Sarajevo Incident: The Times

The assassination in Serajevo (Sarajevo) of Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian Imperial throne, was a watershed event in the history of Europe. The assassination caused Austria to issue an ultimatum to Serbia concerning the suppression of nationalist movements, with which the Serbian government, backed by Russia, felt unable to comply. By the end of July, Austria had declared war on Serbia, and a series of existing treaties dragged all the major powers of Europe into World War I by the beginning of August 1914. This report of the Sarajevo incident appeared in The Times on June 29, 1914. Original spellings have been retained.