Gavrilo Princip was the person who assassinatedMurdered a politically important person, usually by a sudden or secret attack. Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in June of 1914, which sparked the start of World War I. Princip was a member of Young Bosnia, a group armed and supported by the Black Hand, which was a secret societyA hidden organization whose members, activities, and goals are kept from the public. that helped organize the assassination of Ferdinand. The events of the assassination had a profound impact on Europe in the early 20th century and plunged the continent into war.​
FactsthatCrunch
Gavrilo Princip’s Early Life
Gavrilo Princip was born on July 25th, 1894 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Gavrilo’s family was Serb and Orthodox Christians. In fact, Gavrilo was named after Archangel Gabriel at the suggestion of a local priest. His parents, Petar and Marija, were poor farmers and struggled to make ends meet. Regardless, Gavrilo was sent to school at the age of nine and performed well. Further, when he was thirteen, Gavrilo went to the city of Sarajevo to live with his older brother Jovan. While in Sarajevo, Gavrilo studied business.​
His time in Sarajevo proved to be incredibly important to his political thought. For instance, while there Gavrilo began following prominent Serb nationalistsSomeone who strongly supports their own nation or ethnic group gaining power or independence.. An example of this is when, in 1911, he joined a secret organization called Young Bosnia. As an organization it was focused on liberating Bosnia from Austria-Hungary. At the time Bosnia was under the control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following the events of the Bosnian Crisis of 1908.​
In general, the Bosnian Crisis involved the annexationWhen one country takes official control of another territory and adds it to its own land. of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary. This means that Austria took control over the two territories. Previously they had been controlled by the Ottoman Empire but by this time the Ottoman Empire was in decline and losing its authority in the region. Austria’s annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina created a crisis not only with the leadership of the Ottoman Empire, but also with other surrounding European nations including Italy, Russia, and Serbia. In fact, Serbian nationalists resented the Austro-Hungarian takeover of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This created lingering anger among people of the Balkans, who wanted to unify and liberate Slavic people in the Balkans.​
The Bosnia Crisis of 1908, along with other related issues in the Balkans eventually brought Princip and Young Bosnia into contact with the Black Hand. The Black Hand (which was also known as ‘Unification or Death’) was a Serbian nationalist organization that existed in the early part of the 20th century. It was a secret society that worked to promote Serbian nationalism. One of the most significant events associated with the Black Hand (and Gavrilo Princip) was the 1914 assassination of Franz Ferdinand.​
FactsthatCrunchAssassination of Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand was the Archduke of Austria-Hungary and next in line to rule over the empire. Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated on June 28th, 1914 in Sarajevo, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian province of Bosnia and Herzegovina while there on a visit to inspect the military forces. The assassin was Gavrilo Princip. Just nineteen years old at the time, Princip was a member of Young Bosnia, which had been armed and trained with help from the Black Hand.
Upon first arriving in Sarajevo, Franz and Sophie made their way through the city in a motorcadeA procession of cars carrying an important person through a public area.. Princip and his fellow conspirators had pre-planned their assassination of the archduke in anticipation of his visit to Sarajevo. As the archduke’s motorcade made its trip one of the conspirators attempted to assassinate the couple with a bomb that was thrown at the couple’s car. The bomb missed Franz and Sophie and injured members of the car behind them when it exploded. After a short rest at the Governor’s house in Sarajevo, Franz decided to visit the people injured by the earlier bombing by going to the hospital. The drivers of the motorcade were not made aware of the change in plans and as a result the drivers took the wrong route. By the time the error had been discovered the drivers had to turn around and began to slowly back up down a street in the center of Sarajevo.​
By coincidence, Gavrilo Princip was on the street at that time and noticing his opportunity he approached the cars and fatally shot both Franz and Sophie with his pistol. Franz and Sophie were dead and the conspirators that carried out the attack were rounded up and arrested.
FactsthatCrunchOn the morning of June 28th, 1914, an earlier bomb attack on Archduke Franz Ferdinand's motorcade had already failed in Sarajevo, wounding people in a car behind the archduke. Franz Ferdinand then decided to go to the hospital to visit the injured, but the drivers of the motorcade were not told about the change in plans. The cars took the wrong route and then began slowly backing up down a street in the center of Sarajevo. Gavrilo Princip happened to be standing on that street.
Gavrilo Princip’s Later Life and Death
While he was being arrested for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Princip tried to shoot himself, but ultimately failed. Shortly after, he was quickly put on trial and sentenced to twenty years in prison. His time in prison was difficult, and he suffered extremely poor treatment. For instance, he struggled with malnutritionSerious health damage caused by not getting enough food or the right nutrients. and tuberculosisA dangerous infectious disease that mainly attacks the lungs and can be fatal. while in prison. He died on April 28th in 1918.​
Princip left a considerable legacy following his death. His actions (along with those of the Black Hand) sparked the events of World War I, which lasted for four bloody years. Some Serbs today celebrate him as a hero for his people, while others consider him a terrorist who plunged Europe into a devastating conflict.​
What sentence did Gavrilo Princip receive after his trial for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand?
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Key Vocabulary
Assassinated
Annexation
Nationalist
Secret society
Motorcade
Malnutrition
Tuberculosis
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Gavrilo Princip?
Gavrilo Princip was the young Bosnian Serb who shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. He belonged to Young Bosnia, a nationalist group armed by the Black Hand, a secret Serbian society. His act helped spark the start of World War I.
Why did Gavrilo Princip assassinate Franz Ferdinand?
Princip wanted to free Bosnia from Austro-Hungarian rule and unite Slavic people in the Balkans. Austria-Hungary had taken control of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian Crisis of 1908. This angered Serbian nationalists, and Princip joined groups that opposed Austrian power.
How did the assassination of Franz Ferdinand happen?
The assassination took place on June 28th, 1914, in Sarajevo as the archduke rode in a motorcade. An earlier bomb attack had failed, but the car later took a wrong turn and stopped near Princip. He stepped forward and fatally shot both Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie.
What was the Black Hand?
The Black Hand was a secret Serbian nationalist group in the early 20th century, also called Unification or Death. It worked to promote Serbian nationalism and helped arm the plotters who killed Franz Ferdinand. Princip and the other plotters were members of Young Bosnia.
What happened to Gavrilo Princip after the assassination?
Princip was arrested, put on trial, and sentenced to twenty years in prison. He was too young for the death penalty at the time of the killing. He suffered from malnutrition and tuberculosis in prison and died on April 28th, 1918.
How old was Gavrilo Princip when he killed Franz Ferdinand?
Princip was nineteen years old when he carried out the assassination in 1914. He was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina into a poor Serb farming family. His young age later helped him avoid a death sentence.
Cite This Article
To cite this article as a source, use one of the formats below.
MLA: Beck, Elias. “Gavrilo Princip: A Detailed Biography.” HistoryCrunch, 30 September 2026, https://historycrunch.com/gavrilo-princip/.
APA: Beck, E. (2026). Gavrilo Princip: A Detailed Biography. HistoryCrunch. https://historycrunch.com/gavrilo-princip/
Chicago: Beck, Elias. “Gavrilo Princip: A Detailed Biography.” HistoryCrunch. September 30, 2026. https://historycrunch.com/gavrilo-princip/
Sources
- Imperial War Museum
- John Keegan, The First World War.
- Fordham Modern History Sourcebook
