Reflection - The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

I must admit, that before we began talking about World War I in class, that I truly did not know very much about the war. I knew the countries that fought during the war, and that it had ended in a victory for the Allied nations, however I did not know the story behind it all. I was entirely surprised to learn that the war basically was started because of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Tensions in the Balkans and throughout Europe had been reaching a boiling point for years, and this event put their frustration over the edge.

The ages of the young men carrying out Ferdinand's assassination also astounded me, anywhere from 17 - 27 years old? That is insanity! From our discussion in class, it seems as though Franz Ferdinand was truly having a lucky day up until he met his maker, Gavrilo Princip. I mean, he dodged the initial assassination attempt (which was via bombing!) and unfortunately while going to meet the people affected by the bomb, Princip discovered that they had indeed not killed him the first time through, and ultimately shot him down that instant. It surprises me that we don't hear much about Princip in everyday conversation, after all, it was his assassination efforts that turned the wheel of the first world war and eventually every war following that (from what it seems like).