History of Western civilization heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand, and he was assassinated on 28 June 1914 by a Yugoslav nationalist named Gavrilo Princip in the city of Sarajevo, at the time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Although Serbia agreed to all but one point of the Austrian ultimatum (it did not take responsibility in planning the assassination but was ready to hand over any subject involved on its territory), Austria-Hungary was more than eager to declare war, attacked Serbia and effectively began World War I. Fearing the conquest of a fellow Slavic Orthodox nation, Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary. Germany responded
Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria He became a Lieutenant Field Marshal of the Austrian Army. In Vienna, on 18 April 1854, Karl Ferdinand married his first cousin, Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria (1831–1903), the widow of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este, and the daughter of Archduke Joseph of Austria, Palatine of Hungary. They had six children: Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria (Vienna, 29 July 1818 – Gross Seelowitz (Židlochovice Castle), 20 November 1874) was the second son of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen (1771–1847) and Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg, and the maternal grandfather of King Alfonso XIII of Spain. A son of