27-06-2025
Stalled car sends the world to war
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Attribution: The Picture Desk
The royal couple were assassinated by Bosnian Serb student Gavrilo Princip, who was part of a group of nationalists hoping to overthrow Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ferdinand had already survived one bomb attack by one of Princip's co-conspirators earlier that day. Princip was waiting outside a delicatessen when the royal motorcade passed, and the local governor, who was sharing the royal couple's car, called out to the driver he had taken a wrong turn.
The driver stalled the car as he tried to reverse, allowing Princip to step up and fatally shoot Franz and Sophie.