how did the assassination of ferdinand lead to wwi

The assassination precipitated the July Crisis which led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia and the start of World War I . [94] As reported by Count Harrach, Franz Ferdinand's last words were "Sophie, Sophie! [16] (General Vereanin went on to crush the last Bosnian peasant uprising in the second half of 1910). On 26 March Ili and Mehmedbai had already agreed to kill Franz Ferdinand based on instructions from Belgrade predating the newspaper clipping and the discussions amongst the three assassins in Belgrade. As far as the relationship between Germany and England was concerned we always had the impression that England was trying to prevent the full development of Germany and was very anxious that Germany didnt have colonies and so on, and didnt have a large fleet. SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA. Here, an anonymous Belgian soldier describes how Britain and France were drawn into the conflict. [192] A marble plaque commemorating Princip and the assassination was erected in 1930 and, following the 1941 German invasion of Yugoslavia, was subsequently given to Adolf Hitler as a 52nd birthday present. When they learned of the visit some young bosnians began plotting the assassination In may Gavrilo Princip, Trifko Grabez and Nedeljko Cabrininovic traveled to Belgrade and got six handheld bombs, four semi automatic pistols and cysnide suicide capsules from the black hand gang 6. The First World War began in the summer of 1914, shortly after the assassination of Austria's Archduke, Franz Ferdinand, and lasted more than four years, ending in 1918. [140] Other voices eventually spoke out on the "warning". When Ferdinand. The event triggered the start of World War. The assassination occurred in Sarajevo when the motorcade was traveling to Sarajevo when a member of the Black Hand threw a bomb at the motorcade. An angry exchange followed between the Austrian Charg d'Affaires at Belgrade and Gruji. First, Austria-Hungary gained German support for punitive action against Serbia. At 10:10 am,[75] Franz Ferdinand's car approached and abrinovi threw his bomb. [171][172], Within two days of the assassination, Austria-Hungary and Germany advised Serbia that it should open an investigation, but Secretary-General to the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Slavko Gruji, replied: "Nothing had been done so far and the matter did not concern the Serbian Government." Cos Germany was piling them in and the slogan was: We want eight and we wont wait. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand in Austria was not the only reason for the outbreak of WWI. On 15 June, the two went separately by train to Doboj where Jovanovi handed off the box to Ili. '"[144] The Austro-Hungarian Finance Minister took no action based on Jovanovi's remarks. As Serbian Education Minister Ljuba Jovanovi wrote in Krv Sloventsva, in late May or early June, Prime Minister Pai reviewed the plot of the impending assassination with members of his cabinet. On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife were assassinated by a Serbian-backed terrorist. [17] The five bullets eraji fired at Vareanin and the fatal bullet he put in his own brain made eraji an inspiration to future assassins, including Princip and Princip's accomplice abrinovi. [165] Albertini writes that he "remained unconvinced by the behavior of this officer. Many countries had strong interest to expand their empire by colonizing smaller countries. [89] According to the historian Joachim Remak, the reason for this is that Potiorek's aide Eric(h) von Merrizzi was in the hospital, and was therefore unable to give Lojka the information about the change in plans and the driving route. [114] The first anti-Serb demonstrations, led by the followers of Josip Frank, were organized in the early evening of 28 June in Zagreb. In that capacity, he agreed to attend a series of June 1914 military exercises in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Americans were split between whether it was a good decision or a bad idea that would only bring financial problems and the loss of American lives. Following sentencing, abrinovi received a letter of complete forgiveness from the three young children the assassins had orphaned. Live for our children!" The Austro-Hungarians decided to crack down on the Serbians in response. Under the Secret Treaty of 1892 Russia and France were obliged to mobilize their armies if any of the Triple Alliance mobilized. "[3] General Petrovi was then killed when Vojislav Tankosi organized the murders of Queen Draga's brothers. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand lead to the "war to end all wars" because it set off a series of war declarations on numerous nations because of alliances that have been formed. Continued instability and conflict in the Balkans was a significant cause of tension prior to World War I. In Tuzla, abrinovi bumped into one of his father's friends, Sarajevo Police Detective Ivan Vila, and struck up a conversation. [84][87] As a result, the Archduke's driver, Leopold Lojka,[88] took a right turn at the Latin Bridge just as the two drivers ahead of him. Shot by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip, Ferdinand and wife Sophie died later that day. [45] Princip, Grabe, and abrinovi testified at the Sarajevo trial that at about the same time (a little after Easter), they approached a fellow Bosnian Serb and former guerrilla fighter known to be well connected and with access to arms, Milan Ciganovi, and through him Major Tankosi and reached an agreement to receive arms and get smuggled across the Serbian border back into Bosnia with the weapons. [71] The second car carried the Mayor and the Chief of Police of Sarajevo. One defendant died during the trial and the charges against him were dropped. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosniaks and Croats largely view Gavrilo Princip as a terrorist and an ethnic Serb nationalist. How did the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand start WWI? On June the 28th 1914, Gavirilo Princip along with two other students living in Serbia were waiting in the crowd, watching Franz Ferdinand, who was to be the future ruler of Austria-Hungary. [103], The bodies were transported to Trieste by the battleship SMSViribus Unitis and then to Vienna by special train. [160] Princip went on to testify that, at about the time of Easter (19 April), he wrote an allegorical letter to Ili informing him of the plan to kill Franz Ferdinand. 81-year-olds try to see the world in 80 days. On 15 March 1917 Apis and the officers loyal to him were indicted, on various false charges unrelated to Sarajevo (the case was retried before the Supreme Court of Serbia in 1953 and all defendants were exonerated),[133] by Serbian Court Martial on the French-controlled Salonika front. How did trench warfare make offensives long and deadly? [189] Milorad Dodik acknowledged that Bosnia is "still divided", but maintained that Princip was a "freedom fighter" and that Austria-Hungary had been an "occupier".[190]. Morsey was a German spy, and he had been based in Austria. 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. Was it really a lunch-hour coincidence that led to the death of the Archduke in Sarajevo in 1914and, by extension, World War I? The information was received by Pai early enough, according to Education Minister Ljuba Jovanovi, for the government to order the border guards to prevent the assassins from crossing. A map of the Balkans in 1914, showing recent territorial changes and the extent of Ottoman rule. Three weeks too young for the death penalty, Princip was given a. How Did Alliances Cause Ww1. The catastrophic event reveals a lot about the political and social tensions that . Hear about the effects of the recruiting driveon young men of Britain to join the army. Franz Ferdinand, Sophie, Governor Potiorek, and Lieutenant Colonel Count Franz von Harrach rode in this third car. They practised shooting a few rounds of scarce and expensive .380 ACP pistol ammunition in a park near Belgrade. Serbia published no clarifications of their confessions with regards to the Sarajevo attack. While waiting for the sergeants to arrive, Princip and Grabe had a falling out with abrinovi over abrinovi's repeated violations of operational security. The emperor admitted to his daughter, regarding the assassination: "For me, it is a relief from a great worry. [83][84] This is confirmed by photographs of the scene outside the Town Hall. Many Serbs consider Princip a national hero. abrinovi's suicide attempt failed, as the old cyanide only induced vomiting, and the Miljacka was only 13cm deep due to the hot, dry summer. He then hurled his bomb at the car, only to watch it bounce off the folded-up roof and roll underneath the wrong vehicle. That it was the Germans who kept not their word and attacked our country and that it was only England and France left at that moment who would keep their word and fight for us. [105] The Archduke and his wife were interred at Artstetten Castle because the Duchess could not be buried in the Imperial Crypt.[106]. There would have been no World War II without it, no communism without it, no modern Middle East. Franz Ferdinand was the eldest son of the archduke Charles Louis, who was the brother of the emperor Franz Joseph.The death of the heir apparent, Archduke Rudolf, in 1889 made Franz Ferdinand next in succession to the Austro-Hungarian throne after his father, who died in 1896. After this, there was a very strong desire for war in Austria. "[116] Two Serbs were killed on the first day of pogrom in Sarajevo, many were attacked, while around 1,000 houses, shops, schools and institutions (such as banks, hotels, printing houses) owned by Serbs were razed or pillaged. In this essay I am trying to see how much impact the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand had in the run up to war. [18] Grabe stated that he would never have taken part had he known that it would lead to a European war. As historian A. J. P. Taylor observes: [Sophie] could never share [Franz Ferdinand's] rank could never share his splendours, could never even sit by his side on any public occasion. It then sent Serbia an ultimatum, worded in a way that made acceptance unlikely. By mistake, however, the first three cars turned onto a side street right where Princip happened to be standing. Serbia's monarchs, at the time from the royal House of Obrenovi that maintained close relations with Austria-Hungary, were content to reign within the borders set by the treaty. [11][12] In the five years leading up to 1914, lone assassins mostly Serb citizens of Austria-Hungary made a series of unsuccessful assassination attempts in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina against Austro-Hungarian officials. [28] Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. This event wasn't the real cause of the war, it was just the spark that started it. The trial was held from 12 to 23 October with the verdict and sentences announced on 28 October 1914. "It may be doubted whether the Archduke [is] worth all this carnage", the magazine wrote. [25], Franz Ferdinand was an advocate of increased federalism and widely believed to favor trialism, under which Austria-Hungary would be reorganized by combining the Slavic lands within the Austro-Hungarian empire into a third crown. How did the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand lead to WW1? Princip told abrinovi to go alone to Zvornik, make an official crossing there using Grabe's ID card and then go on to Tuzla and link back up. Anti-Serb rioting broke out in Sarajevo and various other places within Austria-Hungary in the hours following the assassination until order was restored by the military. His name appeared in Serbian documents captured by Austria-Hungary during the war. Serbia was blamed and attacked by Joseph's armies. If you betray it, you and your family will be destroyed. The motorcade passed the first assassin, Mehmedbai. The first assassination attempt failed due to the quick reaction of the Austrian heir-apparent. After receiving a telegram of support from Russia, Serbia mobilized its army and responded to the letter by completely accepting point #8 demanding an end to the smuggling of weapons and punishment of the frontier officers who had assisted the assassins and completely accepting point #10 which demanded Serbia report the execution of the required measures as they were completed. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914 has been so manipulated and mythologised that it's time we spoke of a 'Sarajevo myth', argues historian Paul Miller-Melamed. "It could have been a regional war. The majority of the defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit high treason involving official circles in the Kingdom of Serbia. [107] Those in Austro-Hungarian custody were tried together with members of the infiltration route who had helped deliver them and their weapons to Sarajevo. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria provided the best opportunity for an increase of hostilities between the two sides, leading up to the onset of the war. In fact, throughout the trip, Austro-Hungarian officials allegedly focused more attention on dinner menus than security details. Pai's handwritten notes from the briefing (estimated by Dedijer to have taken place on 5 June) included the nickname of one of the assassins ("Trifko" Grabe) and also the name of Major Tankosi. [134] The examination of defendant Veljko ubrilovi (who helped coordinate the transport of the weapons and was a Narodna Odbrana agent) is illustrative of this effort. [174][175] It also demanded that Austro-Hungarian officials should take part in the Serbian inquiry into the assassination plot. [96] Pistol serial numbers 19074, 19075, 19120 and 19126 were supplied to the assassins; Princip used #19074. It was a huge, multi-ethnic empire located in the middle of Europe. Trump met with early primary state GOP leaders, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated 100 years ago Saturday, which was the event that triggered World War I, Photograph shows Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (1863-1914) with his children ca/ 1910-14, 100 years since Ferdinand's death sparked WWI, Ukraine says it's ready if Russia tries to invade again from Belarus. In 1917, all of the Sarajevo conspirators within Serbia's control were tried at Salonika on false charges, except Ciganovi, who even gave evidence against his comrades at the trial. This myth likely originated from the 2001 novel "Twelve Fingers", which presents a fictionalized version of the events of the assassination that includes the sandwich. He then asked: "No one else knew of it beyond Ciganovi and ourselves. The Archduke's friend Kaiser Wilhelm II was invited so that the Imperial Cabinet could consult him on foreign policy, but he declined to attend; although he publicly claimed it was due to a case of lumbago, Imperial Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg revealed that the real reason was security concerns. 1st Battalion, Irish Guards prepare to leave Wellington Barracks, Westminster, London, following the outbreak of the First World War, 6 August 1914. And now who could reprieve them? While in Sarajevo, the royal couple was targeted by a small band of Serbian nationalists, outraged by Austria's takeover of Bosnia-Herzegovina. This event was, however, simply the trigger that set off declarations of war. Popovi, in turn, provided them with a letter to Serbian Captain Prvanovi, and filled out a form with the names of three customs officials whose identities they could assume and thereby receive discounted train tickets for the ride to Loznica, a small border town. [168], In August 1914, The Independent described the assassination as a "deplorable but relatively insignificant" reason for which[170]. The immediate cause of the outbreak of the First World War was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, on 28 June 1914. Austria at that time had many nationalities, some of them agreeing with the composition and the attitude of the monarchy of Vienna especially, where everything was centralised. How did nationalism lead to problems with foreign relations? The first is specific, neatly pointing to a single eventthe assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. In 1924, J. Jovanovi went public stating that his warning had been made on his own initiative, and what he said was that "Among the Serb youths (in the army) there may be one who will put a ball-cartridge in his rifle or revolver in place of a blank cartridge and he may fire it, the bullet might strike the man giving provocation (Franz Ferdinand). After a fierce battle in the dark, the attackers captured General Laza Petrovi, head of the Palace Guard, and forced him to reveal the hiding place of King Alexander I Obrenovi and his wife Queen Draga. immersed in the myth, personally identifying himself with the Kosovo heroes, while it is known that Princip knew the entire Petar II Petrovi-Njego's The Mountain Wreath, one of the most celebrated works in the South Slavic literature that glorifies the heroic ideals and spirit of the Kosovo Myth. When 19-year old Gavrilo Princip fired two shots in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, killing the heir to the Austrian throne, he set in motion events that would change the course of history. The Spark: Assassination A. Updated on August 21, 2019. MacKenzie writes that "the royal corpses were then stripped and brutally sabred. [33], Danilo Ili was a Bosnian Serb. Serbia partially accepted, finessed, disingenuously answered or politely rejected elements of the preamble and enumerated demands #17 and #9. Just hours after narrowly escaping an assassin's bomb, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to Austro-Hungarian throne and his wife, the Duchess of Hohenberg, are killed by Gavrilo Princip. It also helped the Germans, determined to prevent the allies from overthrowing them. The 14th anniversary of their marriage fell on 28 June. The actual causes of the war are more complicated and are still debated by historians today. Princip, a Serbian nationalist enraged by the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Austro-Hungarian empire, had assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, presumptive heir to that empire's. "[149] On the eve of his execution, Malobabi told a priest: "They ordered me to go to Sarajevo when that assassination was to take place, and when everything was over, they ordered me to come back and fulfill other missions, and then there was the outbreak of the war. "[143] Jovanovi came back from the meeting with Bilinski and told Lejanin that "Bilinski showed no sign of attaching great importance to the total message and dismissed it limiting himself to remarking when saying goodbye and thanking him: 'Let us hope nothing does happen. Dan Carlin, host of the popular podcast, "Hardcore History," explains how the assassination of two people transformed the planet. Bosnia ceased to exist in Yugoslavia, and Bosnian Muslims were not recognised until 1968. "[38] During this January 1914 meeting, various possible Austro-Hungarian targets for assassination were discussed, including Franz Ferdinand. [65] Grabe joined his family in Pale. Find out what happened in between these momentous events in this World War I timeline. 418 Words 2 Pages Decent Essays Soon after their confessions, Serbia executed Malobabi, Vulovi, and Apis on false charges. Jesse Greenspan is a Bay Area-based freelance journalist who writes about history and the environment. Apis's confession to ordering the operation that begins with the phrase "As the Chief of the Intelligence Department of the General Staff",[41] the fact that the military chain of command was invoked, the moribund nature of the "Black Hand" and the fact that under the "Black Hand" constitution Article 16, such an assassination could only be ordered by a vote of the Supreme Council Directorate, the President or the Secretary, and no such order was made,[155] are factors in favor of assigning responsibility to Serbian Military Intelligence. [70], Ili began handing out the weapons on 27 June. You can look at the historical records and see how Austria-Hungary cared about issues like the rule of law. De Schelking writes: On 1 June 1914 (14 June new calendar), Emperor Nicholas had an interview with King Charles I of Roumania, at Constanza. Within minutes, though, both had passed away. He's likely the single most-successful assassin in history. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. And here we are today, 100 years later. The murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, is a major historical event that shocked the world. "[18], In May 1911, the Black Hand, a secret society dedicated to creating a Greater Serbia through "terrorist action", was established by key members of the Narodna Odbrana including Dimitrijevi and Tankosi. For once, Sophie was permitted to walk alongside Ferdinand during a brief troop inspection, after which the couple got in an open-topped car for a motorcade ride to city hall. In order to dissuade any other bomb throwers, the motorcade zipped down the Appel Quay at high speeds. The Legacy of Franz Ferdinand", This page was last edited on 23 January 2023, at 10:39. Grbi passed the terrorists and their weapons to the agents of the Serbian Narodna Odbrana for transport into Austro-Hungarian territory and from safe-house to safe-house. . [23] Governor Oskar Potiorek met the party at Sarajevo station. A Serbian nationalist group there was involved in the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, which directly triggered the outbreak of war. [30][31][32] abrinovi was deeply Through a complex web of alliances, Russia, France and Great Britain entered into war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Having received multiple warnings to cancel the trip, the archduke knew that danger potentially awaited them. The local military commander, General Michael von Appel, proposed that troops line the intended route but was told that this would offend the loyal citizenry. In July. This was in protest to Austria-Hungary having control of this region. 'The assassination of the Austrian archduke took place on the day of the German Derby. [62] The Austrians later captured the report, Pai's handwritten notes, and additional corroborating documents. "[81], Officials and members of the Archduke's party discussed what to do next. The circumstantial evidence against Ciganovi includes his sinecure government job, his protection by the Chief of Police and Serbia's failure to arrest him (Austria-Hungary demanded Serbia arrest Major Vojislav Tankosi and Ciganovi, but Serbia arrested only Tankosi and lied saying that Ciganovi could not be found), Serbia's protection of Ciganovi during the war, and the government's provision for Ciganovi after it. On June 28, 1914 Franz Ferdinand and his wife were in the third car of a motorcade traveling through Sarajevo to the Town Hall. Indeed, the building of a strong military presence becomes the overriding policy of the state, subordinating all other national interests. [48] The three assassins from Belgrade testified that Major Tankosi, directly and through Ciganovi, not only provided six hand grenades and four new Browning FN Model 1910 automatic pistols with .380 ACP ammunition,[47] but also money,[48] suicide pills,[49] training,[50] a special map with the location of gendarmes marked,[51] knowledge of contacts on a clandestine "tunnel" used to infiltrate agents and arms into Austria-Hungary,[52] and a small card authorizing the use of that tunnel. ', "Narodna Odbrana (The Black Hand): Terrorist Faction that Divided the World", "Kosovo Myths: Karadi, Njego, and the Transformation of Serb Memory", "Why 1914 but Not Before? The assassination set off a rapid chain of events, as Austria-Hungary immediately blamed the Serbian government for the attack. The "Black Hand" was a Serbian military society formed on 9 May 1911 by officers in the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia, originating in the conspiracy group that assassinated the Serbian royal couple in May 1903, led by captain Dragutin Dimitrijevi (Commonly referred to as "Apis").[153]. Further along the route, Ili had placed Nedeljko abrinovi on the opposite side of the street near the Miljacka River, arming him with a bomb. The car in front of them was supposed to carry six specially trained officers but instead had only one, plus three local policemen. Once at his mother's house, Ili hid the weapons in a suitcase under a sofa. The following day, anti-Serb demonstrations in Sarajevo became more violent and could be characterized as a pogrom. Even though most foreign royalty had planned to attend, they were pointedly disinvited and the funeral was just the immediate imperial family, with the dead couple's three children excluded from the few public ceremonies. The Archduke and his wife, Sophie the Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated by members of the Black Hand on July 28, 1914. Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from "I think theres this attitude a little bit that a terrorist attack caused all this, really it was a response to the terrorist attack that lead to everything after this," Carlin said. 5. The Serbian High Court reduced the number of death sentences to seven. [162] The defendants refused or were unable to provide details under examination. The spark that set off World War I came on June 28, 1914, when a young Serbian patriot shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire (Austria), in the city of Sarajevo. In response to the assassination of Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. His journey might give rise to incidents and demonstrations that Serbia would deprecate but that would have fatal repercussions on Austro-Serbian relations. "[80] Duchess Sophie then whispered into Franz Ferdinand's ear, and after a pause, Franz Ferdinand said to the mayor: "Now you may speak. At one point, Ciganovi told Grabe: "Nothing doing, the old Emperor is ill and the Heir Apparent [sic] will not go to Bosnia. The June 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by the Serbian Black Hand Group, caused Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia. As Sophie, although of high aristocratic birth, was not from a dynastic family, her union with the Habsburg heir presumptive could only be a morganatic marriage. [72], Security arrangements within Sarajevo were limited. [186][183] The 100th anniversary of the assassination was commemorated with a concert by the Vienna Philharmonic in the Sarajevo City Hall, in an event that was organized by the European Union. We were lucky all of us in our form to have a master who taught us modern history who, in all his lectures not with so many words but always implying that one day, under some pretext, the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy will go to war with Serbia, which of course led all of us immediately to realise that this shot most probably will mean war. [173] After conducting a criminal investigation, verifying that Germany would honor its military alliance, and persuading the skeptical Hungarian Count Istvn Tisza, Austria-Hungary issued a formal letter to the government of Serbia on 23 July 1914. [34] By 1913, Apis and his fellow military conspirators (drawn heavily from the ranks of the May 1903 coup) had come to dominate what was left of the Black Hand. Instead of being a "flashbulb event . The assassination took place in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, a province in the Balkans that had been annexed by Austria-Hungary. Meanwhile, seven Young Bosnians had fanned out along the Appel Quay, a main avenue in Sarajevo running parallel to the Miljacka River. [87] The imperial couple were dead by 11:30a.m on 28 June 1914;[101] Sophie was dead on arrival at the Governor's residence, and Franz Ferdinand died 10 minutes later. Then, that night, as Mehmedbai told Albertini: "On the eve of the outrage Ili introduced me to Princip in a Sarajevo caf with the words 'Mehmedbai who to-morrow is to be with us. The next day, Serbian reservists being transported on tramp steamers on the Danube crossed onto the Austro-Hungarian side of the river at Temes-Kubin and Austro-Hungarian soldiers fired into the air to warn them off. [29] Princip, abrinovi and other members of the Young Bosnia were inspired by the heroism of Milo Obili, reenacting the Kosovo Myth. Cabrinovic jumped into the mostly dry riverbed and made a half-hearted attempt to kill himself before being apprehended. While there, they attracted a crowd of onlookers, including Princip, but were apparently treated with warmth and politeness. Nobody thought it was going to come just then. The assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand played a key role in causing the war due to those involved. Nationalism was one of the main causes of World War I, which began in July of 1914, following the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand.In fact, historians consider it to be one of four main long-term causes of the war, along with: militarism, alliance systems and imperialism.Nationalism was a particularly important cause of World War I due to several key factors. [36] Amongst those summoned to the Toulouse meeting was Muhamed Mehmedbai, a Bosniak carpenter from Herzegovina. [4] The conspirators installed Peter I of the House of Karaorevi as the new king. 1914. OTTO VON HABSBURG: "The whole world order broke down. Ferdinand and Sophie departed their estate for Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 23. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand gave the hardliners in Austria-Hungary the opportunity to take action against Serbia and put an end to their fight for independence. Thinking the police might be after him, he threw his weapons (a dagger and a bottle of poison) in the lavatory. Miko Jovanovi hid the weapons in a large box of sugar. The next morning, abrinovi passed on the news to his fellow assassins that the assassination would be on 28 June.