10 Facts About the Sarajevo Assassination That Triggered WWI

10 Facts About the Sarajevo Assassination That Triggered WWI

Maria - June 28, 2016

2. The driver was never informed that the motorcade route had been changed.

10 Facts About the Sarajevo Assassination That Triggered WWI

Leopold Lojka was a professional chauffeur in the service of Franz. Born on 17 September 1886 in the town of Telč in southern Moravia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Leopold Lojka was a close friend of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. When Franz visited Sarajevo, Leopold Lojka was the chauffeur of the car at the point of his assassination.

At the start of his tour in Sarajevo, Franz Ferdinand visited the military barracks and inspected the local Imperial garrison. Shortly after leaving, a member of the Black Hand who was part of the assassination plan threw a grenade at his entourage. However, the driver managed to swerve out of the way, and the bomb bounced away, injuring several soldiers in the car behind. Franz changed his mind after the incident as he wanted to demonstrate that his family was in control of Sarajevo. He ordered the driver to change the route so he can visit the injured soldiers.

Unfortunately, Leopold Lojka did not fully understand his instructions and mistakenly took a wrong turn in Franz Josef Gasse. Realizing he was not familiar with the street, the driver decided to reverse. At this time, Gavrilo Princip who was also a member of the Black Hand gang was having a cup of tea after a failed assassination attempt by a member of his team. Luckily, he recognized Franz Ferdinand’s car as it was trying to pull out of the street. Not believing his luck Princip pulled out his gun and shot both Franz and his wife.

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