In the 45th episode of the Actualitica Podcast, the guest is Croatian historian, publicist, and foreign policy analyst Dr. Tihomir Rajčić. The topic of the episode: the Sarajevo assassination of 1914.
What motivated him to write the book “Serbia’s Guilt for the First World War”? In what geopolitical circumstances was Europe on the eve of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914? To what extent did alliances, imperial ambitions, and internal crises of the great powers influence the escalation in the summer of 1914? What was the political and social situation in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia like? What kind of organizations were Narodna Odbrana, the infamous Black Hand, and Young Bosnia? What was the relationship between these secret organizations and the Serbian state?
Why was the assassination successful, and how did Gavrilo Princip carry out his fatal act? How did the Austro-Hungarian investigation proceed after the assassination, and what was Serbia’s attitude toward the investigators? What are the key similarities and differences between Serbia in 1914 and in 2026? Clear answers to these and other questions are provided by our distinguished guest. Definitely worth watching! Editor and host: Matija Šerić.
