8 Famous Political Assassinations That Shook The World

2. Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Never in the history of mankind has one murder directly caused such a bloody and destructive response. The assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in June 1914 was one of the key factors leading to the outbreak of the Great War - and as a result the death of 16million people around the globe. While Franz Ferdinand and his wife were touring Sarajevo, the capital of Austro-Hungarian-controlled Bosnia and Herzegovina, in June 1914, they made their way around the city in an open-top car. Originally, Nedeljiko Cabrinovic of the Black Hand movement had attempted to kill the Duke by throwing a grenade at his car - but he missed and it detonated behind the vehicle. In response to the attempted attack, Franz reportedly shouted: €œSo this is how you welcome your guests - with bombs?€ The Duke then requested to visit the hospital to see who had been injured by the bomb, giving another assassin - of the Young Bosnia movement - the chance he needed to kill Franz Ferdinand. Many Bosnians wanted independence from the Austro-Hungarian empire, and many terrorist acts had been committed in the region in an attempt to force secession. One of these radicals, Gavrilo Princip, who had been sitting in a cafe across the road, walked over to the car and shot the Archduke€™s wife before aiming a bullet at Franz Ferdinand€™s neck. Franz Ferdinand flopped over his wife and sobbed as they both lay dying. Following Ferdinand€™s assassination, Austria-Hungary declared war against Serbia. This in turn precipitated many more declarations of war across Europe, leading to the outbreak of World War One and the destruction that conflict brought with it. Arguably, Archduke Franz Ferdinand€™s assassination had a greater impact on the course of history than any other murder ever has done.