photo: Sarajevo - Some History

THE SPARK THAT IGNITED WORLD WAR ONE

This scene looks so peaceful but it was just off the Latin Bridge on June 28, 1914 that Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Ferdinand and provided the spark that ignited World War One .

There had been two Balkan wars in 1912 and 1913 . The Serbs wanted freedom from Austrian-Hungary influence. There had been assassinations of other Austrian - Hungary figures in different parts of the Balkans.

The fact that Princip did not act alone but as part of an organization led by the Serbian Intelligence Service made it government linked and not the act of a lone gunman.worse.

FATE

Incredibly, Princip was not even one of the principal assassins. The plot leader had stationed three men with bombs and grenades at different spots along the route the Archduke was to take on his visit to Sarajevo. The first two men lost their nerve and did nothing. The third man threw his bomb but it flew over the Archduke's car and hit a follow car.

The Archduke was outraged at the attack but he was convinced most people welcomed his visit and further travel would be safe. The new route called for his car to cross the Latin Bridge and follow the right bank. The driver however took the wong turn after the bridge and attempted to back up. In doing so, he stalled the car. Princip, who thought the Archduke dead three times over, could not believe his eyes and he raced across the bridge . He shot Archduke Ferninand once and shot the Duchess Sophie once. Both died within the hour. The spark was ignited.

The Siege of Sarajevo is the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Serb forces of the Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 during the Bosnian War.

The attackers held the high ground and turned the city into a killing zone with artillery and sharpshooters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Sarajevo

A mosque in the old city.

Unlike other countries that had Muslim and Christian living in different parts to the city, Sarajevo was known for tolerance and community. But that was not the case in the 90s.