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 Joseph Franz of Austria place of his siblings Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, Ferdinand I of Austria, Archduchess Marie Caroline of Austria, Archduchess Caroline Ludovika of Austria, Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, Archduke Johann Nepomuk of Austria, Archduchess Amalie Theresa of Austria, and (possibly) Archduke Franz Karl of Austria. His parents, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, and his great-grandmother, Maria Theresa of Austria, are also buried there. Archduke Joseph Franz of Austria Archduke Joseph Franz Leopold of Austria (9 April 1799 – 30 June 1807) was the second son and seventh child of Francis II, the last