Gavrilo Princip
Bosnian Serb student whose assassination sparked World War I.
Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0
Gavrilo Princip was a Bosnian Serb student who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. This assassination set off the July Crisis, a series of events that within one month led to the outbreak of World War I.
- died
- 28 April 1918, Terezín Fortress (tuberculosis)
- field
- Political activism, assassination
- nationality
- Bosnian Serb (Austro-Hungarian subject)
- known_for
- Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, triggering World War I
Lore & Background
He was the second of nine children, six of whom died in infancy. His parents, Petar and Marija, were poor farmers who lived off meagre land and were part of a class of Christian peasants known as kmetovi, often oppressed by Muslim landlords. At age 13, Princip moved to Sarajevo to study at the Merchants' School, later transferring to the gymnasium, where he became politically aware. After attending anti-Austrian demonstrations, he was expelled and walked to Belgrade, Serbia, to continue his education. During the First Balkan War, he tried to volunteer with Serbian irregular forces but was rejected for being too small and weak.
Reader's Guide
Gavrilo Princip's legacy is viewed as controversial. Many Serbs regard him as a hero who stood against colonial oppression and slavery, while Bosniaks and Croats frequently view him as a terrorist. The assassination he carried out on 28 June 1914 set off the July Crisis, leading within one month to the outbreak of World War I. At his trial, Princip stated he was a Yugoslav nationalist aiming for unification of all Yugoslavs, free from Austria. He was spared the death penalty due to his age (19) and sentenced to twenty years in prison, dying of tuberculosis on 28 April 1918. The Serbian government itself did not inspire the assassination, but the Austrian Foreign Office and Army used the murders as a reason for a preventive war that led directly to World War I.
Did You Know?
- Princip was the second of nine children, six of whom died in infancy.
- He walked from Sarajevo to Belgrade, Serbia, after being expelled from school for attending anti-Austrian demonstrations.
- During the First Balkan War, he tried to volunteer with Serbian irregular forces but was rejected for being too small and weak.
- At his trial, Princip stated he was a Yugoslav nationalist aiming for unification of all Yugoslavs, free from Austria.
- He was spared the death penalty due to his age (19) and sentenced to twenty years in prison.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gavrilo Princip?
Gavrilo Princip was a Bosnian Serb student born in 1894 in the village of Obljaj, western Bosnia. He is best known as the young man who carried out the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914.
What did Gavrilo Princip do?
On 28 June 1914, Princip shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in the streets of Sarajevo. He was acting as part of a broader political assassination plot targeting the Austro-Hungarian heir to the throne.
Why is Gavrilo Princip historically significant?
His assassination set off the July Crisis, a rapid chain of diplomatic confrontations that escalated into World War I within roughly one month. In that sense, a single act of political violence helped ignite a global conflict.
How did Gavrilo Princip die?
After his arrest and imprisonment, Princip contracted tuberculosis and died on 28 April 1918 at the Terezín Fortress. He was only twenty-three years old at the time of his death.
What was Gavrilo Princip's nationality and background?
Princip was a Bosnian Serb and a subject of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, born in the small village of Obljaj near Bosansko Grahovo. He was a student at the time of the assassination and was involved in political activism tied to Serbian nationalist causes.
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