Paper accepted on 27 December 2024
https://doi.org/10.18485/sres.2024.3.2.6
ABSTRACT: Gavrilo Princip, the Bosnian Serb who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in 1914, remains a complex and controversial figure in the historical narratives of the countries formed upon the breakup of former Yugoslavia, particularly in the Republic of Serbia, Republic of Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This article delves into the multifaceted perspectives on Gavrilo Princip within each of the three mentioned countries, exploring how his actions and legacy are remembered, interpreted, understood, and commemorated. By relying on narrative tracing and content/discourse analysis methods, it asks whether Gavrilo Princip is a freedom fighter or a terrorist – a hero or an enemy – in the eyes of modern-day Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks. The article is divided into five parts, covering the introduction, theory and methods, the historical context, and the perspectives from contemporary Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, with concluding remarks rounding off the discussion. The article concludes that perceptions of Princip are closely intertwined with specific national identities and diverging historical memories of each of the three abovementioned nations, which – following the Yugoslav wars – limits the potential for reconciliation in the Western Balkans via the creation of common historical narratives.
KEY WORDS: Gavrilo Princip, World War I, the Balkans, terrorist, freedom fighter.
