 "History Today: How the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo sparked World War I")
As part of Firstpost’s History Today series, June 28 stands out as a day that dramatically shaped global history across centuries.
On this date in 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo ignited a chain of events that led to World War I.
Five years later, on June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, formally ending the conflict.
Decades later, the day also saw the eruption of the Stonewall Riots in 1969 — catalysing the modern LGBTQ rights movement.
And in 1997, the infamous moment when Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield’s ear during a boxing match.
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On June 28, 1914, a seemingly small, yet pivotal act of violence in Sarajevo sparked a chain reaction across Europe, ultimately igniting the conflagration known as World War I.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated in an event that has since been studied as the flashpoint of modern history.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, born in 1863, served as Inspector General of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces.
While conservative and militaristic by temperament, he was an advocate for systemic reforms aimed at modernising the empire and granting greater autonomy to Slavic minorities.
He and Sophie’s marriage had endured the scrutiny of imperial aristocracy. Sophie, not from a reigning noble family, was often marginalised at court despite the couple’s devotion .
The date chosen for their visit — June 28, 1914, coinciding with St Vitus’s Day (Vidovdan) — was loaded with symbolism.
It commemorated the 1389 Serbian defeat in Kosovo, connecting present-day Serb nationalist sentiment with historical grievance.
The visit was intended to bolster imperial authority in Bosnia, formally annexed in 1908, on the anniversary of Bosnia’s 1878 occupation — another symbolic affront to Serbian nationalists.
At the time, Sarajevo was simmering with discontent. Bosnian Serbs and Yugoslav nationalists sought liberation from Austro-Hungarian rule and unification with Serbia.
Influential nationalist and paramilitary groups like the Black Hand (Ujedinjenje ili Smrt) fostered militant sentiment and trained operatives for political violence.
Gavrilo Princip, a 19-year-old Bosnian Serb, joined Young Bosnia, a youth movement advocating Slavic unity.
Princip and his five co-conspirators, equipped with bombs and pistols, trained and prepared for the assassination in discrete training camps, some allegedly sponsored by Serbian military factions.
The royal procession began with high optimism. At approximately 10:15 am, Nedeljko Čabrinović seized the first opportunity, hurling a grenade at the Archduke’s vehicle.
Misjudging the motorcade’s speed and configuration, the grenade bounced off the fold-down hood, exploding under the next car — injuring bystanders and driver but missing Franz Ferdinand.
Despite the attack, Franz Ferdinand continued to the Town Hall for an impromptu reception, demonstrating both his bravery and obliviousness to the day’s threats.
Afterward, a fatal navigation error — possibly due to miscommunication in translation — led the motorcade to make a sudden right turn, pausing directly in front of Gavrilo Princip.
Seizing the moment, Princip fired two shots at point-blank range: one fatally striking Franz Ferdinand in the jugular, the other hitting Sophie in the abdomen.
The couple collapsed instantly. The world had changed irreversibly.
Princip was detained immediately, still near the scene. He later confessed freely at his trial, citing patriotism and intention to liberate South Slavs from oppression.
Younger than 20, he avoided the death penalty and received 20 years — ultimately dying of tuberculosis in prison in 1918.
The Austro-Hungarian response was swift and severe. General Oskar Potiorek, local governor, authorised anti-Serb pogroms in Sarajevo, resulting in widespread destruction of property, detentions and fatalities.
Austria-Hungary, backed by Germany, issued a rigid ultimatum to Serbia on July 23, 1914, loaded with demands designed to be impossible to fulfill .
Although Serbia conceded on most points, it refused to accept all terms — especially foreign judicial oversight — and Russia began partial mobilisation to protect its Slavic ally.
Germany, interpreting this as hostility toward Austria-Hungary, declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914. France and Britain, bound by alliances and strategic considerations, followed suit.
By August 4, Europe was at war — not over Sarajevo but over a tangled web of alliances, militarism, imperial ambition and nationalism.
World War I became the first truly industrialised global war. It introduced trench warfare, machine guns, chemical agents, tanks, naval blockades, aerial combat and battlefield medicine — all emerging during the war.
Over 16 million perished — nearly 10 million military and close to 7 million civilians — along with the downfall of empires: Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Russian and German .
Culturally, the war produced a devastating rupture — seen in literature and art such as All Quiet on the Western Front and Dadaist movements. It fuelled revolutions, including in Russia, and laid ideological groundwork for fascism, communism and Nazism.
Historiography continues to debate Princip’s legacy. In Serbia, he is often hailed as a hero of national liberation; in Bosnia and Croatia, views remain critical, seeing him as extremist.
A 2015 monument in Belgrade sparked controversy, highlighting divergent regional narratives. Historians also question fatal flaws in Austria-Hungary’s diplomacy and the rigidity of alliances — like clockwork mobilisations turning minor crises into world war .
Today, Sarajevo memorialises the assassination site with plaques and museums. A Sarajevo museum stands in the building where Franz Ferdinand was mortally wounded, and a statue of Princip in Istočno Sarajevo incites contested memory.
Mike Tyson bites off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear
On June 28, 1997, aka The Bite Fight, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield squared off in Las Vegas during their WBA Heavyweight rematch.
In the third round, a frustrated Tyson sank his teeth into Holyfield’s right ear, tearing off a piece before biting again. Referee Mills Lane halted the match, disqualifying Tyson.
The incident was a career-defining scandal — Tyson had his license revoked and paid a $3 million fine.
Holyfield’s ear was surgically reattached. Tyson later justified his actions, claiming frustration over Holyfield’s alleged headbutts. The bizarre moment remains one of boxing’s most infamous highlights.
Stonewall Riots begin
In the early hours of June 28, 1969, NYPD raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York.
Patrons — tired of continual harassment — fought back, triggering violent clashes that lasted nearly a week.
Though not the first LGBTQ protest, Stonewall is heralded as the flashpoint for the modern gay rights movement.
The spontaneous resistance inspired pride marches, advocacy groups and landmark legal battles.
Its legacy endures: June is recognised as Pride Month, and the event is commemorated through global rallies and educational efforts .
Treaty of Versailles signed
On June 28, 1919, exactly five years after Franz Ferdinand’s assassination, Allied and Associated powers signed the Treaty of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles.
The treaty imposed several punitive measures on Germany: the notorious War Guilt Clause (Article 231), substantial reparations, restrictions on military capabilities and loss of territory and overseas colonies
Though hailed by Allied leaders as necessary to secure peace, it sowed deep resentment in Germany and contributed to the rise of Adolf Hitler and WWII.
Despite its intentions to prevent future wars, the treaty is widely regarded as overly punitive. While the US Senate declined to ratify it, others adhered. The treaty took effect on January 10, 1920, shaping the interwar world.
With inputs from agencies
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