Austria-Hungary's War Declaration: Siberia's Role

On the 28th of June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo. This event sparked a series of diplomatic and military escalations among the major powers of Europe, ultimately leading to the outbreak of World War I. Austria-Hungary, with German encouragement, declared war on Serbia on the 28th of July 1914, marking the beginning of the conflict. However, there is no indication that Austria-Hungary declared war on Siberia.

Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia

On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo by a Bosnian-Serb nationalist named Gavrilo Princip. This event followed several years of tensions between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, which had escalated after Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908.

Austria-Hungary, with German encouragement, sought to use the assassination as a pretext to inflict a military blow on Serbia and demonstrate its strength. However, wary of the reaction of Russia, a major supporter of Serbia, Austria-Hungary first sought a guarantee of support from Germany. Germany gave its full backing, urging Austria-Hungary to attack quickly to localise the war and avoid drawing in Russia.

On 23 July 1914, Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with an ultimatum containing harsh and provocative demands, including the suppression of the Pan-Serbian movement and the punishment of Serbians allegedly involved in the assassination. Serbia's reply on 25 July conceded to all demands except those that infringed upon its sovereignty as a nation. Austria-Hungary rejected this response and broke diplomatic relations, announcing the mobilisation of its army against Serbia.

On 28 July 1914, after an unverified incident involving Habsburg and Serbian troops, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. This act of war stirred up old tensions and anxieties across Europe, drawing in supporters and allies on both sides. Russia came to the aid of Serbia, followed by Germany's declaration of war on Russia, and France's subsequent entry into the conflict. The Balkan crisis now threatened a European-wide war, which would eventually escalate into World War I.

The July Crisis

The following is a timeline of the key events of the July Crisis:

• 28 June 1914: Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist, assassinates Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg.
• 23 July 1914: Austria-Hungary issues an ultimatum to Serbia, giving them 48 hours to reply.
• 25 July 1914: Serbia replies to the ultimatum, meeting almost all demands. Nonetheless, Austria-Hungary breaks off diplomatic relations with Serbia.
• 28 July 1914: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
• 29 July 1914: Russia orders a partial mobilisation of four districts.
• 1 August 1914: Germany declares war on Russia. France and Germany begin general mobilisation.
• 2 August 1914: German troops invade Luxembourg as part of its deployment plan. Germany issues an ultimatum to Belgium.
• 3 August 1914: Germany declares war on France. Italy decides to remain neutral.
• 4 August 1914: Britain declares war on Germany.
• 6 August 1914: Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia.

The role of Gavrilo Princip

Gavrilo Princip was a Bosnian Serb student and a South Slav nationalist. Born into a poor Serb family in western Bosnia, he was sent to Sarajevo at the age of 13 to study at the Merchants' School. He later transferred to the gymnasium, where he became politically aware and joined Young Bosnia, a secret society aiming to free Bosnia from Austrian rule and unite the South Slavs.

On 28 June 1914, Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess von Hohenberg, in Sarajevo. Princip's act set off the July Crisis, a series of events that ultimately led to the outbreak of World War I.

The assassination was planned and executed with the help of other Bosnian revolutionaries and the Serbian secret society known as the Black Hand. Princip and his associates wanted to destroy Austro-Hungarian rule in the Balkans and unite the South Slav peoples into a federal nation. They believed that the first step towards this goal was the assassination of a member of the Habsburg imperial family.

After the assassination, Princip was arrested and put on trial. He was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison, the maximum penalty allowed for a person under the age of 20. Princip died in prison on 28 April 1918 from tuberculosis, exacerbated by poor prison conditions.

The legacy of Gavrilo Princip is contested. While many Serbs regard him as a hero who stood against colonial oppression, Bosniaks and Croats often view him as a terrorist.

The complex web of alliances

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a Serbian nationalist in 1914 set off a series of events that ultimately led to the outbreak of World War I. This was due, in large part, to the complex web of alliances that existed between nations at the time.

At the dawn of the 20th century, Europe was divided into two main power blocs: the Triple Entente, consisting of Britain, France, and Russia, and the Triple Alliance, comprising Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. However, the alliance system was far from straightforward, with several smaller nations aligning themselves with either side. Serbia, for example, was aligned with Russia, while Romania was associated with the Triple Entente.

These complicated relationships meant that any conflict between two nations could rapidly escalate and draw several others into the fray. The tangled alliance system was like a giant, interconnected spider web, where a single tug on one strand could quickly reverberate across the entire web, setting off a chain reaction of events.

Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. This declaration triggered a series of alliances that dragged several other nations into the conflict. As an ally of Austria-Hungary, Germany declared war on Russia and France. Britain, as a member of the Triple Entente, then declared war on Germany. Soon, the conflict spread beyond Europe, drawing in nations such as the Ottoman Empire, Japan, and the United States.

While the complex alliance system was not the sole cause of World War I, it undoubtedly played a significant role in hastening Europe's rush to conflict. The existence of so many alliances meant that even a minor conflict between two powers could rapidly escalate. Additionally, the alliance system created a false sense of security for nations, emboldening them to take more aggressive actions, knowing their allies would back them up.

The lessons learned from the alliance system of World War I have had a profound impact on international relations. Many nations now prefer to maintain a more neutral stance in global conflicts, avoiding the sticky web of alliances that characterised pre-World War I Europe.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

On 28 June 1914, the Archduke and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, by Bosnian Serb student Gavrilo Princip. They were shot at close range while being driven through the city. Princip was part of a group of six Bosnian assassins, all but one of whom were Bosnian Serbs and members of a student revolutionary group that later became known as Young Bosnia. The assassins were aided by the Black Hand, a Serbian secret nationalist group with close ties to the Serbian army. The political objective of the assassination was to free Bosnia and Herzegovina of Austrian rule and establish a common South Slav state.

The assassination precipitated the July Crisis, which led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia and the start of World War I. Tensions were already running high among Europe's powers, and the assassination precipitated a rapid descent into war. Austria-Hungary gained German support for punitive action against Serbia and sent an ultimatum to the country, worded in a way that made acceptance unlikely. Serbia proposed arbitration to resolve the dispute, but Austria-Hungary instead declared war on 28 July 1914, exactly a month after Ferdinand’s death. By the following week, Germany, Russia, France, Belgium, Montenegro and Great Britain had all been drawn into the conflict, and other countries like the United States would enter later. Overall, more than 16 million people—soldiers and civilians—died in fighting that lasted until 1918.

The Assassination

On the morning of 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, departed their estate for Bosnia-Herzegovina. Having received multiple warnings to cancel the trip, the Archduke knew that danger potentially awaited them. After arriving in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina's capital, Ferdinand attended military exercises while Sophie visited schools and orphanages. On a whim, the couple decided to drive to check out Sarajevo's bazaars. While there, they attracted a crowd of onlookers, including Princip, but were apparently treated with warmth and politeness.

Meanwhile, seven Young Bosnians had fanned out along the Appel Quay, a main avenue in Sarajevo. When the motorcade passed by, Nedeljko Cabrinovic asked which car carried the Archduke. He then hurled his bomb at the car, only to watch it bounce off and roll underneath the wrong vehicle. The subsequent explosion wounded two army officers and several bystanders but left the Archduke and his wife essentially unharmed. Cabrinovic jumped into the riverbed and made a half-hearted attempt to kill himself before being apprehended.

Rather than immediately flee Sarajevo, Ferdinand decided to continue on to the planned event at city hall. Upon finishing that up, he insisted on visiting the wounded officers in the hospital. In order to dissuade any other bomb throwers, the motorcade zipped down the Appel Quay at high speeds. By mistake, however, the first three cars turned onto a side street right where Princip happened to be standing. As the cars attempted to reverse back onto the Appel Quay, Princip whipped out his pistol and fired two shots at the Archduke from point-blank range, piercing him in the neck and also striking Sophie's abdomen. Within minutes, though, both had passed away.

The Aftermath

With tensions already running high among Europe's powers, the assassination precipitated a rapid descent into World War I. First, Austria-Hungary gained German support for punitive action against Serbia. It then sent Serbia an ultimatum, worded in a way that made acceptance unlikely. Serbia proposed arbitration to resolve the dispute, but Austria-Hungary instead declared war on 28 July 1914, exactly a month after Ferdinand’s death. By the following week, Germany, Russia, France, Belgium, Montenegro and Great Britain had all been drawn into the conflict, and other countries like the United States would enter later. Overall, more than 16 million people—soldiers and civilians—died in fighting that lasted until 1918.

Frequently asked questions