Lecture on The Lead-up to WWI: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Introduction

• Thank you to Richard Evans, Valerie Shrimplin, and attendees
• Apologies to those standing outside or watching from home
• Great pride in succeeding Sir Richard as Regis Professor

Context: 28th June 1914

• Significant date: beginning of WWI events
• Reference to famous song: "let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start"
• Details about Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie Chotek's final day
• Discussion on family dynamics and reasons for travel

Assassination Events

• Neilo Chabrinovich's failed bomb attempt
  • Description of the bomb/grenade
  • Various conflicting witness testimonies
  • Discussion on whether to call off the visit
• Archduke's reaction: insisted on continuing
  • Wife Sophie mildly injured
  • Continued to City Hall
  • Interactions and speeches at City Hall

Map Examination: Balkans c. 1911-1914

• Importance of familiarizing with the Balkans
• Maps show changes: emergence of Albania, expanded Serbia
• Context: Ottoman Empire's decline

The Moment of Assassination

• Description of assassination by Gavrilo Princip
• Inaccuracy in contemporary depictions
• Aftermath: Arrest and protection of suspects

Historical Impact

• Europe's state of peace on 28th June 1914
• Sar Neicho's observation of peace before outbreak of war
• Margaret McMillan’s and Nicholson's perspectives

Wider Implications

• Conflict described as the Primal Catastrophe
  • Consumed four empires: German, Russian, Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian
  • Millions of deaths and wounded
  • Long-term effects globally (Middle East, Europe)

Interpretations & Debates

• Long-standing debate on the origins of the war
• New perspectives: increase in global interconnectedness
• Fischer thesis: Blame game and its limitations
• Complexity of the pre-war international system
• Importance of multi-polar frameworks
• Events like the Italian attack on Libya being overlooked yet significant

Conclusion

• Reiteration on the complexity of the war’s origins
• Critique of simplistic narratives like James Bond or Agatha Christie
• Emphasis on the cumulative and interactive decisions leading to war
• Objective to address these through a global, multi-polar lens