The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand is often remembered as the spark that lit the fire of World War I. But what many people don’t know is how absurdly unlucky — and oddly comedic — the first assassination attempt was. From a bomb with a delayed fuse to a series of clumsy mistakes, the whole event feels like it came straight out of a dark comedy.

The assassin threw a bomb at the Archduke’s car, only to forget it had a 10-second delay. The explosion missed and hit the car behind. Panicking, he swallowed poison — but it was expired and only made him vomit. He then jumped into a canal to drown, but the water was only 13 cm deep. By the end, soaked and sick, he was simply arrested. It’s hard to believe such a chaotic failure could be part of such a serious moment in history.

This story made me laugh at first — it’s so ridiculous it sounds fictional. But then I felt something deeper: even the most clumsy, seemingly insignificant actions can lead to massive consequences. Despite all the failure, this event still set off a chain reaction that changed the world forever. It’s a strange, powerful reminder of how fragile history can be.

In the end, this bizarre tale isn’t just about failure — it’s about unpredictability. It taught me that even when things go completely off-script, the impact can still be enormous. Sometimes, it’s not precision that shapes the future, but sheer timing, chaos, and chance. And that’s both terrifying and fascinating.