[Ennath]

June 28, 1914
Bosnia, Austria-Hungary Celebrating St. Vitus’ Day commemorating Serbia’s rebellion and independence from Turkey, spectators line the streets of Sarajevo awaiting the open car of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian throne and his beloved wife, Duchess Sophie of Hohenberg, who are accompanied by General Oskar Potiorek, military governor of Bosnia. It is the royal couple’s fourteenth wedding anniversary. Among the onlookers lurk seven youthful Serbian nationalists, ostensibly associated with the Black Hand terrorist group, who are intent on assassinating the archduke in an effort to gain added recognition for Serbia, where he is considered a villain. As the archduke’s car traverses the Cumuria Bridge, one of the conspirators hurls a bomb. The driver, spotting the missile, speeds forward as the archduke throws up his arms to protect his wife. The bomb bounces off the folded-back convertible roof to explode beneath the following car, wounding two officers and twenty spectators. After a brief pause, the procession moves on to City Hall. Here the archduke berates Potiorek and considers cutting short his visit. Potiorek reassures him: “Do you think Sarajevo is filled with assassins?” The archduke then decides to alter his route, asserting that it is his duty to visit the bomb victims in the hospital. The duchess insists on accompanying him, despite his protestations of concern for her safety. En route, their driver makes a wrong turn and breaks abruptly in order to turn around. In this instant one of the conspirators, Gavrilo Princip, steps to within a few feet of the car and fires two shots. One bullet pierces the archduke’s neck, the other the duchess’s abdomen. Momentarily they appear to be unhurt. But suddenly blood spurts from the archduke’s mouth and Sophie collapses unconscious. Franz Ferdinand bends over his wife, begging her to survive for their children. General Potiorek orders the driver to speed ahead. The archduke’s aid asks if he is in pain. The archduke responds, “It is nothing” – his final words. It is now eleven o’clock in the morning.
Austria-Hungary The vacationing Emperor Franz Josef is informed during the night that his nephew and nephew’s wife have been assassinated by a Serb. Expressing no sense of outrage, the emperor declares calmly that the incident will probably serve to enhance order in his troubled domain.
Germany Kaiser Wilhelm II is racing his yacht Meteor in Kiel Bay when a launch brings news of the assassination. He blanches but otherwise accepts the news undemonstratively.

June 28, 1915
Western Front There is a small French advance near Souchez.
Baltic Sea German ships bombard Windau.
Black Sea The dreadnought Imperator Alexander III enters service, ending the Goeben’s superiority in the Black Sea.
Dardanelles British troops attack Achi Baba, a.k.a. Gully Ravine, gaining up to half a mile.
Cameroon During a tornado, a column of the Nigeria Regiment attacks and routs surprised German outposts at Ngaundere and occupies the town.

June 28 1916
Western Front, Verdun There is heavy fighting at Hill 321, Thiaumont, and Fleury.
Western Front, Somme Although their infantry attack was planned to begin today, the British decide to postpone it until July 1 while continuing the artillery bombardment of the German lines and the barbed wire across the front. There has been a difference in views between Haig and Rawlinson. Haig believes in the great push to crack the enemy line to enable the cavalry to rush through. Rawlinson sees success in terms of “bites” of German territory, but is overruled.
Germany Spartkist leader Karl Liebknecht is dismissed from the army and sentenced to two years’ hard labor.
Eastern Front Heavy fighting continues near Lutsk. The Russians cross the Styrpa, but fresh German forces drive them back. The Austrians are defeated on a 25-mile front near Kolomea, with 9000 prisoners and retreat behind the Pruth and Dniestr. A German attack in the Riga sector is repulsed.
Italian Front The Italians have regained half the positions lost to the Austrian offensive.
Mexico Carranza orders the release of the Americans captured at Carrizal, defusing the tension between Mexico and the United States.

June 28, 1917
Western Front British attacks along the Souchez take Oppy. At Verdun, the Germans take some trenches on Hill 304.
British Command Sir Edmund Allenby is appointed commander of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in Palestine. The assignment comes with a simple statement from the Prime Minister: “I’d like you to take Jerusalem as a Christmas present for the nation.” Sir Julian Byng replaces Allenby at 3rd Army. Command of the Canadian Corps goes to Canadian Sir Arthur Currie.

June 28, 1918
Western Front The French secure Cutry Plateau.
Russia Soviet leaders have learned of the weakness of Allied forces in Russia and determine to attack the garrisons strung out along the Murmansk railway. A British-Serbian relief column bluffs the Soviets at Kandalaksha into disarming.
Arabia Arabs capture Kalaat el Almar, 200 miles north of Medina.

June 28, 1919
Diplomatic Relations The Treaty of Versailles is concluded. Germany is to be restricted to an army of 100,000 and not allowed tanks, military aircraft, or submarines. The Navy is permitted to retain two pre-dreadnoughts and a few cruisers. The Rhineland is to be occupied by Allied forces. Considerable reparations are to be paid but the amount of the burden is not yet fixed and Germany is forced to accept full responsibility for the war. Similar treaties with the other defeated Central Powers redraw the map of Europe. From the wreck of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire a whole group of new states is created. Each of these states has grievances against the others and none has a wholly homogeneous population. East Prussia is divided from the rest of Germany by a “Polish Corridor” designed to give the new nation access to the sea and Danzig becomes a Free City. Switzerland’s perpetual neutrality is recognized. The Charter of the League of Nations is part of the Versailles agreement but its scope is, according to conventional wisdom, left substantially weakened by the refusal of the United States Congress to ratify it.
The failure of the treaty to return Tsingtao leads to a Chinese refusal to sign.
Germany The Deutsche Zeitung reflects German opinion on the Treaty. “The German people will, with unstinting labor, work to regain the place among the nations to which it is justly entitled. Then will come vengeance for the shame of 1919.”