Who Killed Franz Ferdinand

and Why

On June 28th, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, sparking a crisis that would eventually result in the First World War. A Serbian nationalist group known as the Black Hand was behind the assassination, seeking to end Austro-Hungarian rule over the Serbian nation.

At the time, the region of the Balkans was divided among several empires and a number of competing nationalities. Serbia was under Austro-Hungarian rule, while the Ottoman Empire still had a presence in the region. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand was an act of protest against Austro-Hungarian rule.

The assassination was planned by the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist organization founded by Col. Dragutin Dimitrijevic. The group was composed of military officers, civil servants and intellectuals who wanted a unified Serbian nation. Its members also included seven assassins, along with Gavrilo Princip, a 19-year-old Bosnian Serb student who was chosen as the triggerman for the assassination.

The plot was hatched by the Black Hand in an effort to destabilize the region by removing the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. On June 28th, the assassins acted on their plan and assassinated Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie.

The assassination was followed by a series of events that would eventually lead to the outbreak of World War I. On July 28th, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. This further escalated tensions in the region as other countries took sides, leading to the war.

While the Black Hand was the group behind the plot, it seems that the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was part of a bigger plan to destabilize the region and gain independence for Serbia. The political and social unrest of the time made it a ripe opportunity for nationalists to act upon their plans.

Ultimately, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand had far reaching implications and set in motion a chain of events that resulted in World War I. The repercussions of his death are still felt today.