World War 1

Just before 10 o'clock on Sunday, the royal couple go to Sarajevo by train. The first car contained Fehim Curcic, the Mayor of Sarajevo and Dr. Gerde, the city's Commissioner of Police. In the second car were Franz Ferdinand and Sophie with Oskar Potiorek and Count von Harrach. The roof of the convertible was lowered with the intention that the crowds could get a good view of its dwellers.

The seven members of the Black Hand lined the route. They were spaced out along the Appel Quay, each one with orders to endeavour to assassinate Franz Ferdinand when the royal car got to his position. The first conspirator on the route to spot the royal car was Muhamed Mehmedbašic. Positioning himself by the Austro-Hungarian Bank, Mehmedbašic lost his nerve and allowed the car to go by devoid of taking action. Mehmedbašic shortly after said that a policeman was standing behind him and panicked as he would be detained before he had the opportunity to throw his bomb.

At 10:15 A.M., as the six car parade went by the central police station, nineteen year old Nedeljko Cabrinovic launched a hand grenade at the archduke's car. The driver of the car accelerated when he noticed the bomb coming towards the car and thus, narrowly missed the bomb. The bomb however had a 10 second delay and as a result, blew up underneath the wheel of the next car. Two of the occupants of the next car, Eric von Merizzi and Count Boos-Waldeck were fatally injured. Around a dozen spectators were also struck by small pieces of the bomb.

After Cabrinovic's bomb missed the Archduke's car, five other conspirators, including Princip, were so stunned at the explosion that they lost their opportunity to attack. The heavy crowds and the high speed of the Archduke's car were also reasons of the loss of opportunity. To shun capture, Cabrinovic swallowed a cyanide pill and jumped into the nearby river. The problem was, the cyanide was too old and only caused Cabrinovic to vomit and the river was only 3 inches deep. He was hauled out and detained by police.

Franz Ferdinand decided he ought to go to the hospital to visit the victims of Cabrinovic's futile bomb attempt. With the intention of avoiding the city centre (for fear of another assassination attempt) Oskar Potiorek thought that the car was to go down the Apple Quey to the Sarajevo Hospital. However, Oskar failed to remember to mention this to the driver. Franz Urban, the driver, turned right into Gebet Street. Meanwhile, Pricip had just come out of a café on Gebet Street. He noticed the car. Franz Urban, realizing his mistake hit the brakes and reversed the car causing its gears to lock and the car to stall. This was Pricip's chance. He stepped forward, drew out his pistol and fired several shots into the car. Sophie died instantly and Franz Ferdinand fainted 5 minutes later and then died. Princip later claimed that he intended one shot for General Oskar Potiorek, military governor of Bosnia, but the shot felled the duchess instead.

One month later, on July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary had found the reason it required to go into war. It held Serbia responsible for the conduct of Gavrilo Princip and declared war.

This incident was, conversely, merely the trigger that set off declarations of war. The real reasons of the war are more convoluted and are still questioned by historians today.

An alliance is a conformity made among two or more countries to give each other help if it is needed. When an alliance is signed, the countries become recognized as Allies.

A number of alliances had been signed by countries between the years 1879 and 1914. These were vital since they meant that several countries had no alternative but to proclaim war if one of their allies was in war. Here are list of alliances from 1879-1914.

1879-Germany and Austria-Hungary made an alliance to protect themselves from Russia

1881-Austria-Hungary made an alliance with Serbia to stop Russia gaining

control of Serbia

1882-Germany and Austria- Hungary made an alliance with Italy to stop Italy from taking sides with Russia

1894-Russia formed an alliance with France to protect herself against Germany and Austria-Hungary

1904-This was an agreement, but not a formal alliance, between France and Britain.

1907-This was an agreement between Britain and Russia

1907-This was made between Russia, France and Britain to counter the increasing threat from Germany.

1914-Britain, Russia and France agreed not to sign for peace separately.

The increasing European segregation had directed to an arms race amid the major countries. The armies of both France and Germany had more than doubled between 1870 and 1914 and there was vicious rivalry between Britain and Germany for mastery of the seas. The British had introduced the 'Dreadnought', an efficient battleship, in 1906. The Germans soon trailed along by introducing their own battleships. The Brits had a way in the navy battle where they would look at the next two powers in line, combine their forces and see if their forces were better than the combined force. Germany was increasing in naval power and so did the British. The German, Von Schlieffen also drew up a plan of action that involved attacking France through Belgium if Russia made an attack on Germany. The map on the right shows the plan.

An additional aspect which contributed to the enhancement in opposition in Europe was imperialism. Foreign markets were crucial for Great Britain, Germany and France subsequent to the increase in manufacturing caused by the Industrial Revolution. These countries struggled for economic development in Africa. Even though Britain and France sat on their disparities in Africa, numerous calamities prophesising the war implicated the conflict between Germany, Britain and France in North Africa. In the Middle East, the fragmenting Turkish Empire was tempting to Austria-Hungary, the Balkans and Russia.