Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, by Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip, a member of the secret society "Black Hand," ignited a diplomatic crisis that plunged Europe into World War I.
The killing provoked fury across the Austro-Hungarian Empire, especially within its military and political leadership. Vienna quickly pinned responsibility on the Serbian government, asserting official complicity in the plot.
On July 23, 1914, Austria-Hungary delivered a harsh ultimatum to Serbia demanding: suppression of anti-Austrian propaganda, punishment of those involved, and permission for Austro-Hungarian officials to participate in the investigation on Serbian soil — a clause that violated Serbian sovereignty.
Serbia accepted most demands but refused the participation of foreign officers in its domestic inquiry. Deeming the reply insufficient, Austria-Hungary declared war on July 28, 1914, triggering the alliance system that drew in Russia, Germany, France, and Britain, marking the start of World War I.