All language subtitles for infamous_assassinations_s01e25_archduke_franz_ferdinand

June the 28th, 1914, Sarajevo, Bosnia.

An open touring car takes a wrong
turning. Its driver tries to reverse in

narrow road.

What happens in the next few seconds
will cause the deaths of millions of

people.

Suddenly, a young man steps forward,
raises a pistol, and fires two shots.

His target is the heir to one of
Europe's oldest empires.

But how could a terrorist attempt by an
obscure student in a hot and dusty

Balkan town plunge the world into the
deadliest war yet known?

June 28, 1914, Sarajevo.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand is next in line
to become Emperor of Austria -Hungary.

But when he and his wife Sophie are
attacked by a Serbian nationalist, most

people think that, although an outrage,
it is just another incident in a

notoriously unstable part of the world,
the Balkans.

The region has been in turmoil for
years. War and political mayhem seem

No one expects a localized event to lead
all the world's great powers into a

conflict which will fundamentally change
history.

Rarely has an assassination attempt had
such swift, unforeseen, and dreadful

consequences. Why?

At the beginning of the 20th century,
the world is dominated by great empires.

And in Europe, these have formed into
two competing and increasingly hostile

power blocks.

Austria -Hungary and Germany against
Russia, France and Britain.

It is the accelerating collapse of the
oldest empire of all, coupled with this

rivalry, which turns an obscure
terrorist incident into the spark which

a world war.

At its zenith in 1699, the Turkish
Ottoman Empire dominates not only North

Africa and the Middle East, but the
Balkans to within 50 miles of Vienna and

much of modern Hungary.

But by the middle of the 19th century,
its control of the Balkans is

Greece achieves its freedom in 1829.

And in 1878, following a war between
Russia and the Turks, Montenegro,

Romania and Bulgaria are given their
independence.

At the same time, the province of Bosnia
is placed under Austro -Hungarian

control, although it remains
theoretically part of the Ottoman

This is resented by a large Serbian
flower of minority in Bosnia, and the

Serbian government is determined to
annex it and achieve a greater Serbia.

July 24, 1908, Constantinople.

Matters become worse when revolutionary
officers, the young Turks, lead a coup

against the aged and corrupt Sultan.

The Austro -Hungarian government takes
advantage of the chaos to annex Bosnia

into the Habsburg Empire.

Serbia immediately appeals to Russia for
support to prevent this, but receives

little encouragement.

The Russian Empire is still recovering
after its humiliating defeat by Japan in

1905.

And an announcement by Helmut von
Moltke.

the German chief of staff, that if
Russia mobilizes, Germany will support

ally, Austria -Hungary, means that the
Tsar's government dare not risk another

military confrontation.

But the incident does make the Russians
determine that never again will their

fellow Slavs be humiliated in the
Balkans.

And it also encourages extreme Serbian
nationalists in Bosnia to take matters

into their own hands.

In 1911, a Serbian army officer, Colonel
Dragutin Dimitrijevic, sets up a secret

society named the Black Hand, dedicated
to bringing all territories,

particularly Bosnia, which have large
Serb minorities, under Serb control.

Dimitrijevic gives himself the codename
Aps, the B.

Apis has already shown his ruthlessness
and determination to undermine the

Habsburg Empire.

In 1903, he organizes the assassination
of the pro -Austrian ruler of Serbia,

King Alexander I.

And in 1911, his new organization makes
an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate

the Emperor Franz Josef of Austria
-Hungary.

Thus, tensions are running high in the
Balkans when further unrest breaks out.

September 12, 1912, the Balkans.

Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Greece
ally to attack the remaining Ottoman

territories.

Among the young men desperate to fight
the Turks is a Bosnian Serb named

Princip.

Born in 1894, He is expelled from school
for protest demonstrations against

Austrian rule and goes to study in
Belgrade, capital of Serbia.

Now an ardent nationalist, he tries to
join the Serbian guerrilla forces under

Serbian Major Vojislav Tankovic, but is
turned down as being medically unfit,

suspected of having tuberculosis.

Within a few months, the Balkan League
has driven the Turks out of Europe,

except for the Dardanelles and a
foothold around Constantinople.

But equally swiftly after this victory,
the victors start squabbling.

Bulgaria attempts to increase the size
of its territory by annexing much of

Macedonia.

The Serbs and Greeks resist this.

After a second Balkan war, The area is
partitioned, and Serbia almost doubles

its size.

This time Germany refuses to support
Austro -Hungarian objections to the

enlargement of Serbia.

Thus Serbian confidence is running high,
and it is Austria -Hungary which seems

humiliated.

For Apis, it is an ideal moment to
strike further blows for Serb

In January 1914, he organizes another
unsuccessful assassination attempt to

General Oskar Potiorek, the governor of
Bosnia.

And when in April sympathizers in Zagreb
send him a newspaper report that the

heir to the Austro -Hungarian throne
will be visiting the Bosnian capital

Sarajevo on June 28, after military
maneuvers, the opportunity seems too

miss.

December 18, 1863, Vienna.

The Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who now
becomes the main target of the Black

is born the nephew of the Austro
-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef.

He is fascinated by soldiering and joins
the army in 1883.

But his life changes dramatically in
1889 when his cousin, Crown Prince

dies in mysterious circumstances from
gunshot wounds.

Possibly suicide, possibly murder. At
his hunting lodge at Merling with his

mistress, Maria Vecera.

The emperor's heir is now Franz
Ferdinand's father, the Archduke Karl

And when he dies in 1896, Franz
Ferdinand takes his place.

But he has a secret, which soon causes
problems.

A year earlier, the Archduke had fallen
in love with an aristocratic but not

royal lady -in -waiting, Countess Sophie
Ciotek.

In the snobbish imperial court, she's
not considered to be of a suitable rank

for the heir to the throne, and a crisis
looms.

But finally, in 1899, the emperor Franz
Joseph gives in and allows them to get

married.

But he imposes a number of humiliating
conditions on the archduke. Sophie can

never become empress, only the imperial
consort, ranking below all other

archduchesses.

Their children will not be allowed to
succeed to the throne.

And unlike this occasion at a royal
wedding, Sophie will not be allowed to

appear next to him when he is acting in
an imperial capacity.

Despite the snubs, the couple are
idyllically happy and have three

girl and two boys.

Franz Ferdinand proves an excellent
officer.

He becomes Inspector General of the
Austro -Hungarian Army through his

not just because of his rank.

The empire which Franz Ferdinand will
inherit is a sprawling collection of 11

different nationalities. The main ethnic
groups are Austrians, Hungarians and

Poles. But the empire also includes
Italians, Slovenes, Croats and a variety

other Balkan peoples.

For almost 400 years the Habsburgs have
held this increasingly ramshackle

patchwork together.

But now they face growing demands for
independence.

Franz Ferdinand is convinced that the
way to preserve his inheritance is to

allow further decentralization.

And this brings him into conflict with
the 84 -year -old emperor and the many

conservatives at his court.

But it also makes Franz Ferdinand the
particular target of a much more

opponent, the Black Hand.

Apis is concerned that if the reforms
proposed by the Archduke can stabilize

Austro -Hungarian Empire, the chances of
detaching Bosnia and incorporating it

into Serbia will be greatly reduced.

This fear increases his determination to
eliminate Franz Ferdinand, and the news

that the Archduke will be attending the
main army maneuvers for summer 1914,

which are due to be held near to
Sarajevo in Bosnia, seems an ideal

The trip to Sarajevo also has a special
significance for Franz Ferdinand.

The maneuvers will coincide with the
Archduke's wedding anniversary, June the

28th. So he decides to take his wife.
For once she can be treated as his

since he will be on army, not imperial
business.

The Archduke is well aware that there
are many in Bosnia who resent being part

of the Habsburg Empire, but he's
confident that they will not cause

He would be less sanguine had he known
how seriously Dimitrievich is now

plotting.

Immediately upon receiving the news,
Apis instructs his aide, the former

guerrilla leader Major Tankovich, to
recruit suitable killers.

and Tankovic knows just the men for the
job.

In a coffee shop in Belgrade, he
contacts Gavrilo Princip, and through

other ardent young nationalist Bosnian
serfs,

Nedioko Kabrinovic and Trivko Grabic.

The three young assassins are trained in
the use of firearms and explosives, and

then smuggled back into Bosnia.

There, four more young men are
recruited.

Danilo Ilic, Vazo Kubrilovic, Zvietko
Popovic, and Mohamed Mehmet

Dasic.

In early June, Nikola Pasic, the Prime
Minister of Serbia, hears rumors of the

plot to murder the Archduke. He sends a
warning via the Serbian ambassador in

Vienna.

But when the ambassador delivers the
warning to his closest contact in the

Austro -Hungarian government, the
urgency is not understood, and the

passed on to the Archduke or his
security chiefs.

June 21, 1914, Sarajevo, Bosnia.

The Austro -Hungarian army begins a week
of summer maneuvers.

Among the senior officers observing the
action, is the Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

The maneuvers go well, and at their end,
the mayor of Sarajevo arranges a

reception for the imperial couple.

Since Franz Ferdinand will be going in
his military role, it is agreed that his

wife can accompany him.

June 28, 1914.

At 10 in the morning, Franz Ferdinand
and Sophie leave the military camp near

Sarajevo, where they have been staying,
and head to the reception at the city

hall.

They are in the second car of a six -car
convoy, accompanied by the governor of

Bosnia, General Oskar Potiorek.

There are crowds along the route into
Sarajevo, and the tops of the cars have

been put down.

Although many thousands of troops are
available just outside the city, the

Archduke has specifically asked that
they are not used to line the street.

His security will be left up to the
local police force.

It is a misplaced sign of confidence in
the loyalty of his future subjects, one

which condemns both him and his wife to
death.

June 28, 1914, Sarajevo.

At about ten past ten in the morning,
four of the assassins are waiting with

bombs. They are on the Apel Key, just
before the Kumyurja Bridge over the

Milyatska.

As the Archduke's convoy approaches, the
first of them, Mohamed Mehmed Basit,

panics and fails to throw his bomb.

A few seconds later, the second,
Nedjelko Kabrinovic, throws his.

It bounces off the folded roof of the
Archduke's car and explodes behind it,

injuring about a dozen people.

The following car is damaged, and
General Potiorek's adjutant is cut on

head.

Hearing the explosion, the Archduke's
driver attempts to accelerate away, but

the car stalls.

He restarts it, and the convoy races
towards the city hall, moving too fast

any of the other assassins to be able to
act.

Gabrinovich attempts to escape by
jumping into the river, but it is only a

inches deep, and he is hauled out and
arrested.

Within five minutes, the Archduke and
his wife reach the city hall.

Franz Ferdinand complains, I come on a
friendly visit and someone throws a bomb

at me.

He then listens to the mayor's speech of
welcome and replies graciously.

While this is going on, the other
assassins remain in the crowds along the

Quay, not quite sure what to do.

Gavrilo Princip is hungry.

and decides that he will not get a
second chance.

He goes across to Moritz Schiller's food
store, which is on the corner of the

Arpo Quay and Franz Josef Street.

After about an hour at the reception in
the city hall, the Archduke and his wife

leave. He decides to go back via the
hospital, to which the wounded have been

taken.

The original route for the car was to
turn off at the Latina Bridge onto Franz

Josef Street.

which runs one block back.

However, General Potiorek then decides
to go by the quickest route, straight

back along the Appel Quay.

Unfortunately, because his adjutant is
injured, no one else thinks to tell the

drivers.

At 11 .15 the Archduke's car turns off
at Franz Josef Street.

The driver is told to stop and reverse,
because he's going the wrong way.

By an extraordinary coincidence, the car
attempts to manoeuvre just beside

Princip, who is standing on the
pavement, eating a sandwich.

He cannot believe his luck.

Drops the sandwich, pulls out his gun,
and shoots twice.

At first, the royal couple do not seem
to be injured, so General Potiorek tells

the driver to head for the governor's
residence.

As the car moves off, Sophie collapses,
shot in the abdomen.

Then blood starts pouring down the
Archduke's chest from a wound in his

which has cut his jugular.

He, too, loses consciousness.

Princip turns his gun on himself, but it
is knocked away.

The police manage to hustle him away
from a hostile crowd.

Within a few minutes, the car reaches
the governor's residence, but Sophie is

already dead.

and the Archduke dies shortly
afterwards.

Princip and Kabrinovic say little under
interrogation, but then Danilo Ilic is

brought in because Princip had been
staying at his house.

He loses his nerve and gives the police
the names of the other four assassins.

By July 5th, they are all in custody,
except Mehmet Basich, who gets away to

Montenegro.

All the prisoners are found guilty, but
most are under 20 and thus cannot be

executed. Princip and Kubrinowicz are
sentenced to 20 years.

Only Danilo Ilic, who had betrayed his
comrades, is hanged since he is 23.

Franz Ferdinand and Sophie are taken
back to Austria and buried in his castle

Arstetten.

An investigation by an Austrian police
commissioner finds no evidence of direct

Serbian involvement in any plot.

But this does not lessen the
determination of some Austrian

particular the foreign minister Count
Bertholdt and the army chief of staff,

Konrad von Herzendorf, to punish Serbia.

July 5, 1914, Berlin.

The Austro -Hungarian ambassador is
assured by the Kaiser that Germany

its full support and will come to the
aid of Austria -Hungary should the

Russians attack.

This blank check is confirmed by the
German Chancellor, Bettmann -Holweg, the

next day.

Sure of the backing of their powerful
ally, Bechtolt and von Herzendorf now

argue for an ultimatum to Serbia.

which will be so extreme that it will be
rejected out of hand, thus providing an

excuse for war.

They are initially opposed by the Prime
Minister of Hungary, Count Stefan Tisza,

but he is gradually worn down.

July 23, 1914, Vienna.

An ultimatum is sent to Serbia.

Berchtolt includes conditions which he
is sure the Serbian government could

never accept and gives it just 48 hours
in which to reply.

It does so with five minutes to spare
and accepts all the conditions but one,

that Austro -Hungarian officials should
be allowed into Serbia to conduct an

investigation.

This is enough for the Austro -Hungarian
government to break off diplomatic

relations.

July 28, 1914.

Austro -Hungary declares war on Serbia
and its forces begin to advance into the

country.

Faithful to its ally, Germany warns
Russia that any form of mobilization in

support of Serbia will be countered by
German mobilization and war.

But the Russians are not prepared to be
humiliated again.

July 30, 1914, Belgrade.

As Austro -Hungarian guns begin to
bombard the Serbian capital, Russia

to support its fellow Slavs.

Now the rival power blocks in Europe
come into play with deadly effect.

As they had warned, the Germans also
start to mobilize.

But terrified of having to fight a war
on two fronts, with Russia's ally France

attacking them from the other side, they
are locked into a war plan which

demands that they knock out France
first.

August 1st, 1914, Berlin.

Germany declares war on Russia and asks
the French if they will remain neutral.

The French reply that they will consult
their interests.

and begin to mobilize.

August 3rd, Germany declares war on
France and attacks through Belgium.

August 4th, Britain and Belgium declare
war on Germany.

In just a week, a seemingly local
incident has become a world war.

Before it ends in 1918, more than 20
million people would have been killed.

But ironically, Gavrilo Princip, the
assassin who started it all, dies in

obscurity of tuberculosis in a prison
hospital in 1918.

Never before or since has such an
insignificant event led to the deaths of

many innocent people.