Austria's Response To The Archduke's Assassination

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, on June 28, 1914, was the catalyst for World War I. Gavrilo Princip, a 19-year-old Bosnian Serb and member of Young Bosnia, a revolutionary student group, shot the royal couple at close range while they were on an official visit to Sarajevo, the provincial capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This assassination sparked a series of events, including Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia a month later, that led to the outbreak of World War I by early August.

Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated in Sarajevo by 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb and member of Young Bosnia. This assassination was the most immediate cause of World War I.

In the aftermath of the assassination, Austria-Hungary set an ultimatum to Serbia, threatening to invade if their demands were not met. The Serbs accepted all demands except one: they wanted to investigate the murder themselves, without interference from Austro-Hungarian representatives. Austria-Hungary did not agree and, on July 28, 1914, declared war on Serbia. This declaration of war set off a series of cascading declarations that led to World War I.

The political objective of the assassination was to free Bosnia and Herzegovina of Austria-Hungarian rule and establish a common South Slav ("Yugoslav") state. The assassins were aided by the Black Hand, a Serbian secret nationalist group. The assassination was also partly motivated by Serbian outrage over the Austro-Hungarian annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had occurred in 1908.

The declaration of war by Austria-Hungary on Serbia precipitated a political crisis between the major European powers, triggering a chain of events that led directly to the outbreak of World War I. This conflict pitted two camps against each other: the Central Powers (Austria-Hungary and Germany) and the Allied Powers (France, Russia, and England). Both sides expected the war to be over soon, but they were wrong—the First World War lasted four years, and millions of soldiers from all over the world were killed.

The July Crisis

The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated in Sarajevo by the 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip, a member of Young Bosnia.

Austria-Hungary Seeks to Inflict a Military Blow on Serbia

Following the assassination, Austria-Hungary sought to inflict a military blow on Serbia, to demonstrate its own strength and to dampen Serbian support for Yugoslav nationalism, viewing it as a threat to the unity of its multi-national empire. However, wary of the reaction of Russia, a major supporter of Serbia, Vienna sought a guarantee from its ally, Germany, that Berlin would support Austria in any conflict.

Germany Issues a "Blank Cheque"

Germany guaranteed its support through what came to be known as the "blank cheque", but urged Austria-Hungary to attack quickly to localise the war and avoid drawing in Russia. Austro-Hungarian leaders deliberated until mid-July before deciding to give Serbia a harsh ultimatum.

Austria-Hungary Issues an Ultimatum to Serbia

On 23 July, Austria-Hungary made its ultimatum to Serbia, demanding that Belgrade:

• Formally and publicly condemn the dangerous propaganda against Austria-Hungary.
• Suppress all publications that incite hatred and contempt of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
• Dissolve the Serbian nationalist organisation, Narodna Odbrana.
• Eliminate anti-Habsburg teaching materials.
• Remove from the Serbian military and civil administration all officers and functionaries whose names the Austro-Hungarian government will provide.
• Accept in Serbia "representatives of the Austro-Hungarian Government" for the "suppression of subversive movements".
• Bring to trial all accessories to the Archduke's assassination and allow "Austro-Hungarian delegates" to take part in the investigations.
• Arrest Major Vojislav Tankosić and civil servant Milan Ciganović, who were named as participants in the assassination plot.
• Cease the cooperation of the Serbian authorities in the "traffic in arms and explosives across the frontier".
• Provide "explanations" to the Austro-Hungarian government regarding "Serbian officials" who have expressed themselves in interviews "in terms of hostility to the Austro-Hungarian Government".

Russia Orders a Partial Mobilisation

While the ultimatum was being delivered, Russia ordered a secret, but noticed, partial mobilisation of its armed forces. Russia's military leadership knew they were not yet strong enough for a general war, but they believed that the Austro-Hungarian grievance against Serbia was a pretext orchestrated by Germany, and considered a forceful response to be the best course of action.

Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia

On 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, setting off a series of cascading declarations that led to World War I.

The July Ultimatum

The terms of the ultimatum demanded that the Serbian government accept an Austro-Hungarian inquiry into the assassination, suppress all anti-Austrian propaganda, and take steps to root out and eliminate terrorist organisations within its borders. One such organisation, the Black Hand, was believed to have aided the assassins by providing weapons and safe passage from Belgrade to Sarajevo. Serbia was given 48 hours to respond to the ultimatum, but by that time Gieslingen had already packed his bags and prepared to leave the embassy, anticipating Serbian defiance.

The ultimatum was issued with the full support of Austria-Hungary's allies in Berlin. The plan, developed in coordination with the German foreign office, was to force a military conflict that would end quickly and decisively with an Austrian victory before Serbia's powerful ally, Russia, had time to react. However, none of the other great powers were inclined to see Austria-Hungary, with its relatively weak military, as acting alone. By 1914, the battle lines had been drawn in Europe: if Germany stood with Austria-Hungary against Serbia, then Russia's allies, France and Britain, would be likely to step into the fray as well.

On receipt of the ultimatum, Serbia at once appealed to Russia, whose council of ministers met on 24 July to determine a course of action. The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Sazonov, voiced his belief that Germany was using the crisis over the archduke's death as a pretext for starting a preventive war to defend its interests in the region. Defying Austro-German expectations, the council agreed to order four military districts to prepare for mobilisation. Meanwhile, on 25 July, convinced that Austria-Hungary was preparing for a fight, Serbian Prime Minister Nicola Pasic ordered the Serbian army to mobilise.

Serbia's response to the ultimatum effectively accepted all terms but one: it would not accept Austria-Hungary's participation in any internal inquiry, stating that this would be a violation of the Constitution and of the law of criminal procedure. This response appealed to Pasic and his country in the eyes of international observers of the conflict, but to Vienna, it made little difference. Gieslingen broke off diplomatic relations with Serbia and left to catch his train. Three days later, on 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, beginning the First World War.

The Central Powers vs the Allied Powers

The Central Powers consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. They were opposed by the Allied Powers, an international military coalition led by France, the United Kingdom, Russia, the United States, Italy, and Japan.

The Central Powers were formed by the Triple Alliance, which was originally composed of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. However, Italy remained neutral at the beginning of the war. The Central Powers were opposed by the Triple Entente, which was made up of the United Kingdom, France, and Russia.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, on June 28, 1914, was the catalyst for World War I. Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student, shot the couple at close range while they were being driven through Sarajevo, the provincial capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This assassination led to a series of events that eventually resulted in the Central Powers and the Allied Powers declaring war on each other.

Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the assassination and, on July 28, 1914, declared war on Serbia. Serbia's ally, Montenegro, joined the war on August 8 and attacked the Austrian naval base at Cattaro. In response, German troops carried out the Schlieffen Plan, invading neutral Belgium and Luxembourg. This prompted the United Kingdom to declare war on Germany on August 4, 1914, as it was obligated to defend Belgium under the 1839 Treaty of London.

The United States joined the Allied Powers near the end of the war in 1917, declaring war on Germany due to its unrestricted submarine warfare and attacks on American merchant ships. Japan, another important member of the Allied Powers, joined the Entente in 1914 and declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary in August of that year. Italy, which began the war as an ally of Germany and Austria-Hungary, switched sides and joined the Allied Powers in 1915, opening a new front in the war.

The Sarajevo trial

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, on 28 June 1914, was a key event that led to World War I. The Sarajevo trial, held from 12 to 23 October 1914, with the verdict and sentences announced on 28 October 1914, was a significant step in the aftermath of this assassination. Twenty-five people were indicted, including the assassins and key members of the clandestine network that supported them. The trial shed light on the political objectives of the assassination, which were to free Bosnia and Herzegovina from Austrian-Hungarian rule and establish a common South Slav ("Yugoslav") state.

During the trial, the adult defendants, facing the death penalty, portrayed themselves as unwilling participants in the conspiracy. However, the three members of the original assassination team acknowledged full responsibility for their acts and proclaimed their ideal of a liberated and united South Slav people. Gavrilo Princip, the 19-year-old assassin who was found guilty of murder and high treason, stated that their enterprise was purely private and not officially sanctioned by Serbia. He also asserted that his intention was to kill Governor Potiorek rather than Sophie.

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