Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Franz Ferdinand Karl Ludwig Josef of Austria, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este (Franz Ferdinand Karl Ludwig Josef; German: Erzherzog von Österreich-Este) (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was an archduke (like a prince) of Austria and, from 1896 to his death, was the heir apparent and was supposed to be the next emperor of Austria-Hungary. He was killed in the city Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip. That made Austria declare war against Serbia, which started the First World War.[1][2]
| Franz Ferdinand of Austria | |
|---|---|
| Archduke of Austria-Este, Prince Imperial of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia | |
 Franz Ferdinand in the 1890’s-1910’s ? | |
| Born | 18 December 1863 Graz, Austrian Empire |
| Died | 28 June 1914 (aged 50) Sarajevo, Austria-Hungary |
| Spouse | Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg |
| Issue | Princess Sophie of Hohenberg Maximilian, Duke of Hohenberg Prince Ernst of Hohenberg |
| Father | Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria |
| Mother | Maria Annunciata of the Two Sicilies |
On 28 June 1914, Franz Ferdinand went to Sarajevo in Bosnia for a trip. He was traveling to the Town Hall at 10pm with his wife, Sophie, in the third car of a motorcade in a roofless limousine. Franz Ferdinand had jokingly mentioned that he wouldn’t be surprised if there was a few bombs waiting for him on his trip. On his way to the Town Hall the first man to try to assassinate the Archduke, Grabez, was standing waiting for Ferdinand to try and shoot him but he froze and let the car pass. He went home afterwards and hid his gun and bomb but was later arrested.[3]
On the same route to the Town Hall a man, also from the Black Hand, called Cabrinovic threw a bomb at the car injuring lots of Ferdinand's staff but he failed to kill the Archduke himself so he tried to swallow cyanide and jump into the river Miljacka but failed to die and got arrested.[2] The Archduke was shocked but headed to the Town Hall anyway and did his speech whilst the paper was covered in the blood of his assistant who was injured in the bomb. After his speech he decided to go to the hospital to visit the 20 people injured in the bomb.[2] As the driver took a turn to head to the hospital Princip jumped out and shot Sophie in the abdomen who collapsed and died instantly then shot the Archduke in his neck and in his leg. He died on the way to the hospital. Ferdinand's last words were “Sophie! Sophie! Don’t die! For our children![3] Princip was sentenced to twenty years in prison, the maximum for his age, and was imprisoned at the Terezín fortress. The man who threw the bomb, Cabrinovic, was also sentenced to 20 years in prison.
| Preceded by Francis V |
Archduke of Austria-Este 1875-1914 |
Succeeded by Archduke Charles |
| Preceded by Francis V |
— TITULAR — Duke of Modena 1875-1914 |
Succeeded by Archduke Charles |
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Of Austria Media
Franz Ferdinand posing in front of a killed elephant, 1893
Archduke Franz Ferdinand with his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, and their three children (from left), Prince Ernst von Hohenberg, Princess Sophie, and Maximilian, Duke of Hohenberg, in 1910
As described by contemporary Spanish magazine El Mundo Gráfico: "The moment when the Austrian archdukes, following the first attempt against their lives, arrived at the City Council (of Sarajevo), where they were received by the mayor and the municipal corporation."
The 1910 Gräf & Stift Bois de Boulogne phaeton automobile in which Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated. It is now displayed in the Museum of Military History in Vienna
The Latin Bridge near the assassination site
Map of the federalization of Austria-Hungary planned by Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the member states with separate governments
Coat of Arms of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Imperial Monogram of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
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References
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The English Wikibooks has more information on: |
- ↑ Brook-Shepherd, Gordon (1987). Royal Sunset: The European Dynasties and the Great War. Doubleday. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-385-19849-3.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Johnson, Lonnie (1989). Introducing Austria: A Short History. Studies in Austrian Literature, Culture, and Thought. Ariadne Press. pp. 52–54. ISBN 0-929497-03-1.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Remak, Joachim (1959). Sarajevo: The Story of a Political Murder. Criterion. pp. 137–142. ASIN B001L4NB5U.
