FRANZ FERDINAND Archduke of Austria

Early Life of Franz Franz Ferdinand, eldest son of Carl Ludwig, the brother of Emperor Franz Josef, was born in Franz Ferdindand was born in Graz, Austria. As a young man, Franz Ferdinand developed two great passions: hunting and travel. In 1889, Franz Ferdinand’s life changed dramatically. His cousin Crown Prince Rudolf committed suicide at his hunting lodge, leaving Franz Ferdinand’s father as first in line to the Austro-Hungarian throne. That meant Franz Ferdinand was going to follow his father as king.

Accomplishments… Educated by private tutors, he joined the Austro- Hungarian Army in His military career included service with an infantry regiment in Prague and with the Hussars in Hungary. While in the army Ferdinand received several promotions: captain (1885), major (1888), colonel (1890) and general (1896). In 1913 Franz Ferdinand was appointed Inspector General of the Austro-Hungarian Army. A promoter of naval expansion and military modernization, Franz Ferdinand was popular with the armed forces.

Ferdinand’s Fate… Just before 10 o'clock on Sunday, 28th June, 1914, Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie von Chotkovato, arrived in Sarajevo by train. General Oskar Potiorek, Governor of the Austrian provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina, was waiting to take the royal party to the City Hall for an official reception. When it was announced that Franz Ferdinand was going to visit Bosnia in June of 1914, a group known as the Black Hand began to make plans to assassinate the heir of the Austro- Hungarian throne. Three members of the Black Hand group based in Belgrade, Gavrilo Princip, Nedielko Cabrinovic, and Trifko Grabez, went to Sarajevo to carry out the deed.

Assassination of Franz On June 28, 1914, at approximately 11:00 am, Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed in Sarajevo, the capital of the Austro- Hungarian province of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The assassin was Gavrilo Princip, a member of Young Bosnia and one of several (seven) assassins organized by The Black Hand. Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his family!

The Beginning of World War I The event, known as the Assassination in Sarajevo, was the trigger of World War I. Franz and Sophie had previously been attacked when a bomb was thrown at their car. It missed them, but many civilians were injured. Franz Ferdinand and Sophie both insisted on going to see all those injured at the hospital. As a result of this, Princip saw them and shot Sophie, who died instantly. Franz Ferdinand was shot in the jugular and took a few minutes to die.

World War I The assassinations, along with the arms race, nationalism and the alliance system all contributed to the beginning of World War I. The “war to end all wars” began less than two months after Franz Ferdinand's death, with Austria- Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia.