Muhamed Mehmedbašić
Muhamed Mehmedbašić (1887 – 29 May 1943) was a Bosnian revolutionary and the main planner in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which led to a sequence of events that resulted in the outbreak of World War I.
Muhamed Mehmedbašić
29 May 1943 (aged 55–56)
Killed by Ustaše
Early life[edit]
Mehmedbašić was born in 1887 into a Bosnian family in Stolac, in the region of Herzegovina (at the time part of Austro-Hungarian Bosnia and Herzegovina).[1] His father was impoverished, formerly part of the Ottoman Bosnian nobility.[2] Mehmedbašić worked as a carpenter.[3] During a Muslim youth organization's trip to Belgrade, Mehmedbašić befriended Mustafa Golubić (another Muslim, also from Stolac) who influenced his revolutionary feelings.[4] Mehmedbašić, as did Mustafa Golubić, identified as Serb Muslim.[3]
While working as a carpenter, Mehmedbašić befriended Black Hand member Danilo Ilić, the main organizer of conspiracy against the Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[1] He joined the Young Bosnia revolutionary organization and became a colleague of its ideologue Vladimir Gaćinović,[1] who was also a member of the Black Hand.[5] As Mehmedbašić held strong Serbian nationalist sentiment, and Ilić and Gaćinović saw a strong character in him, he was given delicate duties.[1] He was sworn into the Black Hand by Provincial Director for Bosnia-Herzegovina Vladimir Gaćinović and Danilo Ilić.[6] In 1912–13, Serbia fought in the Balkan Wars. Black Hand founding member Vojislav Tankosić led a Chetnik detachment, in which many revolutionaries volunteered (including Golubić).
Young Bosnia[edit]
Potiorek assassination plot[edit]
In late 1913, Danilo Ilić recommended the end of revolutionary organization building and a move to direct action against Austria-Hungary when meeting a Serbian captain and fellow Black Hand member in Užice. Ilić then met with Chief of Serbian Military Intelligence Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijević "Apis", the leader of the Black Hand, to discuss the matter. [7] Apis' right hand, Serbian Major Vojislav Tankosić, called an action planning meeting in Toulouse, France.[8] On Orthodox New Year, Golubić called Mehmedbašić, who was in Stolac, to immediately come to the meeting in Toulouse.[4] During this January 1914 meeting, various possible Austro-Hungarian targets for assassination were discussed, including Franz Ferdinand. However, it was decided only to kill the Governor of Bosnia, Oskar Potiorek.[6] The assassination plot was organized in Toulouse by Gaćinović and Golubić.[9] Mehmedbašić was chosen for the task.[9] He had left Stolac with 300 krone borrowed to finance the plot.[9] Mehmedbašić was (according to himself) "eager to carry out an act of terrorism to revive the revolutionary spirit of Bosnia."[6] He was given a Swedish knife containing poison.[10][11]
Mehmedbašić arrived at Dubrovnik by steamship, and then traveled by train.[10] At the Hum train station, on the way to Sarajevo, gendarmes searched the train; fearing they were on to him, he threw the knife out the window.[10][6] Potiorek was planned to be assassinated at the end of March 1914, when the new mufti Čaušević was to be enthroned in Sarajevo.[12] However, upon hearing that Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria would come to Sarajevo on Vidovdan, the Black Hand changed their minds.[9] The Archduke's scheduled visit on Vidovdan (28 June), a Serbian national holiday, was perceived as an insult.[13] Ilić summoned Mehmedbašić and informed him on 26 March that the plan now was to murder Archduke Franz Ferdinand, as ordered by Apis,[14] and Mehmedbašić should stand by for the new operation.[15] Mehmedbašić said during talks of the assassination that "half of Bosnia and Herzegovina will join the plot, and the other half will approve everything we do".[11]