On 28th June, 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip. The assassination would trigger a chain of events, eventually impacting billions of lives, the effects of which are still being felt today. Often seen as the proximate cause of World War I, which pit the Allies against the Central Powers, the assassination would would trigger one of the deadliest global conflicts known to humanity. World War 1’s impact would be far-reaching, with the Treaty of Versailles arguably catalysing the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany, followed by the decades-long Cold War after the end of World War 2. Today, global conflicts, territorial boundaries, perceptions of national identity and countless other issues can be traced back to Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination. And it took place on a small road in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This side street, shown in the image above, was taken by error by Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s driver. Attempting to put the car in reverse, the driver stalled the vehicle, at which point Gavrilo Princip, who happened to be right next to the car, shot the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian Empire at point blank range. Princip then tried to shoot himself but was immediately mobbed by a crowd and arrested.
