Review of One Morning in Sarajevo, 1914: The Assassination that Changed the World, by James David Smith

Perhaps the most consequential event in the twentieth  century was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. His death in 1914 set off events that led to World War I, the eventual second World War, and constant ethnic struggles and atrocities in the Balkans. Author James David Smith chronicles the conspirators, the gruesome killing, and its aftermath in One Morning in Sarajevo, 1914: The Assassination that Changed the World.

This complex story has always been overshadowed by the haunting images of the archduke and his wife boarding their car in Sarajevo prior to the shooting and the sullen images of assassin Gavrilo Princip as well as legends of the mysterious Black Hand organization which orchestrated the entire affair. Longtime British journalist Smith paints a different picture. Princip was one of a few young Serbians living under the yoke of the Hapsburg Empire who dreamed of a unified nation for Slavs and believed killing the heir apparent to the Austrian-Hungarian throne would topple that empire and lead to their dreams coming true.  Smith paints Princip and others as thoughtful, lower class young adults, “a small group of the misled,” who voraciously read news and history and dreamt of a better future for themselves and their people. When news became known of Ferdinand’s visit to Sarajevo, they made the decision to kill him. Smith provides details on all the men’s backgrounds and thoughts, their planning and journey to Belgrade to acquire guns and bombs for the affair, and their harrowing return trip when they tried to avoid authorities.

The book builds in intensity until reaching the chapter entitled “June 1914 – on the Avenue of Assassins.” Smith places the conspirators in their positions and details the Archduke’s journey through the city.  After a failed assassination attempt using with a bomb, many tried to convince the royal party to discontinue their tour as there were fears of such an event in the first place, but the Archduke continued. Eventually, their car took a wrong turn, bringing the unfortunate royal couple right up to where Princip was waiting. Princip should have never gotten the opportunity, but fate intervened, and he fired two shots and altered the course of history. As we all learned in school, events spiraled quickly out of control. Within a month, Austria declared war on Serbia and decades of entangling alliances soon brought all of Europe to war.

Authorities moved quickly to gather those linked to the heinous crime and twenty-five  eventually stood trial the following October. Smith delves into the trial and reports on all the contradicting information that defined the proceedings. Austria really wanted to make the connection with the Serbian government but the connection to Serbian officials and the mysterious Black Hand was thin. In the end, nine defendants were acquitted, three were sentenced to hang and the others were given prison sentences. Princip and many others were initially saved as Austrian law prevented those under the age of twenty from being executed. Princip would later die in prison of tuberculous in 1918.

Smith builds off the monumental study by Vladamir Dedijer (The Road to Sarajevo, published in 1967) with access to more material, including complete transcripts of the trial, that has since become available. It is a highly detailed study and is very intriguing although one must admit difficulties following the action when dealing with so many actors with unfamiliar names and difficult spellings. The entire book leaves the reader with a feeling of sadness, whether it was over the senseless death of the Archduke and his wife or for these young, impressionistic young men or those who got caught up in the affair not knowing its true implications. Smith calls the main plotters a “loosely bound group of ascetic, devoted, single-minded young men [who] hoped to be remembered for their heroic sacrifice. They had planned to die, destroying an empire and creating a nation.”  Ironically enough, Yugoslavia would be established in 1929, but its existence would be marked by horrible ethnic struggles culminating in the late 1990s. One must also believe that none of the players would have guessed their actions would lead to the fall of several empires and the deaths of millions. Anyone interested in World War One’s tragic beginnings with this assassination should read this book.

CPW