A controversial statue of Gavrilo Princip has been built and unveiled in Serbia. Gavrilo Princip has been blamed for causing the outbreak of World War One when he killed the Austrian/Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914.
A year ago the house in which Gavrilo was born was restored and opened to the public. The Serbian people herald Gavrilo as a hero who fought for the people’s freedom. While many others in the region believe he was an assassin and the reason that the war started.
The statue of Gavrillo was unveiled this week, coinciding with the 101st year since the of the murdered the prince. Serbia’s president who accepted the statue from the Serb Republic region of Bosnia said that Gavrilo was a hero for the Serbian people and fought for their freedom.
The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I were about 40 million: estimates range from 15 to 19 million deaths and about 23 million wounded military personnel, ranking it among the deadliest conflicts in human history.
The total number of deaths includes from 9 to 11 million military personnel. The civilian death toll was about 8 million, including about 6 million due to war-related famine and disease. The Triple Entente (also known as the Allies) lost about 6 million military personnel while the Central Powers lost about 4 million. At least 2 million died from diseases and 6 million went missing, presumed dead.
Russian casualties were the most catastrophic: according to United States War Dept, total mobilized force 12,000,000. Total casualties 9,150,000 (including Killed and died 1,700,000, wounded 4,950,000, prisoners and missing 2,500,000).
World War One led to the destruction of the Russian Monarchist Government, a chaotic Civil war and the bloody establishment of a communist experiment over Russians. Thank you Gavrilo Princip, the Hero of Serbia!
