1. Why were the Balkans so volatile?

2. German Interests in the Balkans
Oil from the Middle East.
Berlin-Baghdad Railway – this would pass through the Balkans.
Interested in seeing Austro-Hungary [ally] extend its influence. The railway would pass through Austro-Hungary and the Balkans on route to the Middle East.
Explain why Germany might support Austro-Hungary’s ambitions in the Balkans.

3. British and French Interests in the Balkans
Suez Canal, Egypt – short cut to India – British Empire – trade
Russian warships entering the Eastern Mediterranean interfering with British trade???
Russia might threaten India
Russo-Japanese War threat diminishes.

4. Why was the Suez Canal important to Great Britain?

5. The Balkan Wars
In 1912 the Balkan League of Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria attacked Turkey. Turkey lost all of its land in Europe with the exception of Istanbul. The following year Bulgaria attacked Greece and Serbia as they were unhappy with their share of Turkish territory. They lost to Greece and Serbia. The situation in the Balkans was clearly dangerous. Would the future conflict here involve the Great Powers?
The Balkan area has been referred to as the “Powder Keg of Europe”. From what you know, explain why you think the area was called this

7. The Black Hand: (Unification or Death)
The Black Hand organisation was responsible for several assassination attempts of prominent Austro-Hungarian leaders.
In 1914 they achieved their greatest success. This success was the spark that began the First World War.
This success was the spark that has shaped the world in which we live today.
This success was responsible not only for WWI, but could be argued to be responsible for WWII and also the Cold War.
The Black Hand: (Unification or Death)
Aims:
“To realise the national ideal, the unification of all Serbs. This organisation prefers terrorist action to cultural activities; it will therefore remain secret”.
Membership:
- By 1914 there were 2,500 members of the Black Hand. Mainly made up of junior army officers but also included lawyers, journalists and university professors.

8. Archduke Franz Ferdinand: Invitation of Death!
In 1913 Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to the A-H throne) was appointed General of the Austro-Hungarian Army.
In 1914 he was invited by the Governor of the Austrian provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina to watch his troops on manoeuvre.
A great romantic, the Archduke insisted on taking his beloved wife Duchess Sophie with him. His wish was granted.
F.F knew that the journey would be dangerous. As we know, a large number of people in B.H were unhappy with A.H rule and wanted union with Serbia.
The Black Hand viewed F.F as a serious threat to union between B.H and Serbia being achieved.

9. The arrival of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
10am, Sunday 28th June 1914, the Archduke and Sophia arrived in Sarajevo by train
Security in Sarajevo for the visit was lax and the route the royal couple were to take had been published so that the crowds could gather to see them.
The car that met them drove to the city hall
70,000 Austro-Hungarian soldiers were kept in their baracks

10. The Assassins Muhamed Mehmedbasic (Lost nerve)
The local police force were in charge of the security arrangements for the royal visit. Before the arrival of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, thirty-five potential troublemakers were arrested and taken into custody. A hundred and twenty policemen were placed along the route that the royal party was to take on its way to the City Hall but it was decided that the 70,000 Austro-Hungarian soldiers in Sarajevo were to be kept in their barracks. Unknown to the Sarajevo police force, seven members of the Black Hand group also lined the route. They were spaced out along the Appel Quay, each one had been instructed to try and kill Franz Ferdinand when the royal car reached his position. The first conspirator on the route to see the royal car was Muhamed Mehmedbasic. Standing by the Austro-Hungarian Bank, Mehmedbasic lost his nerve and allowed the car pass without taking action. Mehmedbasic later said that a policeman was standing behind him and feared he would be arrested before he had a chance to throw his bomb. The next man on the route was Nedjelko Cabrinovic. At Cabrinovic stepped forward and hurled his bomb at the archduke's car. The driver accelerated when he saw the object flying towards him and the bomb exploded under the wheel of the next car. Two of the occupants, Eric von Merizzi and Count Boos-Waldeck were seriously wounded. About a dozen spectators were also hit by bomb splinters. After throwing his bomb, Nedjelko Cabrinovic swallowed the cyanide he was carrying and jumped into the River Miljacka. Four men, including two detectives, followed him in and managed to arrest him. The poison failed to kill him and he was taken to the local police station. Franz Ferdinand's driver, Franz Urban, drove on extremely fast and other members of the Black Hand group on the route, Cvijetko Popovic, Gavrilo Princip, Danilo Ilic and Trifko Grabez, decided that it was useless to try and kill the archduke when the car was going at this speed.
Muhamed Mehmedbasic (Lost nerve)
Nedjelko Cabrinovic (bomb failed)
Vaso Cubrilovic (car going too fast)
Cvijetko Popovic
Gavrilo Princip (morning)
Gavrilo Princip (afternoon) (successful)
Trifko Grabez
Danilo Llic

11. The Assassination The words of a dying man...
7 members of the Black Hand lines the route F.F was to take
Each man had been given a revolver, two bombs and a capsule of cyanide with instructions to kill F.F whatever chance they got
Cabrinovic through his bomb first, it bounced off the runner and exploded harmlessly
Chief of police changed the route
The driver was unaware of this change and so continued on the original route until he was instructed to turn around
As he was stopping to change direction Gavrilo Princip took his chance
He fired several times into the car hitting Sophie in the stomach and Ferdinand in the neck
The words of a dying man...
- The last words F.F uttered were “Don’t die Sophie... Live for the children...”
In your own words and using p. 27 in your Heinemann textbook, write a brief description of the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Each man was given a revolver, two bombs and small vial of cyanide. They were instructed to commit suicide after Archduke Franz Ferdinand had been killed
After attending the official reception at the City Hall, Franz Ferdinand asked about the members of his party that had been wounded by the bomb. When the archduke was told they were badly injured in hospital, he insisted on being taken to see them. A member of the archduke's staff, Baron Morsey, suggested this might be dangerous, but Oskar Potiorek, who was responsible for the safety of the royal party, replied, "Do you think Sarajevo is full of assassins?" However, Potiorek did accept it would be better if Duchess Sophie remained behind in the City Hall. When Baron Morsey told Sophie about the revised plans, she refused to stay arguing: "As long as the Archduke shows himself in public today I will not leave him." In order to avoid the city centre, General Oskar Potiorek decided that the royal car should travel straight along the Appel Quay to the Sarajevo Hospital. However, Potiorek forgot to tell the driver, Franz Urban, about this decision. On the way to the hospital, Urban took a right turn into Franz Joseph Street. Princip happened to be was standing on the corner at the time. Oskar Potiorek immediately realised the driver had taken the wrong route and shouted "What is this? This is the wrong way! We're supposed to take the Appel Quay!". The driver put his foot on the brake, and began to back up. In doing so he moved slowly past the waiting Princip. He stepped forward, drew his gun, and at a distance of about five feet, fired several times into the car. Franz Ferdinand was hit in the neck and Sophie von Chotkovato in the abdomen. Princip's bullet had pierced the archduke's jugular vein but before losing consciousness, he pleaded "Sophie dear! Sophie dear! Don't die! Stay alive for our children!" Franz Urban drove the royal couple to Konak, the governor's residence, but although both were still alive when they arrived, they died from their wounds soon afterwards. After shooting Franz Ferdinand and Sophie von Chotkovato, Princip, following instructions, turned his gun on himself. A man behind him saw what he was doing, and seized Princip's right arm. A couple of policeman joined the struggle and Princip was arrested.

12. Franz Ferdinand’s dying words were “Don’t die Sophie, live for our children”
The couple died shortly afterwards
Princip immediatley turned the gun on himself
A man behind him saw what he was doing, and seized Princip's right arm.
A couple of policeman joined the struggle and Princip was arrested.