Herzegovina and her fervent nationalist elements had wanted to unite with
Serbia to create an independent state of Greater Serbia or ‘Yugoslavia’ and rid
herself of Austrian rule, so the Archduke was acutely aware of the dangers of
his visit, even being ordered to go there by his father, the old emperor Franz
Joseph. Knowledge of his visit allowed elements of the Serbian Military
Intelligence to organise an assassination attempt whose political objective was
to break off Austria-Hungary’s south-Slav provinces to form the new
‘Yugoslavia’. A number of young Bosnian Serb nationalists were chosen,
trained as assassins and provided with the necessary bombs, pistols,
safe-houses, and agents. While riding in the motorcade through the streets of
Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were shot by
Gavrilo Princip, just hours after surviving an earlier attempted assassination
by another member of the group of dissidents. Princip fired two shots at close
range. The first hit the Archduke in the jugular vein, the second inflicted an
abdominal wound on Sophie, and both victims were dying while being driven
to the Governor’s residence for treatment. Franz Ferdinand’s last words were
‘Sophie, Sophie! Don’t die! Live for our children!’ followed by six or seven
utterances of ‘It is nothing …’.
Subsequent to the assassination, the obligations embodied in the various
treaties fired off a chain reaction of declarations of war. Austria-Hungary,
declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914. Russia, bound by treaty to Serbia,
announced mobilisation of her army in her defence. Germany viewed the
Russian mobilisation as an act of war against Austria-Hungary, and declared
war on Russia on 01 August 1914. France, bound by treaty to Russia, found
itself at war against Germany and, by extension, against Austria-Hungary
following a German declaration against her on 03 August 1914. Germany
quickly executed her ‘Schlieffen Plan’ and invaded neutral Belgium on 04
August 1914 to reach Paris by the shortest possible route. Britain declared
war against Germany the same day—her reason being the ‘Treaty of London’.
Like France, she was by extension also at war with Austria-Hungary. With
Britain’s unexpected entry into the war, her colonies and dominions abroad
offered military and financial assistance. United States President Woodrow
Wilson however declared a policy of absolute neutrality. Japan, honouring her
military agreement with Britain, declared war on Germany on 23 August
1914. Two days later Austria-Hungary responded by declaring war on Japan.
Finally, Italy, although allied to both Germany and Austria-Hungary, was
able to avoid entering the fray by citing a clause in her secret treaty with
France whereby she evaded her obligations and declared instead a policy of
neutrality.
236
D. Sheppard
Serbia to create an independent state of Greater Serbia or ‘Yugoslavia’ and rid
herself of Austrian rule, so the Archduke was acutely aware of the dangers of
his visit, even being ordered to go there by his father, the old emperor Franz
Joseph. Knowledge of his visit allowed elements of the Serbian Military
Intelligence to organise an assassination attempt whose political objective was
to break off Austria-Hungary’s south-Slav provinces to form the new
‘Yugoslavia’. A number of young Bosnian Serb nationalists were chosen,
trained as assassins and provided with the necessary bombs, pistols,
safe-houses, and agents. While riding in the motorcade through the streets of
Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were shot by
Gavrilo Princip, just hours after surviving an earlier attempted assassination
by another member of the group of dissidents. Princip fired two shots at close
range. The first hit the Archduke in the jugular vein, the second inflicted an
abdominal wound on Sophie, and both victims were dying while being driven
to the Governor’s residence for treatment. Franz Ferdinand’s last words were
‘Sophie, Sophie! Don’t die! Live for our children!’ followed by six or seven
utterances of ‘It is nothing …’.
Subsequent to the assassination, the obligations embodied in the various
treaties fired off a chain reaction of declarations of war. Austria-Hungary,
declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914. Russia, bound by treaty to Serbia,
announced mobilisation of her army in her defence. Germany viewed the
Russian mobilisation as an act of war against Austria-Hungary, and declared
war on Russia on 01 August 1914. France, bound by treaty to Russia, found
itself at war against Germany and, by extension, against Austria-Hungary
following a German declaration against her on 03 August 1914. Germany
quickly executed her ‘Schlieffen Plan’ and invaded neutral Belgium on 04
August 1914 to reach Paris by the shortest possible route. Britain declared
war against Germany the same day—her reason being the ‘Treaty of London’.
Like France, she was by extension also at war with Austria-Hungary. With
Britain’s unexpected entry into the war, her colonies and dominions abroad
offered military and financial assistance. United States President Woodrow
Wilson however declared a policy of absolute neutrality. Japan, honouring her
military agreement with Britain, declared war on Germany on 23 August
1914. Two days later Austria-Hungary responded by declaring war on Japan.
Finally, Italy, although allied to both Germany and Austria-Hungary, was
able to avoid entering the fray by citing a clause in her secret treaty with
France whereby she evaded her obligations and declared instead a policy of
neutrality.
236
D. Sheppard