The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand: A Catalyst for Catastrophe

The year was 1914, and tensions in Europe were simmering, setting the stage for one of the most pivotal events in modern history. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, marked the spark that ignited the powder keg of World War I. This fateful act, carried out by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb, sent shockwaves across the continent, triggering a cascade of events that would reshape the course of nations.