Shot that Changed the World – Assassination in Sarajevo Tour

Shot that changed the world tour is dedicated to two bullets fired on a Sarajevo street on a sunny June morning in 1914 set in motion a series of events that shaped the world we live in today. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, nephew of Emperor Franz Josef and heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is known as the central event that caused World War I. This Sarajevo tour will help you understand details of the most popular event in Sarajevo’s history.

In order to better undertand political climate which was prevalent in Europe 1914 and the reasons why the First World War started, as well as how the Sarajevo Assasination changed the course of World map back then, we designed Shot that changed the world tour. You will see the most important places and sites as they relate to Austro-Hungarian Period in Bosnia and Herzegovina and You will find out how empire’s rule impacted Bosnian society back in that time.

Shot that changed the world tour in Sarajevo starts with visit to City Hall.

Franz Ferdinand decided to visit Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to inspect the imperial armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, former Ottoman territories in the turbulent Balkan region that were annexed by Austria-Hungary. The date scheduled for his visit, June 28, coincided with the anniversary of the First Battle of Kosovo in 1389, in which medieval Serbia was defeated by the Turks as well as Franz Ferdinand’s wedding anniversary. For the first time in her married life, Sophie (also known as the Duchess of Hohenberg) is accompanying her husband on a state visit. It was planned that Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie would be met and taken by car to the City Hall. The motorcade, consisting of six automobiles was headed for City Hall for a reception hosted by Sarajevo’s mayor.

This tour continues along the riverside of the Appel Quay, which was the route of the visit.

Black Hand, a secret Serbian society of the early 20th century used terrorist methods to promote the liberation of Serbs outside Serbia from Habsburg or Ottoman rule and was instrumental in planning the assassination. When it was learned that Franz Ferdinand was scheduled to visit Sarajevo they decided to assassinate him. They placed seven assassinators along the entire route.
Franz Ferdinand and Sophie were touring Sarajevo in an open car, with surprisingly little security, when Nedjelko Cabrinovic threw a bomb at their car, it rolled off the back of the vehicle and wounded an officer and some bystanders. Later, on the way to visit the injured officer, the archduke’s procession took a wrong turn at the junction, where 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip, happened to be loitering. When the royal motorcade stopped to reverse, Gavrilo Princip seized his opportunity. He stepped forward and fired two shots. The first shot hit pregnant Sophia in the stomach, she died almost instantly. The second shot hit the Archduke in the neck. He died a short while later.

The assassination of Franz-Ferdinand and Sophie set off a rapid chain of events: Austria-Hungary, like many in countries around the world, blamed the Serbian government for the attack and hoped to use the incident as justification for settling the question of Slav nationalism once and for all. As Russia supported Serbia, an Austro-Hungarian declaration of war was delayed until its leaders received assurances from German leader Kaiser Wilhelm that Germany would support their cause in the event of a Russian intervention–which would likely involve Russia’s ally, France, and possibly Britain as well. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the tenuous peace between Europe’s great powers collapsed. Within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Serbia had lined up against Austria-Hungary and Germany, and World War I had begun.
Besides City Hall and avenue which was the route of the procession, Shot that changed the world tour includes a visit to Latin Bridge, Hotel Europe, Statue of Gavrilo Princip and Hotel Austria.

We invite You to join us for this Sarajevo tour and explore sites of historical significance. Find out if Gavrilo Princip was a hero or villain after more than 100 years later.