Human civilization! In fact, the history of this human civilization is a history of conflict. That is the fight for survival! The form of the world we see today did not come automatically. There are many evolutions, many wars, and conflicts behind it. Over time, each context has shaped the world. This is the touch of change, the change, all this has happened through some work of man. Many small things may have changed the world a lot. There are many such things in the twist of history. By changing the route of a car in the context of the First World War, it can be said that the history of the world has changed. Well, think about it, if World War I had not been organized, what would be the position of the world today?
This capitalism, the struggle for socialism, liberalism, neo-liberalism, the borders of the country, the division of the country, the political and diplomatic relations would not be the same as they are now, because if not for the world war, the whole world would be completely different.
An Assassination, a Car, and the Outbreak of the First World War
Many cars have changed the world in the 20th century. From time to time one car came and changed the social system and the way of life. However, the Austrian car manufacturer Graf & Stift will be the most memorable in the history of the world. It is part of the turning point in history. The car shook the whole world, including Europe, in the context of the assassination. In the event of a whole world war, a car is involved.
The incident started on June 28, 1914. The Crown Prince, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife Sophie were shot dead by Bosnian nationalist Gabrielle Princip. This is a significant event in the history of the world. The assassination marked the beginning of World War I, which resulted in the deaths of 16 million military and civilian people. The two were not supposed to get in the car they were traveling in. But in the cruel irony of fate, he was going on a tour in that car and was killed by the assassin. World War I began.
The name of the car is Graf & Stift 28/32 ps Double Phateon
How did the Car Come to the Royal Family?
Horse-drawn carriages were common before automobiles. Fancy and royal families, in particular, relied on horse-drawn carriages. The advent of cars in the context of time brings changes in it. The advent of cars, various models of manufacturers, luxurious style, became an attractive and reliable means for the royal family. In this context, the rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire began to depend on Graf & Stift. In contrast to horse-drawn carriages, luxury automobiles take their place in their lifestyle. It is important to note that when the last monarch Carl of Habsburg went into exile, departed by driving Graf & Stift.
In particular, the 1911 Graf & Stift 28/32 ps Double Phateon (Engine No 287) was not owned by Archduke but was bought by Franz Von Harrach on December 15, 1910.
In the book Das Auto Von Sarajevo, author Ortner writes that in 1914 the Austrian army suffered a severe budget disruption. For this reason, a private car was given to the Archduke during the Sarajevo visit without a convoy. As a result, they lack security. That private car is Graf & Stift 28/32 ps Double phateon. And this decision is considered to be one of the reasons for their death because they could not have been killed if they had not traveled in this car if they had traveled in a normal convoy.
When Archduke and Sophia were on a tour of Sergevo, their driver was Leopold Lajka, a Hungarian army driver. The assassins are waiting eagerly to attack them. It can be said that they failed at first. But a small change of direction changed everything. The driver abruptly changes lanes, leaving the route and moving on to another route. And this change is like a change in the whole world. This route change brings Prince Archduke Ferdinand and his wife very close to the assassin Gabrielle Princip. And in this opportunity, the assassin starts firing. Life goes on in a moment. And this murder gave birth to new history.
In the 20th century, a visitor named Biran Presland noted a different kind of license, the AIII118. Writer and historian Mike Dash explain it as A (Armistic) 11-11-18, which marks the day of the ceasefire on November 11, 1918. This is the day First World War ended.
Double Phateon is now open to the public at the Vienna Military Museum.
