1. Archduke Ferdinand: A History
With a Rather Abrupt Ending
By Diego Sanchez &
Collin Hipps

2. The Archduke’s Life
He was born in Graz, Austria in 1863.
Ferdinand was third in line for the
throne of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire. Following the death of the
current Emperor’s son, and his own
father, he became the heir-apparent
to the throne. Considered a prideful
and mistrusting man, he was
unpopular due to policies he intended
to apply once he came into power.
The General Oskar Potiorek invited
Ferdinand, as Inspector-General of
the Army, to come and inspect Army
manouvres at Sarajevo, the provincial
capital of Bosnia in June of 1914.

3. The Assassination of the Archduke
The Archduke and his wife
arrived in Sarajevo on the
28 of June. While riding
their motorcade through
the streets, a Bosnian
member of a Serbian
terrorist group, Gavrilo
Princep, shot and killed
the Archduke and his
wife.

4. The Empire’s Response
Since the Archduke was not well-liked by his
people and the government, a response to his
death was three weeks in coming. The Serbian
government was accused of being involved with
the terrorist group responsible for the
assassination, the Black Hand. The Austro-
Hungarian Empire issued an ultimatum declaring
that Serbia was guilty of the event, and that they
must rid their country of propaganda against the
Empire, with the intention of declaring war
against Serbia.

5. The Chain Reaction
Austria-Hungary declared war on
Serbia, which caused Russia
to declare war on the Empire.
Austria and allied Germany
thus declare war on Russia.
France, bound to Russia by
treaty, found itself at war with
Germany and Austria. The
British Empire, allied to
France, declared war on
Germany. The United States,
who at first maintained
neutrality, declared war on
Germany, whose unrestricted
submarines threatened their
commercial shipping. Japan,
honoring an agreement with
Britain, also declared war on
Germany.