FRANCIS FERDINAND, Austrian Archduke and heir to the throne, whose assassination was the pretext for the World War. He was the nephew of the Emperor, Franz Joseph, and was born in Gratz, in 1863. His father, the Arch duke, Charles Louis, having renounced his right to the throne, after the death of the Crown Prince, Rudolph, in 1889, Francis Ferdinand, became the heir. Having finished his education, he took up an army career, then went through the usual experience in administrative affairs, customary among members of the imperial family. In so far as he made his influence felt in the policies of the Government, he was a strong reac tionary, being in favor of a "strong" foreign policy; in other words, he was in close sympathy with the elements which stood for the "ironing out" of the Slavic nationalities within the Empire and the gradual expansion of its terri tories at the expense of the Balkan na tions, especially Serbia. In 1900 he con tracted a morganatic marriage with the daughter of a Bohemian nobleman, the Countess Sophie Chotek, later created the Duchess of Hohenberg.
The chief claim to a place in history of Francis Ferdinand, however, will ever be based on his death. In the middle of June, 1914, the Archduke had gone to Bosnia on his first visit, since that territory had been annexed to the Empire, in 1908, to take charge of mili tary maneuvers there. Before his de parture he was warned by the Serbian Minister in Vienna that there was dan ger of a popular demonstration being made against him by the Serbian popu lation of the annexed province.
On arriving in Sarajevo, June 28, 1914, the Archduke, his wife and their party proceeded from the railroad sta tion to the town hall, where the provin cial authorities were gathered to receive them. On the way a bomb was thrown from the roof of a house into the Arch duke's automobile, but he had the pres once of mind to catch the missile in his hand before it exploded and hurl it out into the street, where it burst without doing any harm except slightly wound ing one of his adjutants. The assailant, a Serbian by the name of Gabrinovics, was arrested on the spot. On arriving at the town hall, the Archduke pro ceeded to berate the officials for the at tempt on his life, accusing them of not having taken proper precautions. The ceremony of welcoming him then pro ceeded.
On leaving the town hall, and after the Archduke had seated himself in his automobile, a man rushed out of the crowd on the sidewalk and emptied the contents of an automatic revolver into both the Archduke and his wife, who were both killed. This second assailant was arrested, and also proved to be a Serbian, by the name of Prinzip.
The Austrian Government immediately took the attitude that the assassination was the result of a conspiracy by Ser bian expansionists, encouraged by the Serbian Government.