Muhamed Mehmedbašić
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Muhamed Mehmedbašić was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A member of the nobility, Mehmedbašić joined the Black Hand secret society and in 1914 was chosen to assassinate General Oskar Potiorek, Governor of the Austrian provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina, with a poisoned dagger. After one failed attempt, Mehmedbašić was recruited by Danilo Ilić to join the plot to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
On Sunday, June 28, 1914, the Archduke and his wife, Sophie Chotek, arrived in Sarajevo by train. General Oskar Potiorek, Governor of the Austrian provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina, was waiting to take the royal party to the Tow for the official reception.
Seven assassins lined the route. They were spaced out along the Appel Quay, each one had been instructed to try and kill Franz Ferdinand when the royal car reached his position. The first conspirator on the route to see the royal car was Muhamed Mehmedbašić. Standing by the Austro-Hungarian Bank, Mehmedbašić lost his nerve and allowed the car pass without taking action. Mehmedbašić later said that a policeman was standing behind him and feared he would be arrested before he had a chance to throw his bomb.
Later that day the Archduke and his wife were assassinated by Gavrilo Princip. Princip and Nedeljko Čabrinović were captured and interrogated by the police. They eventually gave the names of their fellow conspirators. Mehmedbašić managed to escape to Serbia but Danilo Ilić, Veljko Čubrilović, Vaso Čubrilović, Cvjetko Popović and Miško Jovanović were arrested and charged with treason and murder.
After the First World War Mehmedbašić returned to Sarajevo and in 1919 was pardoned for his role in the assassination. Muhamed Mehmedbašić was killed by Ustashe, in Sarajevo, on May 29, 1943, during the Second World War. By other sources he died from typhus in 1943.
[edit] References
- Black Hand Over Europe, Henri Pozzi, 1935
- The Black Hand: The Secret Serbian Terrorist Society, Micheal Shackelford [[1]]
