?

It's a safe bet that we wouldn't be talking about Franz Ferdinand if he hadn't been assassinated, and if that assassination hadn't sparked the First World War, altering the course of history. He would be just another throwback to the days when archdukes (or dukes, for that matter) were serious political actors, and not ceremonial figures in fancy dress-up.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was a nephew of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria Hungary, which — after some other male relatives died, including his father — made him the presumptive heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.

By 1914, he had risen in the ranks of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces to Inspector General, and he was expected to assume the throne upon the death of Franz Joseph.

Alas, Franz Ferdinand's assassin never had a band named after him, but Gavrilo Princip was still a major player in history.

He was a student, a political activist and a proud Bosnian Serb. He came from a poor background and had actually been rejected from the Serbian army when he tried to enlist as an irregular fighter (he was deemed too scrawny, which must've stung).

Princip fell in with an underground group called the Young Bosnia and was aided (although the extent is disputed) by the Black Hand, a secret society Serbian nationalists who had no problem using violence to achieve their aims. This included attacking the Austro-Hungarian empire and its representatives.

As mentioned above, there were lots of people angry over the annexation of Bosnia Herzegovina by Austria Hungary, especially the Bosnians, the Herzegovinians, and the Serbian government, although not all for the same reasons.

In June of 1914, in his capacities as Inspector General of the army, Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie traveled to Sarajevo to, well, do an inspection of the troops there. On their way back to city hall, there was going to be another ceremony of some kind (it must've be exhausting to be an heir apparent to an empire).

That's when a member of the Bosnian Youth, who knew about Ferdinand's visit, hurled a bomb as the motorcade passed.

The bomb missed its targets but injured some of the officers in the motorcade. Despite the close call, Franz Ferdinand went through with the event at the Sarajevo city hall. He was advised to leave immediately, but first he insisted on visiting the injured officers in the hospital.

One Wrong Turn (Don't Blame the Driver)

The trip was by now getting pretty chaotic, as could be expected. It was decided that the motorcade would take a short, straight drive to the hospital. Unfortunately, the finer points of this new route were not understood by everybody in the party, and at a certain point, a wrong turn was made.

Realizing his mistake (probably because the Governor of Bosnia, who was riding with Franz Ferdinand and his wife, and who actually knew the right way, started shouting), the driver put the car in reverse, but upon trying to back up, stalled it.

Two Lives Lost

This gave Gavrilo Princip, who happened to be on the street where the Archduke's car had just stalled, the opportunity he needed. He stepped up and shot both Franz Ferdinand and Sophie at point blank range. (Princip later claimed he had been trying to kill the governor, not Sophie.)

Sophie lost consciousness almost immediately and died shortly thereafter. Franz Ferdinand's life was over in a matter of minutes, as his bullet wound to the jugular vein meant he rapidly lost a critical amount of blood.

After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (exactly a month after, on July 28, 1914), the world went to war.

Well, not quite whole world, but most of Europe. A good chunk of the Middle East was involved, thanks to the Ottomans and colonial expansion, as well as, eventually, the United States, Australia and some other powers.

By the time the war ended, there were close to 20 million people dead, many millions more wounded, entire economies wiped out, and lasting regional and political grievances that contributed to — among other crises — World War II and the current conflicts in the Middle East.

Not such a great war after all, wouldn't you say?