Why was Franz Ferdinand assassinated?

Question

History: WW1.

Answer 1

Main article: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

1911 Graf und Stift Rois De Blougne tourer in which the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was riding at the time of his assassination.On June 28, 1914, at approximately 11:00 am, Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed in Sarajevo, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian province of Bosnia and Herzegovina, by Gavrilo Princip, a member of Young Bosnia and one of several (seven) assassins organized by The Black Hand (Crna Ruka). The event, known as the Assassination in Sarajevo, was the trigger of World War I. Franz and Sophie had previously been attacked when a bomb was thrown at their car. It missed them, but many civilians were injured. Franz Ferdinand and Sophie both insisted on going to see all those injured at the hospital. As a result of this, Princip saw them and shot Sophie, who died instantly. Franz Ferdinand was shot in the jugular and took a few minutes to die. The assassinations, along with the arms race, nationalism and the alliance system all contributed to the beginning of World War I, which began less than two months after Franz Ferdinand's death, with Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia.

Franz Ferdinand is interred with his wife Sophie in Artstetten Castle, Austria.

A detailed account of the shooting can be found in 'Sarajevo' by Joachim Remak (Wiedenfeld & Nicolson, 1959) (pp137 - 142)

...one bullet pierced Franz Ferdinand's neck while the other pierced Sophie's abdomen.....As the car was reversing (to go back to the Governor's residence because the entourage thought the Imperial couple were unhurt) a thin streak of blood shot from the Archduke's mouth onto Count Harrach's right cheek (he was standing on the car's running board). Harrach drew out a handkerchief to still the gushing blood. The Duchess, seeing this, called: "For Heaven's sake! What happened to you?" and sank from her seat, her face falling between her husband's knees. Harrach and Potoriek...thought she had fainted...only her husband seemed to have an instinct for what was happening. Turning to his wife despite the bullet in his neck, Franz Ferdinand pleaded: " Sopherl! Sopherl! Sterbe nicht! Bleibe am Leben fur unsere Kinder! - Sophie dear! Don't die! Stay alive for our children!" Having said this,he seemed to sag down himself. His plumed hat...fell off; many of its green feathers were found all over the car floor. Count Harrach seized the Archduke by the uniform collar to hold him up. He asked "Leiden Eure Kaiserliche Hoheit sehr? - Is Your Imperial Highness suffering very badly?" "Es ist nichts - It is nothing" said the Archduke in a weak but audible voice. He seemed to be losing consciousness, but, his voice growing steadily weaker, he repeated the phrase perhaps six or seven times more. A rattle began to issue from his throat, which subsided as the car drew in front of the Konak (Town Hall). (Despite several doctors' efforts, the Archduke died shortly after being carried into the building while his beloved wife was almost certainly dead from internal bleeding before the motorcade reached the Konak.) - Les Gillard

Answer 2

The assassins were member of a secret society "The Black Hand" organized after the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to combat the threat Austria posed to Serbian nationalism. They must have felt the assassination would further their cause, or maybe they were just crazies.

Answer 3

Poorly! It was a sheer fluke the driver made a wrong turn!

Also sadly. Considering the way he wanted to improve the Austrain Hungarain Empire, increase the freedoms of the subject people etc, etc.

Answer 4

To pull the cotter pin out of the flaky political agreements worldwide in order to initiate a world war and fatten munitions manufacturers ( and others ) pockets.

Answer 5

He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Answer 6

you mean they stopped making records already !!
oh no
they were a really good band

Answer 7

he was too stupid for riding in a car in public in occupied territory.
he made himself a target. easy as that.