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Table of Contents
Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke (which is like a prince) of Austria and, from 1896 until his death, he was next in line to be the emperor of the former country called Austria-Hungary. He was killed in the city Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip. Because of this, Austria declared war against Serbia, which started the first World War. See the fact file below for more information and facts about the Archduke Franz Ferdinand or download the comprehensive 11 page study pack which includes a number of worksheets suitable for the classroom or home environment.
Franz Ferdinand was a very important man in history and his story is closely related to WW1 and the events that led to the First World War conflict.
- Franz Ferdinand was an Austrian archduke and a Hungarian and Bohemian prince. He was heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne from 1896 until his death in 1914.
- He was born in Graz, Austrian Empire on 18 December 1863. Franz’ father Karl Ludwig was first in line for the throne, but when he died of typhoid fever in 1896 Franz Ferdinand became the next in line.
- Franz Ferdinand joined the army at a young age and rose up the ranks quickly. He was very frequently promoted in short succession. He was given the rank of lieutenant at age 14, became a captain at 22, was a colonel at 27 and was promoted to major general at 31.
- Franz enjoyed hunting deer, kangaroo and emu and enjoyed to travel. He hunted emu and kangaroo in Australia in 1893 and travelled to many places including Nouméa, New Hebrides, Solomon Islands, New Guinea, Sarawak, Hong Kong, and Japan. He also took a return trip to Austria by sailing on the RMS Empress of China from Yokohama to Vancouver.
- He married Sophie Chotek, a Countess, in July, 1900. The archduke met the Sophie Chotek at a ball in Prague in 1894 and they married six years later at Reichstadt (now Zákupy) in Bohemia. She had no claim to the throne in the event of his death and she was forced to sit away from him at public events and in the royal car.
- Franz Ferdinand had ambitious plans for the Austrian Empire. He wanted to federalize Austria-Hungary and have 16 member states with separate governments – similar to the United States of America today. He also wanted to ensure that the ethnic Slavs had a voice in these state governments.
- The Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed in Sarajevo on Sunday, 28 June 1914, at approximately 10:45 am. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand was planned and executed by a secret Serbian military society called The Black Hand. They were both shot by a 19 year old Bosnian-Serb called Gavrilo Princip.
- The car Franz and Sophie Chotek were killed in is kept at the Vienna Military History Museum. The car was a 1911 Gräf & Stift Bois de Boulogne phaeton automobile.
- The Archduke had only just survived an assassination attempt a few hours prior to his death. The couple had the top down so the crowds could see them and a man by the name of Nedeljko Čabrinović threw a grenade at their car. However, the bomb detonated behind them, hurting the occupants in the following car.
- The bullet that killed Franz Ferdinand is in a museum in a castle in the Czech Republic. It is sometimes described as the “bullet that started World War I”.
- The assassination of Franz Ferdinand was one of the immediate triggers that started World War 1 on July 28, 1914. After his assassination, the Austria-Hungary Empire declared war on Serbia, which start the chain of events that became WW1.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Worksheets
This bundle includes 11 ready-to-use Archduke Franz Ferdinand worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about Franz Ferdinand who was an Archduke (which is like a prince) of Austria and, from 1896 until his death, he was next in line to be the emperor of the former country called Austria-Hungary 1826. His death ultimately started the First world war.
This download includes the following worksheets:
- Archduke Franz Ferdinand Facts
- The Archduke
- Police Report
- The Black Hand
- The Austro-Hungarian Empire
- Modified TRUE or FALSE
- World War I Fast Facts
- Word Search
- Who’s Who?
- Time Machine
- Headline
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Link will appear as Archduke Franz Ferdinand Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 25, 2017
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.