THE FINAL

CRISISAssassination at Sarajevo

Focusing Question

How did the

assassination trigger

another Balkan crisis

that escalated to world

war one?

1914

Despite the militarism of

nations, relationships between

the powers was relatively calm.

No nation was bent on war. 1914

was no more likely to witness

widespread war than any other

year.

Assassination at Sarajevo

On 28th of June, archduke Franz

Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-

Hungary empire was killed in

Sarajevo.

The assassination was performed

by young Bosnian terrorists

armed by the Black Hand.

The Black Hand

Formed in 1911, with the aim of

uniting all the Balkan slavs into

one large state of Yugoslavia.

The group was headed by

Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic. He

was also chief of intelligence.

The Assassination attempts

Several assassins were placed on the route tobe driven by the archdukes car.

The first attempt was a bomb thrown into thecar but it bounced out, wounding 20 others.

The assassin, Čabrinović swallowed hiscyanide pill and jumped into the Miljacka river.This attempt failed as the cyanide onlyinduced vomiting, and the Miljacka was only13 cm deep. Police dragged him out of theriver, and he was severely beaten by thecrowd before being taken into custody.

Assassination attempts

Franz then went to a town hall meeting

and then wished to go to the hospital to

visit the bombing victims.

The driver to an incorrect turning into the

path of Princip. The car attempted to turn

around and stalled. Princip took his

chance.

He fired two shots, killing the Archduke

and his wife.

Austria Reacts

The Austria-Hungary government

was enraged. The Serbs were

undoubtedly behind the killing and

now must be crushed.

They, however, faced two problems.

Their army needed a month to

prepare for war and they needed the

support of Germany.

Austria Reacts

5th July, in Berlin, the Kaiser fully supports

Austria, giving them a blank cheque of

support.

Germany did not want to risk losing her

last powerful ally, even if it meant war.

The Kaiser did not believe that Russia

would support Serbia nor was the Russian

army ready for war. So if a war was to

happen this moment was as good as any.

Ultimatum

On the 23rd of July, Serbia was given an

ultimatum. Deemed one of the harshest

ever, which no self-respecting nation

would abide by, they were given 48 hours

to respond.

Serbia agreed to most of the terms, but

Austria was set on war.

Grey, the British foreign minister, called for

a conference of the four great powers.

The Germans refused to take part.

Ultimatum to war

Germany believed the war could remain

localised in the Balkans.

On the 28th of July Austria declared war on

Serbia. The next day they bombed the city

of Belgrade.

On the 30th, Russia began to

mobilise, while having secretly been doing

so for the past five days. Russia wanted to

fully back Serbia.

Germany Mobilises

With other countries mobilising and the

rigidness of the Schlieffen plan the Germans

countered with immediate mobilisation.

11 thousand trains carrying troops, arms and

supplies went to the French front via Belgium.

With only six weeks to beat France, the

Germans attempted diplomatic assurance. They

gave Russia 12 hours to demobilise and France

18 to promise neutrality in a Russo-German war.

Continental War

The ultimatums expired. Germany declared war

on Russia on August 1 and on France the

following day by invading Luxembourg.

The Germans demanded rights of travel through

Belgium. On the 3rd this were rejected and

Germany invaded.

Britain demands Germany leave Belgium in the

next five hours. At midnight on the 4th Britain

declares war.

World war one had begun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LAgDuNZ

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