The Black Hand movement wanted Serbia to be free from Austro-Hungarian rule. The Black Hand movement was founded by Captain Dragutin Dimitrijevic, better known as ‘Apis’. Gavrilo Princip (see photo), the assassin of Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie at Sarajevo on June 28th 1914, was a member of the Black Hand movement. In 1876, Bosnia was given to Austria-Hungary after an agreement between the Russians and Austria-Hungary. Two years later at the Congress of Berlin, Austria-Hungary was given a mandate to govern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbs in Bosnia were not allowed to celebrate St. Sava’s Day, the most important of Serbia’s saints and the singing of Serbia folk songs was banned. In 1908, Austria-Hungary decided to incorporate Bosnia and Herzegovina into her empire. Serbia complained but was threatened with war if there was any attempt made to intervene. On March 31st 1909, Serbia had to issue a statement recognising the new status of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
‘Apis’ refused to accept what had happened to Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1911, he founded ‘Union or Death’, which later became the ‘Black Hand’. This movement had two simple aims: the liberation of all Serbs under foreign rule and the creation of a Kingdom of Serbia that incorporated all Serbs. Any member of ‘Black Hand’ had to sign a form that stated that he/she was willing to give up his/her life for the movement. ‘Black Hand’ set about liasing with other known secret Serb organisations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Terrorist action was encouraged against what ‘Black Hand’ believed were occupying forces.
In 1914, Austria-Hungary announced that she would conduct military manoeuvres in Bosnia next to the Serbian border. To ‘Apis’ and others in the ‘Black Hand’ this was interpreted as an open threat to Serbia. When it was announced that Franz Ferdinand would visit Sarajevo on June 28th, this seemed to confirm in the minds of those in ‘Black Hand’ that Serbia itself was under direct threat. June 28th was one of the most important days in the Serbian calendar as it was on this day that that Battle of Kosovo took place in 1389 when the Serbs fought to the last man against the Turks.