Extra WWI Presentation 4 Innovations - Chapter 2

World War I: The Seminal Tragedy - II: 

    In this video we learned what political factions were involved in WWI. It started with the Archduke Franz Ferdinand visiting Serbia on a day of national pride. This is problematic for several reasons. First Serbia wanted independence, and the Archduke visiting Serbia in this time frame could be viewed as a huge insult to the Serbian people.

Picture One: Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Source: Archduke Ferdinand

The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand is what started the massive chain reaction of global treaties to be tested, and causing massive battle lines to be drawn. If Ferdinand had waited to go to Serbia, or even choose to leave after the first assassination attempt this whole war may have been avoided

Picture two: Gavrilo Princip

Source: Gavrilo Princip

This is the man who is responsible for the assassination of the Archduke. Garvrilo Princip was estimated not to be older than twenty years old at the time of assassination. Gavrilo was a nationalist who was trained in Serbia and a member of the Serbian Nationalist group the Black Hand. If Princip's cyanide capsule was effective, or he decided to not eat lunch at the cafe, after his first assassination attempt, the war may have been averted. 

Picture Three: The Black Hand

Source: The Black Hand Logo

The Black Hand is a Serbian Supremacy group whose members are credited for the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand when he visited Serbia during Serbia's day of national pride. Due to the extremist nature of this group Serbia did not claim any part in the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, which then promoted Austro-Hungarian troops to form on the border of Serbia which eventually sparked off one of the bloodiest wars we have ever seen.

Picture Four: Archduke Ferdinand's Car

Source: The Archduke's Car

The Archduke's driver played a pivotal roll in the assassination of the Archduke. The driver did not receive word that the convoy was going to head to the hospital, and the driver was a native Austro-Hungarian so he was very unfamiliar with the Serbian street layout, and ended up lost after trying to escort the Archduke to the hospital where the wounded from the first pipe bomb were recovering. The driver however became lost, and the engine stalled right out front of the same cafe that Gavrilo Princip was eating his meal after the failed assassination and suicide attempt. This gave Princip the time he needed to fire off two shots with his pistol which killed the Archduke and the Archduke's wife. If the driver was more well informed, and didn't get lost the bloody conflict of WWI could have been avoided.