The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie von Hohenberg was the cover story of La Domenica del Corriere for the week July 5 through 12, 1914. The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, said he aimed, turned away, and fired, and was not targeting the Countess. The illustrator may have positioned her standing to make sense of the two wounds: the Archduke was shot through the throat, his wife through the groin. Illustration by Alberto Beltrame.
The cover story includes a picture of the deceased with their three children. A second photograph shows the new heir to the throne, Karl, holding his son, captioned "I due futuri Imperatori d'Austria" — the two future Emperors of Austria. Karl became emperor when Franz Joseph died in 1916. His son never did, as the Empire had dissolved by the time his father died.

Other views: Front, Interior

Using a pistol that would be traced to neighboring Serbia, Gavrilo Princip, a young Austro-Hungarian Bosnian and Slavic nationalist, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie von Hohenberg, shooting both of them at close range, him through the throat and her through the groin, in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, on Sunday, June 28, 1914. The Archduke, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife both died within an hour.

The couple were completing a three-day visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Archduke observing military maneuvers in his capacity of Inspector General of the Army. Their day in Sarajevo was to include an inspection at the army barracks, a town hall reception, the opening of a new museum, lunch at the palace of the governor, General Oskar Potiorek, a visit to a carpet factory, and an afternoon departure by train.

The visit had been reported in the press in March, ample time for a plot against the heir to form. Among the citizens who turned out to welcome the couple were seven conspirators armed with bombs and revolvers.

Between the barracks and town hall, the couple had escaped injury when one conspirator had thrown a bomb that bounced from the rear of the Archduke's auto into the street before exploding, injuring two in the following car and seven bystanders. The entourage continued to City Hall where the Lord Mayor welcomed the Archduke and Potiorek took responsibility for his safety.

Rather than departing the city and Bosnia immediately, the Archduke insisted on visiting the injured at the hospital. His wife insisted on staying with Ferdinand.

His driver set out for the train station rather than the hospital. Corrected by Potiorek, he stopped to back up, putting the Archduke and his wife directly before Princip, who drew his revolver, stepped forward, averted his face, and fired two shots, both intended for Ferdinand.

Date: 1914-06-28

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