It’s hard to imagine the kill rates in WW I. Our own War between the States was unnecessarily deadly because Napoleonic tactics were used with mid-19th Century weapons. WW I was a case of Napoleonic tactics used with 20th Century weapons.
Wow, thanks for the thread!
What a horrible, horrible war. I really don’t know of any worse war, certainly in modern times. The only good thing about it was the different sides still had alot of civility to each other.
Possibly the most miserable battlefield in all of human history, and worthy of the name “no man’s land”.
Most historians agree that Princip was a member of Young Bosnia, but logistical connections to the Black Hand (Црна рука/Crna ruka) are numerous; the latter group, suffice it to say, was at least somewhat accountable for coordination, training, and/or supplying weapons related to the forthcoming assassination attempt on Franz Ferdinand (Dennis Hupchick, The Balkans: From Constantinople to Communism (New York: MacMillan, 2004), 318.). The Young Bosnia movement was a group made up of Serbs, Croats, and Bosnian Muslims, committed to the independence of the South Slavic peoples from Austria-Hungary.
In February 1912, he took part in protest demonstrations against the Sarajevo authorities for which he was expelled from school. Following his expulsion, he went to Belgrade. While crossing the border, he made a point of kissing the soil of Serbia. In Belgrade, he sought to gain admission to the First Belgrade Gymnasium but failed the entrance exam.
In 1912, Serbia was abuzz with mobilization for the First Balkan War. Princip planned to join the komite, irregular Serbian guerrilla forces under Serbian Major Vojislav Tankosic which had fought in Macedonia against Ottoman units. Tankosic was a member of the central committee of the secret society Unification or Death (Ujedinjenje ili Smrt). Princip, however, was rejected by the komite in Belgrade because of his small physical stature. He then went to Prokuplje in Southern Serbia where he sought a personal interview with Tankosić. Tankosić, however, rejected Princip for being "too small and too weak." He was determined to compensate for his lack of physical stature and the underestimation of his abilities that he was subjected to. Dedijer argued that his rejection was "one of the primary personal motives which pushed him to do something exceptionally brave in order to prove to others that he was their equal."
[edit] Assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand
[edit] Background On June 28, 1914 Gavrilo Princip participated in the assassination in Sarajevo. General Oskar Potiorek, Governor of the Austrian provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina had invited Franz Ferdinand and Countess Sophie to watch his troops on manoeuvers. Franz Ferdinand knew that the visit would be dangerous, knowing his uncle, Emperor Franz Josef, had been the subject of an assassination attempt by the Black Hand in 1911.
[edit] Timeline Just before 10 o'clock on Sunday, the royal couple arrived in Sarajevo by train. In the front car was Fehim Čurčić, the Mayor of Sarajevo and Dr. Gerde, the city's Commissioner of Police. Franz Ferdinand and Sophie were in the second car with Oskar Potiorek and Count von Harrach. The car's top was rolled back in order to allow the crowds a good view of its occupants.
The seven members of the group lined the route. They were spaced out along the Appel Quay, each one with instructions to try to kill Franz Ferdinand when the royal car reached his position. The first conspirator on the route to see the royal car was Muhamed Mehmedbašić. Standing by the Austro-Hungarian Bank, Mehmedbašić lost his nerve and allowed the car pass without taking action. Mehmedbašić later said that a policeman was standing behind him and feared he would be arrested before he had a chance to throw his bomb.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavrilo_Princip
Contrary to common belief, Princip was not a member of the Black Hand, but was a member of the group Young Bosnia (Mlada Bosna), which he joined in 1911. The Young Bosnia Movement was a group made up of Serbs, Croats, and Bosnian Muslims, committed to achieving independence for Bosnia.
http://www.answers.com/topic/gavrilo-princip