murder_in_sarajevo

1. Franz Ferdinand of Austria was killed in the Bosnian capital MURDER IN SARAJEVOThe killer, a Serb student, was immediately seized A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

2. You are an English newspaper reporter who has been sent to cover Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s tour of Bosnia-Herzegovina. There is a rumor that the Black Hand group is planning to protest about the way the Austrian-Hungarian Empire is ruling Bosnia-Herzegovina. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

3. If you prefer, you can be a TV reporter who is time-travelling into the past. You can work with a partner. To ensure that your article is historically accurate, make sure you only include information in your report that would have been available on 28th June, 1914. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

4. Below there is a possible outline for your newspaper report, which is adapted from Britain at War by Craig Mair, 1982. You can also read the Memoir of Count Franz von Harrach, who was in Archduke’s car when he was killed. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

5. “Bosnia and Herzegovina were provinces just south of Austria which were governed by the Turks until 1878. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

6. The Treaty of Berlin (1878) gave Austria the power to administer the two provinces indefinitely. On October 6, 1908 Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina directly into the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

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8. Bosnia was populated primarily by three groups: Croats (Roman Catholic), Serbs (Serb-orthodox) and Muslims. There is no ethnic group: Bosnians. Many Bosnian-Serbs felt a nationalistic desire to have their province joined with that of their Serb brothers across the river in Serbia. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

9. Many in Serbia openly shared that desire. A secret society, called the Black Hand, organized anti-Austrian propaganda, sabotage, espionage and political murders. When it was learned that the Heir to the Austrian throne was scheduled to visit Sarajevo, the Black Hand decided to kill him. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

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11. Sunday 28 June 1914 was a bright and sunny day in Sarajevo. The city was preparing for the royal visit. Crowds lined the streets and waited for the procession of cars to appear. Hidden among the crowds were six teenager terrorists sworn to kill the Archduke. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

12. They hated him and Austria. They had bombs, pistols and phials of poison which they had promised to swallow if they were caught. They were stationed at intervals along the riverside route which the cars follow on their way to Town Hall. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

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14. The Archduke had been warned that the city was full of Bosnian-Serb nationalists, but he had received so many threats in the past that he ignored them. At 10.15 the cars passed Mehmedbasic, the first in line of the waiting killers. He took fright, did nothing, and then escaped. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

15. Nearby, the next assassin, a schoolboy called Cabrincvic, also lost his nerve and did nothing. But then as the cars passed the Cumurja Bridge, Cabrincvic threw his bomb, swallowed his poison, and jumped into the river. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

16. The Archduke saw the bomb coming and threw it off his car, but it exploded under the car behind, injuring several people. Now there was total confusion as the procession accelerated away. The Archduke was driven to the City Hall, where he demanded to visit the bomb victims. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

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18. Fearing more terrorists, the officials decided to take a new route to avoid the crowds. Meanwhile the other assassins, on hearing the bomb explode, assumed the Archduke was dead and left - all except Princip, who soon discovered the truth. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

19. Miserably he wandered across the street towards Schiller’s delicatessen and café. Princip was standing outside the café when, at 10.45, the Archduke’s car suddenly appeared beside him and turned into Franz Josef Street. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

20. This was a mistake, for according to the new plan the procession should have continued straight along the Appel Quay. As the driver realized he had taken a wrong turn he stopped and started to reverse. Princip could hardly believe his luck. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

21. Pulling an automatic pistol from the right hand-pocket of his coat, he fired two shots at a range of just 3 or 4 meters. He could not miss. One bullet pierced the Archduke’s neck and the other ricocheted off the car into Sophie’s stomach. Princip was immediately seized. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

22. He managed to swallow his poison, but it did not work and he was taken off to prison. All the plotters except Mehedbasic were caught but only the organizer, Ilic, was hanged, for the others were too young for the death penalty. Princip died in an Austrian jail in April 1918”. A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine

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24. When you have finished your work, read a real report on the assassination of Franz Ferdinand published on 29th June 1914. In what ways is your article different? A.Rotolo I.T.I. Malignani - Udine