1. Political Motives: Franz Ferdinand was viewed as a threat to Serbian independence. As heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, he supported plans to expand Austria-Hungary's control over the Balkans, which included areas where many Serbs lived. Some Serbian nationalists saw his rise to power as a danger to their aspirations for an independent Serbia.
2. Nationalism and Pan-Slavism: Growing Slavic nationalist sentiments among some people in Serbia and the Balkans created tensions with the dominant Austro-Hungarian Empire. Pan-Slavism, an ideological movement promoting unity among Slavic peoples, was a significant influence on some of those involved in the assassination. They perceived Franz Ferdinand as representing the oppressive Austrian imperial power trying to suppress Slavic rights and identities.
3. Historical Background: Tensions between Serbia and Austria-Hungary had already led to the Bosnian Crisis of 1908-1909, when Austria-Hungary annexed the Ottoman provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, largely populated by Serbs. This action increased resentment and hostility towards Austria-Hungary among Serbian nationalists.
4. Involvement of Radical Movements: Radical nationalist organizations, such as the Black Hand (also known as the Black Hand Society or Union or Death), played a key role in planning and executing the assassination. Formed around 1901, the Black Hand's objective was to unite all Serb-inhabited regions, including those under Austro-Hungarian control, into a Greater Serbia.
5. Symbolic Timing: The assassination was carefully timed to occur on June 28, 1914—the 525th anniversary of the Serbian defeat at the Battle of Kosovo, a significant event in Serbian history that deepened anti-Austrian sentiments.