Francis Ferdinand

American  

noun

1. 1863–1914, archduke of Austria: heir apparent to the thrones of Austria and Hungary whose assassination precipitated the outbreak of World War I (nephew of Francis Joseph I).

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Example Sentences

But the day before it was due to take place Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated in Sarajevo.

From BBC • Aug. 27, 2014

Into the Vienna gallery strode the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the crowns of Austria and Hungary.

From Time Magazine Archive

First to genuflect came Duke Maximilian of Hohenberg, the assassination of whose father, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, set off a war in July 1914.

From Time Magazine Archive

One he held betwixt thumb and forefinger as his automobile proceeded down the street in which the Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria and his wife were assassinated�thus starting the World War.

From Time Magazine Archive

Archduke Francis Ferdinand, described by an escort as being “half-boor, half-tightwad,” roamed the grounds incognito—but much preferred the vice districts of Chicago.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson