Franz Ferdinand, heir apparent to the throne and Archduke of Austro=Hungarian Empire was assassinated by Serbian nationalist, Gabrilo Princip on 28 June, 1914.

That day was fourteenth anniversary of his marriage with Sophie Chotek. Sophie was a mere countess which status was not enough for an heir apparent of the Habsburgs. Their sons were excluded from the succession and Sophie was not allowed to be styled as in the House of Habsburg.

For the sake of that humiliation the Archduke could not take her wife to official ceremonies except military occasions. He was given a title, inspector-general of the army. He decided to take her for inspection of the army in Bosnia on that day.

On the other hand the Serbs also had never forgotten the date, 28 June. On that day of 1389 the army of the old Serbian kingdom was annihilated by Ottoman-Turks on Kosobo plain.

This happened incidentally because the date of wedding should not be fixed on the memorial day of their subject people. Anyway the government officials of the Monarchy had never paid any attention to the Serbian memorial day.

Archduke arrived at Ilidze, suburban area of Sarajevo the day before and took train to the station of Sarajevo where six open cars were waiting to pick up. Archduke and his wife taking one with Bosnia military governor, Potiorek were scheduled to get through the quay along the Milijak.

Half a dozen assassinators were waiting for them.

The first assassinator noticed a policeman behind him and lost a timing. The second, a compositor Cabrinovic given only a bomb by which he was confident to kill Archduke asked a man next which car to carry his target. Then, he struck the detonator against the lamp pall and threw it.

The bomb hit the hood of the car behind the couple and rebounded. When a next car passed on it the sharp crack like a rifle-shot was heard. All cars stopped. Two officers severely injured were helped under the wreck. They were taken to hospital. Cabrinovic ran way and threw himself into the Milijak but was immediately under arrest on the opposite bank. All of the rest conspirators were shocked by this failure and went home except one, Princip.

Princip

Princip went to the luncheon shop called Schiller's.

At the city hall all cerebrates in Sarajevo waited to receive the Archduke. The burgomaster was horrified as being told what a strange way of this city to welcome the guest. The Archduke asked to alter his schedule to pay a visit for the wounded, which was to doom his destiny.

Leaving the City Hall.

The scheduled visit was for the museum with newly built wing in downtown of the city. But the hospital was in the suburban mountain area. They had to get through the same quay as before if conforming with this new schedule. But the chauffeur was not notified. He tried to follow the original route shown before.

When he turned right to Franz Joseph street he was suddenly told that the route was changed and the visit to hospital. He slowed down the car and went back.

When Princip went off the luncheon shop hearing the cheering noise of the crowd he suddenly recognized his original mission. The target he had long wanted appeared in front of him a few yards away. He pulled out his revolver and walked a few steps and shot.

The first bullet got the archduke through and gave him a fatal wound.　The second hit the archduke's wife and killed her immediately. The archduke also died 45 minutes later. His last words were: "Sophrel! Sophrel! Sterbe nicht! Bleibe im Leben fuer unsere Kinder! (Sophie! Live for the children.)"

Five conspirators out of six were immediately arrested. One escaped. All five were sentenced less than 20 years imprisonment after an open trial. However, there was another conspirator called Ilich who was soon arrested and talked everything because he was over twenty year of age, who under Austrian criminal code was possible to be executed. By his talk the rest of three were arrested and it clarified the plot to the Austrian authority to some extent. Even though he confessed he was sentenced to death in charge for high treason and executed.

Princip died in Terejienstadt jail on 28 April, 1918. The Austrian government announced his death was caused by tuberculosis despite careful treatment in the hospital attached to the jail. However, the cell containing him did not have window and gave no light for three years. Cabrinovic and Grabez died also there during the war from tuberculosis. The other two were released soon after the war and lived exceeding the second world war.

The archduke and his wife were buried in his private estate without imperial ceremony. These were all things happening in Sarajevo, which have shaken the World up until now. There were still a lot of things never clarified about this like most of political assassination cases. However, it was clear that Princip was a key man to make a plot and bring a fatal blow.

Blackhand

Ilich haunted that day along the quay behind the scene and chaired a few meetings with the rest. Princip also had the meeting with him and stayed at the Ilich's home.

Ilich

There were two types of men among conspirators. The first group, if called Belgrade party consisted of three persons, Princip, Cabrinovic and Grabez. They were all determined and brought arms and ammunitions crossing the border. Curiously enough all suffered from consumption which was dead desease those days. Some people can imagine that is why these three were selected as assassinators.

Against Belgrade party Ilich lead the rest of three persons and the four may be called Sarajevo party. He was a friend of Princip like the rest of five. Sarajevo was so a small city with population, 50 thousand that the dwellers belonging to the same generation knew each other.

However, It should be no a chance for Ilich and Pricip to comspirate of the assassination of the archduke jointly at least in Sarajevo. Who combined these two parties? According to Ilich who confessed freely due to the fear of execution he was asked by Major Tankosic to find terrorists suitable for the assassination. They two belonged to Narodna Odbrana which was an open organization in order to unify all southern Slav. He was notified from Tankosic that Princip with two were coming with arms.

In late 1920s some historians clarified the organization called Backhand which was a secret terrorists society in Serbia. This society was organized by army officers in Serbia and called Union or Death party as an official name. Their leader was called Apis ; "bee" in English. Apis partipated in the other high treason case which killed both the king, Alexander Obrenvic and the queen in 1903.

The Emblem of Blackhand

Apis also opposed to the policy for Macedonia set by the civilian government. He and members of Blackhand wanted to rule Macedonia by the military. Russian ambassador, Hartwig cleverly supported the civilians and denied military rule. So, it was.

Princip's only contact with Serbian army was Major Tankosic who was a right hand man of Apis in Blackhand.
It was probable that Major Tancosic gave training for these three which included how to use weapons.

After Princip knew the Archduke's visit to Srajevo he proposed Tankosic to assassinate him and asked for arms. Tankosic told that he gave arms to Princip to humiliate Pasic, Serbian prime minister.

It was also believed that Blackhand rather held Narodna Odbrana for cover of legal entity. Princip did not belong to any of these secret societies. The preparation to cross the border with arms was arranged by another secret society man. Princip and his two friends stayed at appointed houses around the border and freely talked about the plot to their hosts.

Without governmental assistance it was impossible for these three students to prepare for the assassination. However, Serbian government also took notice of the plot through a spy in Blackhand. The government in all agreed to stop this plot and told Apis to intervene. Apis also agreed. He sent someone to contact with Ilich who might talk something with Princip. But, nothing to halt happened. It was probable for Apis to order two timing.

Apis=Dragutin Dimitrijevic

This Apis's real name was Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic, Intelligence Department chief. He was also forfeited his life by frame up case. Prime minister Pasic and the Regent decided to relinquish the bad reputation of the army by removing Apis. He was court-martialled in charge for high treason and sentenced to death. He was executed on 24 June, 1917 somewhere in Salonica.

According to the archive of the Second Reich it had a secret agent in Belgrade. This agent was also believed to be Apis.