More than a hundred years have passed since him, but the Sarajevo bombing still hides many secrets. We present 5 facts that will surely surprise you. And not conspiracy theories at all!
I. Franz Ferdinand knew what awaited him
The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was well aware that the trip to the Balkans could be dangerous for him. In the past, there had been attempts to assassinate imperial officials and the Habsburgs themselves in Bosnia and Croatia, and now the situation was particularly tense.
Initially, Franz Ferdinand wanted to skip the visit to Sarajevo, but the military governor of Bosnia, General Oskar Potiorek, urged him not to do so. The clerk got his way, but the Archduke prepared to leave as if he was driven by much more than a hunch.
Did the assassination victim know what awaited her?
Even before leaving Austria, he took aside his trusted one, Janaczek. He gave him a golden watch as a gift (thanks for his faithful service?) And gave him the keys to his desk in the Belvedere Palace in Vienna, just in case. Moreover, he asked Janaczek to take care of his children, should the worst happen to him.
II. The Serbian government has had information about the planned coup for a long time
Long before the arrival of the archducal couple in Bosnia, the Serbian authorities knew about the imminent danger. Prime Minister Nikola Pašić had a report on his desk detailing the progress of the conspirators. Their names were known, and it was also known what they were armed with. The report showed that the bombers had been trained and supported by Serbian intelligence.
Pašić realizing that the attempted murder of the Archduke could be a perfect casus belli for Franz Joseph to attack a much weaker Serbia, he tried to warn Vienna gently. However, the person contacted through an intermediary did not forward the matter.
Nikola Pašić. Serbian Prime Minister who unsuccessfully tried to stop dominoes from leading to global conflagration.
III. Gavrilo Princip tried to kill the Archduke more than once
When on June 25, 1914, Franz Ferdinand and his wife Zofia went on a short trip around Sarajevo, they were greeted with flowers and waving flags. People were glad that the Archduke and his wife were visiting their city.
When the couple went to the famous local bazaar, they were not guarded by local policemen. Franciszek Ferdynand and Zofia strolled leisurely and did their shopping. Meanwhile, a concentrated young man lurked in the enthusiastic crowd. Serbian student Gavrilo Princip's fingers tightened on the cold pistol, but chose not to shoot the hated Habsburg.
He probably did not want to risk hurting the enthusiastically received Princess Sophia. Three days later he had no qualms left.
IV. There were two completed attacks
On the day of his death, the Archduke and his wife traveled through Sarajevo a second time, driving in an open car and waving to the crowds. They did not know that a total of seven Black Hand assassins had deployed along the route. Some of them did not have the opportunity to shoot, some did not dare. Nedeljko Čabrinović attacked.
He took a grenade out of his pocket, struck a primer on the lantern and threw it at Franz Ferdinand. The driver saw a smoking object flying towards the car and accelerated to escape. The grenade bounced off the vehicle and exploded in the street, injuring twenty onlookers and several entourage.
This time, the Archduke was fine. And Čabrinović? He swallowed a cyanide capsule and screamed I'm a Serbian hero! The cyanide didn't work, the bomber was arrested.
V. The Archduke was killed by a self-righteous official
Franz Ferdinand now absolutely wanted to return to Vienna. Hearing about this, the aforementioned general Potiorek was terribly indignant. In his opinion, it was absolutely out of the question. He believed that refusing to visit and eat dinner at his official residence would undermine his authority in the eyes of the townspeople. He was not going to let that happen. He grilled the Archduke until he succumbed for the sake of peace.
Oskar Potiorek. It was because of him that the Archduke died!
The next day, after the first attempted assassination, Franz Ferdinand told the general: I knew something like this would happen . After the next points on the agenda, the Archduke wanted to visit the officer who had been wounded in the blast in the hospital.
Despite the attempt on the life of the heir to the throne, Potiorek refused to surround the city with soldiers and assured that Habsburg was safe. In addition, he lied, saying that the shortest way to the hospital leads exactly the same route that the dignitaries had come. The caravan started its way back through the crowded streets.
When Gavrilo Princip recognized the Archduke, he could not believe his luck. This time he didn't hesitate anymore.
Source:
Trivia is the essence of our website. Short materials devoted to interesting anecdotes, surprising details from the past, strange news from the old press. Reading that will take you no more than 3 minutes, based on single sources. This particular material is based on:
- Greg King, Sue Woolmans, Kill the Archduke, Literanova 2014 sign.