A Wrong Turn the Changed the World

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The story of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination was a pivotal point in history. It set things in motion which changed the world forever. Many believe that not only did this cause WWI, but root causes of WWII, Cold War, and present day events can be traced back to June 28, 1914. The Archduke, who was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, went on a visit to Bosnia where he was very unpopular. On June 28, while traveling in a motorcade in Bosnia, one of the would-be assassins threw a bomb at his car. The Archduke narrowly escaped the attack but insisted on visiting an aid at a hospital, who had been hurt in the blast. His driver completely unfamiliar with the road makes a wrong turn and decides to ask for directions of a young man, who was one of the conspirators involved in the foiled plot. Thus destiny gave the conspirators a second chance to kill the Archduke.