World War One - Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

*Lesson Objectives: To know the events of 28th June 1914

To interpret why the death of Franz Ferdinand happened

To investigate the impact of the assassinations *

This lesson is designed to be used to start a topic about World War One by investigating the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie.

• The lesson begins by opening students to discuss the impact individuals have on history. How could the deaths of just two people change world history?
• The tensions between Austra and Serbia are explained, briefly, and establishes the role of empires and nationalism.
• What happened on the 28th of June, 1914? Lead students through the events, either by using the notes on the board, or the worksheets that detail a historian’s account of the day.
• What went wrong? Use the worksheets of 28th June 1914 and lead students in group work. What opportunities were missed on the day to avert the deaths of Franz Ferdinand and his wife? This could also be used with higher level students to investigate the role of historical narrative and bias - this account is prepared by a writer, who was not present at the time. How reliable is this evidence?
• What is the role of Gavrilo Princip? Many remember him as a murderer, but some remember him as a hero and a freedom fighter. Is this interpretation valid?
• The Road to War - the events of June and August that led to war in Europe. Students can use the Road to War worksheet to copy down the important dates on the pathway to World War One.
• Without the death of Franz Ferdinand, would WW1 have happened? The lesson closes on a student discussion about the role of individual impact on events and history. Can one event ever be considered as the single start of war?

This lesson would be suited for a KS3 higher ability group, or for a KS4 class developing further skills. Worksheets provided: the Road to War, the day of 28th of June, and a simpler version of the 28th of June.