The goal of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, was to disrupt the Austro-Hungarian Empire's authority over the Balkans and provoke political change. Assassins from the nationalist group Black Hand sought to promote Serbian interests and avenge the perceived oppression of Slavic peoples under Austro-Hungarian rule. This act of violence ultimately triggered a series of diplomatic crises and militaristic responses, leading to the outbreak of World War I. The assassination exemplifies how nationalist tensions can ignite larger conflicts, significantly reshaping 20th-century geopolitics and global relationships.