WWI: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

It's early 20th century, and the great powers of Europe are on their toes. The struggle for power, and the fear of each other, leads to the creation of two large military alliances. In one alliance are Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy -- ... and in the other one: Russia, France, and Great Britain. A single spark at this time, and all of Europe is going to explode.

That spark is lit, in the Bosnian city Sarajevo, on the 28th of June, 1914. At this time, Austria-Hungary is a large country, that has grown by conquering large parts of central Europe. The people here speak many different languages, and have different cultures, and religions. Many feel that they are not allowed to live the life they want, with their own language or culture. Austria-Hungary is a brutal dictatorship, where people aren't allowed to vote, and where you'll be sent to prison if you speak your mind freely.

A lot of people want the country to be divided into several countries, giving each people their own freedom. Such thoughts are a threat to Austria-Hungary. Those in charge do all they can to stop ideas like that. One person, who wants to live in a country free from Austria-Hungarian rule is the Bosnian Gavrilo Princip. When he learns that the Archduke of Autria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand, is coming to visit Sarajevo in Bosnia, Gavrilo decides: He's going to kill the Archduke.

That, he believes, will take Bosnia closer to freedom. Gavrilo Princip is arrested, seconds after having shot dead Franz Ferdinand. But the story doesn't end there. Austria-Hungary decides to take a hard-line approach to anyone thinking along the same path as Gavrilo -- ... and to anyone who wants to free themselves from the empire.

Everyone is to be frightened into obedience. Eyes go south, to the Balkan peninsula, and the small country of Serbia. The reason for this is that Gavrilo Princip got his gun, and help in plotting the murder, from a Serbian group: the Black Hand. Austria-Hungary issues strict demands to Serbia, accepting nothing but total obedience. Anything but that will mean war!

The Serbs agree to almost everything, but they can't allow police from Austria-Hungary into the country to investigate the Black Hand. On the 28th of July, 1914, one month after the assassination of archduke Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary attacks Serbia. By this time, most of the trade that Russia is involved in, is through other countries around the Black Sea, and from there down into the Mediterranean Sea. If Austria-Hungary takes over the Balkans, then they would be able to stop Russian trade, and ruin the Russian economy. New conquests mean growing power in Austria-Hungary, and that threatens the balance of power between them and Russia.

The war in the Balkans, is now threatening the balance of power between the two military alliances in Europe. One of the alliances might become so powerful that the other alliance loses power. A war between Russia and Austria-Hungary, is thereby going to lead to a war with Austria-Hungary and Germany on one side, and Russia, France and Britain on the other. Was it then the bullets out of Gavrilo Princip's gun, that started World War I? Would millions of lives have been saved if he had not murdered Franz Ferdinand?

If so, one man single handedly changed the course of world history. Because if it were not for World War I, history and the world would have looked completely different. That would also mean that the world would have looked different if Gavrilo had been a less skilled shot. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand would not have started such a large war, if the countries of Europe had not already been so entangled in military alliances. But they were.

And for that reason, among others, many historians argue, the war would in all likelihood have broken out anyway, sooner or later, even if Gavrilo Princip had not been in Sarajevo that day with his gun.