GAVRILO PRINCIP

General Oskar Potiorek, Governor of the Austrian provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina had

invited Franz Ferdinand and Countess Sophie to watch his troops on manoeuvers.
Franz Ferdinand knew that the visit would be dangerous, knowing his uncle, Emperor
Franz Josef, had been the subject of an assassination attempt by the Black Hand in
1911.
Just before 10 o'clock on Sunday, the royal couple arrived in Sarajevo by train. In the
front car was Fehim uri, the Mayor of Sarajevo and Dr. Gerde, the city's
Commissioner of Police. Franz Ferdinand and Sophie were in the second car with Oskar
Potiorek and Count von Harrach. The car's top was rolled back in order to allow the
crowds a good view of its occupants.
The seven members of the group lined the route. They were spaced out along the
Appel Quay, each one with instructions to try to kill Franz Ferdinand when the royal
car reached his position. The first conspirator on the route to see the royal car was
Muhamed Mehmedbai. Standing by the Austro-Hungarian Bank, Mehmedbai lost
his nerve and allowed the car pass without taking action. Mehmedbai later said that
a policeman was standing behind him and feared he would be arrested before he had
a chance to throw his bomb.
At 10:15 A.M., when the six car procession passed the central police station, nineteenyear-old student Nedeljko abrinovi hurled a hand grenade at the archduke's car. The
driver accelerated when he saw the object flying towards him and the bomb exploded
under the wheel of the next car. Two of the occupants, Eric von Merizzi and Count
Boos-Waldeck were seriously wounded. About a dozen spectators were also hit by
bomb splinters.
After abrinovi's bomb missed the Archduke's car, five other conspirators, including
Princip, lost an opportunity to attack because of the heavy crowds and the high speed
of the Archduke's car. To avoid capture, abrinovi swallowed a cyanide pill and
jumped into the River Miljacka, but was hauled out and detained by police.
Franz Ferdinand later decided to go to the hospital and visit the victims of abrinovi's
failed bombing attempt. In order to avoid the city centre, General Oskar Potiorek
decided that the royal car should travel straight along the Appel Quay to the Sarajevo
Hospital. However, Potiorek forgot to inform the driver, Franz Urban, about this
decision. On the way to the hospital, Urban took a right turn into Gebet Street.
Princip had gone into Moritz Schiller's cafe for a sandwich, having apparently given up,
when he spotted Franz Ferdinand's car as it drove past, having taken the wrong turn.
After realizing the mistake, the driver put his foot on the brake, and began to back up.
In doing so the engine of the car stalled and the gears locked, giving Princip his shot.
Princip stepped forward, drew his pistol, and at a distance of about five feet, fired
twice into the car. Franz Ferdinand was hit in the neck and Sophie in the abdomen,
and they both died before 11am.