Assassination and the Chain Reaction WORLD WAR I 1914 to 1918 Assassination and the Chain Reaction

The Spark That Ignited World War I: The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne (next in line to rule) of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

A. BOSNIA: A SOURCE OF CONTENTION Bosnia was annexed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire several years before the war; Bosnia contained many ethnic Serbs in its population Therefore, Serbia wanted to free Bosnia from the Austro-Hungarian Empire; the Serbs wanted to merge with Bosnia and form a great Slavic nation in the Balkans

Ferdinand’s visit, which had the goal of improving Austria’s relations with Bosnia, directly conflicted with Serbia’s goal

TENSIONS BETWEEN AUSTRIA AND SERBIA Many Serbians worried that the Archduke’s visit would lead to an invasion of Serbia Serbia and Bosnia were both hotbeds for Slavic radicals who wanted a unified Slavic state in the Balkans

A DOCUMENT WITH THE SYMBOL OF THE BLACK HAND Serbian military officers created a secret group called the Black Hand The Black Hand often used the services of young Serbs and other Slavs who were willing to use violence to create a new Slavic nation free of Austria

THE ARCHDUKE’S REAL PLANS In reality, the Archduke did not want war with Serbia The Archduke also planned on giving Bosnia higher status within the Austro-Hungarian Empire

Speaking at a banquet dinner, he said, “What do we have to gain from a war with Serbia? We send our young men to die, we spend money we can use elsewhere, and what would we get from victory? A few plum trees, fields filled with goat droppings, and a nation of rebellious killers!”

THE ARCHDUKE’S REAL PLANS This is not what the Serbs, who desired to unify with Bosnia, wanted If Bosnia had higher status within the Empire, they would have no motivation for joining with Serbia

The Black Hand marked Archduke Franz Ferdinand for death This peaceful plan for Bosnia made him a target of the radical Serbs, who had their own plans for Bosnia The Black Hand marked Archduke Franz Ferdinand for death

ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDINAND AND HIS WIFE SOPHIE IN SARAJEVO

B. JUNE 28, 1914 One of the assassins was 19 year old student Gavrilo Princip, who was armed with a pistol. Disappointed over the failure to kill Ferdinand, Gavrilo went to a nearby café to have lunch and ponder his next move THREE OF THE ASSASSINS IN A BELGRADE PARK; GAVRILO PRINCIP IS ON THE RIGHT

A WRONG TURN LEADS TO DISASTER MAP OF THE WRONG TURN THE ARCHDUKE’S CAR MAKING THAT FATEFUL WRONG TURN The Archduke’s car makes it way down Appel Quay. The chauffeur made a wrong turn onto Franz Joseph Street. One of the Archduke’s staff called out, “Turn around! You’re going the wrong way!” The driver stopped to turn the car around. As fate would have it, they stopped in front of the café where none other than Gavrilo Princip was having lunch. Princip cannot believe his eyes, but doesn’t hesitate and springs into action.

THE ASSASSINATION

Gavrilo Princip fired two shots from his pistol One shot struck Sophie in the stomach and the other struck Ferdinand in the neck Gavrilo Princip fired two shots from his pistol When she saw her wounded husband, Sophie screamed, “My God! What has happened to you?” before collapsing from her own wound A crowd of police and onlookers pounced on Gavrilo; he was disarmed, beaten, and taken away

THE ASSASSINATION Ferdinand cried out, “Sophie! Sophie! Don’t die! Stay alive for the sake of our children!” An aide said to the bleeding Ferdinand, “Your Highness, are you suffering?” Blood spurted from his mouth as he weakly said, “It is nothing.” He then collapsed The car sped to the hospital, but both of them died from internal bleeding

Princip was immediately arrested after the assassination Gavrilo Princip A 19 year old Serbian nationalist and member of the terrorist group, The Black Hand Princip was immediately arrested after the assassination

C. THE ASSASSINATION TRIGGERS A CHAIN REACTION The Austrians blamed the Serbian government for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Germany pledged its full support to its ally Austria-Hungary, encouraging them to take action Germany gave its ally a “diplomatic blank check” (this means that Austria-Hungary could do what it wanted with Serbia, and the Germans guaranteed that they would back Austria-Hungary up)

THE KAISER URGES THE AUSTRIANS TO TAKE ACTION Said Kaiser Wilhelm II: “The Serbs were born to serve, not to rule. This must be brought home to them.”

AN AUSTRIAN POSTER THAT READS “SERBIA MUST DIE!”

THE ASSASSINATION TRIGGERS A CHAIN REACTION Austria-Hungary issued a harsh and unreasonable list of demands to Serbia, which Serbia consented to mostly Unsatisfied, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914; they planned to make an example of Serbia Russia had already promised to support Serbia (its Slavic brother state); as a result of this declaration of war on Serbia, Russia mobilized its armed forces

THE ARMY OF THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE PREPARES TO INVADE

AUSTRIAN SOLDIERS EXECUTE SERBIAN CIVILIANS AFTER THEY INVADE

THE CHAIN REACTION CONTINUES Austria-Hungary prepares to invade Serbia, but this action won’t remain a local conflict between two neighboring countries for very long Germany threatened war with Russia if it would not demobilize its forces against the Austro-Hungarians In response to this threat against its ally Russia, France mobilized its armed forces against Germany

THE CHAIN REACTION CONTINUES Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Russia and France, and vice versa Germany invaded a neutral country, Belgium, to attack France Britain had always guaranteed Belgium’s neutrality, so Britain declared war on Germany World War I begins on August 4th, 1914

Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia & its ally Russia World War I Begins Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia & its ally Russia On August 4, 1914, England declared war on Germany & Austria-Hungary On August 1, 1914, Germany declared war on Russia Russia mobilized for war to protect Serbia …and joined the Allies On August 3, 1914, Germany declared war on France Italy backed out of its agreement with Germany & Austria-Hungary… On July 28,1914, Serbia declined the ultimatum World War I had begun

LIKE DOMINOES FALLING, ONE BY ONE 9th: BRITAIN DECLARES WAR ON GERMANY 10th: THE GREAT WAR BEGINS ON AUG 4, 1914 8th: GERMANY INVADES BELGIUM TO ATTACK FRANCE 5th: RUSSIA DECLARES WAR ON A-H EMPIRE 6th: GERMANY DECLARES WAR ON RUSSIA 7th: FRANCE AND GERMANY DECLARE WAR 4th: A-H EMPIRE DECLARES WAR ON SERBIA 3rd: A-H EMPIRE MAKES DEMANDS OF SERBIA 2nd: GERMANY BACKS A-H EMPIRE 1st: ASSASSINATION ON JUNE 14, 1914

When War Breaks Out, Names and Alliances Change ALLIED POWERS (formerly the Triple Entente) CENTRAL POWERS (formerly the Triple Alliance) BRITAIN GERMANY FRANCE AUSTRIA-HUNGARY RUSSIA ITALY OTTOMAN EMPIRE

ENTANGLED ALLIANCES

THE EUROPEAN LEADERS OF THE TIME ALLIED POWERS CENTRAL POWERS Wilhelm II GERMANY Nicholas II RUSSIA George V BRITAIN Victor Emmanuel II ITALY Enver Pasha OTTOMAN EMPIRE Franz Josef AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE Pres. Poincare FRANCE

WHO STARTED THE WAR?

From this point, Europe and then the world becomes embroiled in The Great War (later called World War I), one of the two bloodiest conflicts in human history

And remember the words of Otto von Bismarck, the man whose policies helped shape Europe at the time… “If there will ever be another major war in Europe, it will probably come from some damned foolish thing in the Balkans.”