Primera Guerra Mundial

Days that shook the world - Franz Ferdinand

• Before WW1 Germany, Russia, France all start preparing for war (improving military, making alliances).
• Head of Serbian military intelligence, Colonel Apis, is the mastermind and leader of the Black Hand, his goal was to recreate Great Serbia. He was executed later on for organising a political murder.
• Bosnia was once part of Serbia and even though it became Bosnia, people still thought of themselves as Serbians.
• 28 june 1914, 7 state sponsored terrorists (including 2 schoolboys), The Black Hand Gang, target archduke Franz Ferdinand who was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The plan was for them to kill the archduke and then kill themselves by drinking cyanide (too old and didn’t work).
• The Archduke was superstitious (wears 7 lucky charms) and even wore a “bulletproof” jacket during that day. He knows that the people hated being ruled by his uncle so he decided to make a public appearance to inspire loyalty and publicise the fact that he is a reformer.
• Gavrilo Princip (guy that shot the archduke) was very poor, often had nothing to eat but his parents still had to pay taxes imposed by Austro-hungarians so he had a lot of hatred and was willing to be martyr.
• During the archdukes tour of Sarajevo, they were all positioned in the street at different intervals. First guy doesn’t do anything. Second guy throws grenade but because of the 10 second delay, the archduke escapes unharmed and the guy failed to die and was captured. The rest are too stunned to react so their plan fails.
• After reception, the archduke goes visit the injured at the hospital. The chauffeur took a wrong turn and passed directly in front of Princip who shoots both the archduke and his wife.
• Austro-Hungarians wanted revenge but couldn’t prove that Serbia was behind the attack.
• Princip was apprehended but said nothing, then Ilic was captured and he told everything (weapons were provided by Serbian gov.)
• Austro-Hungary and Germany declared war on Serbia who had a pact with Russia who was allied with France and Britain. Germany attacked France and WW1 began.
• Princip’s act sparked the Great War.

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