Europe 1914: Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

Serbia's sudden expansion in the Balkan Wars increased tensions between it and Austria-Hungary, which had a significant Serb minority. On June 28, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by a Bosnian Serb terrorist while visiting Sarajevo. Austria-Hungary quickly seized upon the assassination as an excuse to crush Serbia. However, while Austria-Hungary was backed by Germany, Serbia was supported by Russia, which in turn was allied to France.

Main Events

29 Sep 1913 Treaty of Constantinople

The Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria signed the Treaty of Constantinople in the Ottoman capital of Constantinople, bringing an end to their conflict beginning in the Second Balkan War. By the terms of the treaty, Bulgaria acknowledged the Ottoman reconquest of Edirne and surrounding area, while the Ottomans agreed to cede Western Thrace and end their support of the provisional government there. in wikipedia

28 Jun 1914 Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

On 28 June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne was visiting Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, when the imperial entourage was disrupted by a bomb attack. Later that day Franz Ferdinand and his wife traveled to visit those injured by the blast, but were both shot and mortally wounded when their chaffeur unwittingly stopped in front of the assassin Gavrilo Princip—a 19-year-old Bosnian Serb revolutionary who wanted to unite Bosnia with Serbia in a Yugoslav state. As the conspiracy to kill the Archduke had been orchestrated by members of the Black Hand secret society—an organization linked to the Serbian Army—Austria-Hungary held Serbia responsible for the attack. in wikipedia