Chapter Five

Chapter Five Introduction | Year 9 role play: Murder at Sarajevo |
Year 8 History Play, The French Revolution, ‘The Terror’ | Elizabethan role play: Elizabethan religion | Bibliography

Characters:

Narrator
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke’s wife
Driver of the car
Bosnian crowd (3 people)
Gavrilo Princip, Serb terrorist
2nd Serb terrorist
Policeman
Doctor
Nurses (2)

Scene 1 The main street in Sarajevo

Narrator: It is the 28th June 1914. Here we are in Sarajevo. It is 30 degrees centigrade and everyone is sweating buckets. A massive crowd is lining the streets, and they are cheering and booing loudly. They are here to see two people in particular – Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. The visit has been planned for weeks, but some of the police are not sure that the two visitors will be safe. There are rumours that some Serb terrorists are in the crowd and that they are planning an attack. Anyway, let me introduce you to the Archduke – he’s about forty-five years old, a bit fat and a bit pompous. And, er, that’s about it!!

Archduke: God, it’s hot here. I don’t even know why we’ve come. I only came because my Dad told me too. He’s 85 – the sooner he pops his clogs the quicker I can become Emperor of Austria and get my hands on all that lovely loot. Still, better meet these horrible Serb peasants, I suppose. I’ll be their leader in a few years’ time.

Archduke’s wife: Do you ever stop moaning? It’s a lovely day – why don’t you just shake their hands and get it over with? There’s meant to be a nice lunch today with the mayor.

Archduke: Oh, all right, stop fussing woman. I’ll just shake a few hands then. [shakes hands with some of the crowd]. Hello – charming to meet you I’m sure. [mutters under breath – Nice muddy face – do you ever wash you scumbag?]

Bosnian crowd (1): Good day your excellency – nice to meet you. Anyway, must get back to my pigs – they’re what Bosnia’s famous for you know. I only came here to see you.

Bosnian crowd (2): Your Excellency!! YOUR EXCELLENCY!!! That’s a joke. This fat bloater shouldn’t even be here. This is our land, Serb land. The Austrians shouldn’t even be here. Why don’t you shift yourself back to where you came from? And that fat ugly wife of yours.

Archduke: I beg your pardon? Anyway she’s not that fat . . .

Bosnian crowd (3): You heard – go on, get out of town as soon as you can. The road’s that way.

Policeman: That’s enough of that. Remember who you’re talking to. I could have you arrested and tortured for what you’ve just said. I’m sorry, your excellency, but these peasants! You just can’t deal with this riff raff strongly enough, I say.

2nd Serb terrorist: Hey, Gavrilo, look, the old goat’s stopped. We might get our chance now. Have you got the bomb ready? That’s it, keep it under your coat. And for God’s sake, don’t drop it.

Gavrilo Princip: Don’t worry – I don’t intend to drop this just yet. Anyway here he comes – I’m going to light it now. Here goes – thirty seconds till it goes off!!!

Narrator: By this time, the crowd was getting restless and a bit angry. The policeman arrested the peasants and was leading them away. For a crucial few seconds there was no-one guarding the Archduke.

Archduke: OK, driver, I think it’s all clear now. Let’s see what this baby can do. 4 miles an hour top speed, I think.

Driver: OK, chief, you’re the boss.

2nd Serb terrorist: Now Gavrilo, do it!!

Gavrilo Princip: Death to the Austrians!! Catch this, your excellency (gently throws bomb at Archduke)

Archduke: Eh? Oh, my God – here, wife you take it.

Archduke’s wife: I don’t want it – you have it back. [Archduke takes it out and throws it into the crowd]

Narrator: The bomb went off in the crowd, killing lots of people, including one of the terrorists. Princip ran off thinking that he had missed his chance and ended up close to the hospital.

Archduke’s wife: Oh, those poor people – we shall have to visit the wounded in hospital, you know. Are you all right?

Archduke: That’s it, think of those peasants before me. Do you know what, I don’t know what I ever saw in you. Oh God, come on then, let’s go to the hospital.

Scene 2 The Hospital

Narrator: Most of the wounded ended up in Sarajevo’s main hospital. Only a doctor and two nurses were on duty at the time.

Doctor: Oh, fantastic – look at the state of this lot. Arms missing, eyes missing. Just what exactly am I supposed to do. We’ve only just invented anaesthetic and our operations aren’t exactly the best.

Nurse 1: We’ll just have to do our best, I guess. [Archduke and Archduke’s wife come in]

Archduke: Oh, my God, what a smell – I think I’m going to barf. Do we really have to come here? I hate these people anyway.

Archduke’s wife: Yes, we do – you’re probably responsible for these people getting injured you know.

Archduke: Oh, all right, then. Good afternoon, doctor. How’s tricks?

Doctor: Yeah, not bad. Do you think you could hold this arm I’ve just amputated? Apart from all of these wounded – no real problems. Just another day at the office really.

Archduke: Now I am going to be sick. We’re just visiting to see how these people are. Is there any chance they’ll be all right? Bombs are nasty things, aren’t they?

Doctor: No, they’re all going to die. Apart from that, they’ll be fine. Goodbye, I’m terribly busy.

Archduke: What a rude man! Come on. Let’s get out of this dump. I’m hungry and I want my lunch.

Narrator: The Archduke and his wife got back into the car. However, the driver was having some problems.

Driver: Come on you git, start. Turn the handle and, hooray, she’s off.

Archduke’s wife: Come on, you wretched little man – we haven’t got all day.

Archduke: If you don’t get going soon, I’ll have you flogged until your back is running with blood.

Driver: OK sir, no problem. Here we go.

Narrator: The car drove off from the hospital, but after a couple of minutes the driver was having problems. He was lost and then the engine of the car just stopped for no reason.

Archduke: Oh, what now? Are you a complete idiot or what?

Driver: Sorry, sir, I think I took a wrong turn back there. I’ll have to put her into reverse and then go back the way we came.

Narrator: But they never made it. At exactly that moment, Gavrilo Princip was walking on the other side of the road. He had been visiting people in the hospital. He also had a gun with two bullets left in it.

Gavrilo Princip: Oh, I’ll never get them now. My one big chance and I blew it. But, hang on a sec – who have we got here? You appear to be stuck – do you want any help?

Narrator: It was now that Princip took his chance. He picked up his gun, took aim and fired. BANG! The first bullet hit the Archduke’s wife and went through her throat through her neck and embedded itself in the car.

Archduke’s wife: Gurgle gurgle, I appear to be dying.

Narrator: Princip aimed again. The second bullet hit the Archduke in the chest.

Archduke: I say, that’s not very nice, you know. You could have killed me – oh dear, I think you have.

Narrator: Two Austrian corpses now lay in the street, their blood oozing onto the hot tarmac of the street. And because of the bomb, the visit to the hospital, the driver taking the wrong turn, and lucky Princip being in the right place at the right time, two bullets led to the start of the First World War and twenty million deaths.