Spotlight On

The Assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, was the first spark of World War 1. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, and his wife, had decided to inspect Austro-Hungarian troops in Bosnia. Sophie was pregnant at the time, with their fourth child. The killer was Gavrilo Princip. He was a member of the blcak hand, which was a secret society committed to ridding Bosnia of Austrian rule. The Black Hand Movement were planning an assassination of the Archduke and anyone who got in the way. Many men were positioned and ready. The first two men did not act. Then a grenade was thrown, but was not harmful. Then pricip fired his gun, murdering the two. This assassination was an act of terrorism, and the beginning of World War I.