WORLD WAR I DOCUMENTS

Document 1: The Murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

as Witnessed by Borijove Jevtic

The spark which ignited Europes Powder Keg (the Balkan Peninsula) took place in the streets of Sarajevo in Bosnia on a sunny June morning in 1914. The victims, Archduke Franz Ferdinand - heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire- and his wife, Sophie, were in Sarajevo overseeing troop exercises while visiting City Hall. The nation of Bosnia, hostile to their occupation by the Austria-Hungarian Empire, longed to be free and join other Slavic peoples, including the newly independent nation of Serbia (which had just claimed independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1878). Slavic people throughout Europe even hoped at achieving one nation made up of all Slavic peoples (Russians, Serbs, Bosnians, Poles, etc) in a nationalist objective that became known as Pan-Slavism. A Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip, wanted to help that cause by taking out the future Austrian leader in an assassination that would lead to a regional conflict and then a Great War, later to be known as World War One.

A tiny clipping from a newspaper mailed without comment from a secret band of terrorists [known as the Black Hand] was the torch which set the world afire with war in 1914. That bit of paper wrecked old proud empires. It gave birth to new, free nations. I was one of the members of the terrorist band [and] I and my companions were regarded as desperate criminals. A price was on our heads. Today my little band is seen in a different light, as pioneer patriots. It is recognized that our secret plans hatched in an obscure caf in the capital of old Serbia, have led to the independence [which] set [us] free from Austrian domination. The little clipping was from the Srobobran, a Croatian journal of limited circulation, and consisted of a short telegram from Vienna, Austria. This telegram declared that the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand would visit Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, 28 June, to direct army maneuvers in the neighboring mountains.

How dared Franz Ferdinand, not only the representative of the oppressor but in his own person an arrogant tyrant, enter Sarajevo on that day? Such an entry was a studied insult. 28 June is a date engraved deeply in the heart of every Serb... It is the day on which the old Serbian kingdom was conquered by the Turks at the battle of Amselfelde in 1389. It is also the day on which in the second Balkan War the Serbian arms took glorious revenge on the Turk for his old victory and for the years of enslavement. That was no day for Franz Ferdinand, the new oppressor, to venture to the very doors of Serbia for a display of the force of arms which kept us beneath his heel. Our decision was taken almost immediately. Death to the tyrant! Then came the matter of arranging it. To make his death certain, twenty-two members of the organization were selected to carry out the sentencePrincip is destined to go down in Serbian history as one of her greatest heroes. From the moment Ferdinand's death was decided upon he took an active leadership in its planning The fateful morning dawned. Two hours before Franz Ferdinand arrived in Sarajevo, all the twenty-two conspirators were in their allotted positions, armed and ready. They were distributed 500 yards apart over the whole route along which the Archduke must travel from the railroad station to the town hall. When Franz Ferdinand and his retinue drove from the station they were allowed to pass the first two conspirators [because the] motor cars were driving too fast to make an attempt feasible, and in the crowd were our fellow Serbians: throwing a grenade would have killed many innocent people.

When the car passed Gabrinovic [one of the conspirators], he threw his grenade. It hit the side of the car, but Franz Ferdinand with presence of mind threw himself back and was uninjured. Several officers riding in his attendance were injured. The cars sped to the Town Hall and the rest of the conspirators did not interfere with them. After the reception in the Town Hall General Potiorek, the Austrian Commander, pleaded with Franz Ferdinand to leave the city, as it was seething with rebellion. The Archduke was persuaded to drive the shortest way out of the city and to go quickly.The roadwas shaped like the letter V, making a sharp turn at the bridge over the River Nilgacka. Franz Ferdinand's car could go fast enough until it reached this spot, but here it was forced to slow down for the turn. Here Princip had taken his stand. As the car came abreast he stepped forward from the curb, drew his automatic pistol from his coat and fired two shots. The first struck the wife of the Archduke, the Archduchess Sofia, in the abdomen. She was an expectant mother. She died instantly. The second bullet struck the Archduke close to the heart. He uttered only one word; 'Sofia' - a call to his stricken wife. Then his head fell back and he collapsed. He died almost instantly. The officers seized Princip. They beat him over the head with the flat of their swords. They knocked him down, they kicked him, scraped the skin from his neck with the edges of their swords, tortured him, all but killed him. Then he was taken to the Sarajevo [jail]. The next day he was transferred to the military prison and the round-up of his fellow conspirators proceeded, although he denied that he had worked with anyone. He was confronted with Gabrinovic, who had thrown the bomb. Princip denied he knew him. Others were brought in, but Princip denied the most obvious things. The next day they put chains on Princip's feet, which he wore till his death. His only sign of regret was [being sorry] he had killed the wife of the Archduke. He had aimed only at her husband and would have preferred that any other bullet should have struck General Potiorek. The Austrians arrested every known revolutionary in Sarajevo and among them, naturally, I was one. But they had no proof of my connection with the crime

[Source: The English translation, The Murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo, 28 June 1914 appeared in theNew York World, 29 June 1924. Reprinted in John Carey, ed.,Eyewitness to History(New York: Avon, 1987), 441443.]

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Document 2a: Telegram from Alexander, Prince Regent of Serbia

to Tsar Nicolas II of Russia ~ July 24th, 1914

After nearly a month of debate on what to do with Serbia about a Serbian nationalist murdering a member of the Austrian royal family, Austro-Hungarian diplomats issued an ultimatum to Serbia on July 23, 1914 that was actually designed to be rejected by Serbia. (Austria-Hungary actually wanted war. They hoped to quickly invade Serbia, who they felt would quickly surrender, and then include Serbia in their Empire). In the ultimatum, the Serbian government was asked to renounce all anti-Austrian propaganda, to arrest and punish any Serbian officials involved in the assassination, and even to allow Austro-Hungarian officials to enter Serbia to oversee the investigation within Serbia. In their reply to the ultimatum, sent on July 25, 1914, the Serbs promised to aid in any criminal investigation; but they would not agree to let Austro-Hungarian officials enter Serbia, because they suspected that Austria-Hungary would use the opportunity as an excuse to send an occupying army. The Austro-Hungarians, who insisted that the Serbs accept the entire ultimatum in full, took the Serb response as a complete rejection of the ultimatum and decided to go to war. Having strong cultural/religious ties with another Slavic nation Russia Prince Alexander of Serbia wrote to Russias Tsar Nicholas II in search of help. However, against the urgings of Germanys Kaiser Wilhelm, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914 (see their war declaration in the next document).

The Austro-Hungarian Government yesterday evening handed to the Serbian Government a note concerning [the Austrian Archdukes assassination at] Sarajevo.

Conscious of its international duties, Serbia from the first days of the horrible crime declared that she condemned it, and that she was ready to open an inquiry on her territory if the complicity of certain of her subjects were proved in the investigation begun by the Austro-Hungarian authorities.

However, the demands contained in the Austro-Hungarian note are unnecessarily humiliating for Serbia and incompatible with her dignity as an independent State.

Thus we are called upon in peremptory tones for a declaration of the Government in the "Official Journal," and an order [to] repress the spirit of hostility against Austria by admonishing ourselves for criminal weakness in regard to our deceitful actions.

Then we have to admit Austro-Hungarian officials into Serbia to participate with our own in the investigation and to oversee the execution of the other conditions indicated in the note.

We have received a time-limit of forty-eight hours to accept everything, in default of which the legation of Austria-Hungary will leave Belgrade. We are ready to accept the Austro-Hungarian conditions which are compatible with the position of an independent State as well as those whose acceptance shall be advised us by your Majesty.

All persons whose participation in the assassination plot shall be proved will be severely punished by us. Certain of these demands cannot be carried out without changes in our legislation, which require time. We have been given too short a limit. We can be attacked after the expiration of the time-limit by the Austro-Hungarian Army which is concentrating on our frontier.

It is impossible for us to defend ourselves, and we supplicate your Majesty to give us your aid as soon as possible. The highly prized