what was the black hand
The Black Hand was a secret military society formed in 1911 by officers in the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia. Its full name was "Unification or Death" (Уједињење или смрт / Ujedinjenje ili Smrt), and it was founded with the primary aim of creating a Greater Serbia through the use of violence and terrorism, mainly by targeting the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Members of the Black Hand were involved in many political assassinations and other violent activities, most notably the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in June 1914, which was a key catalyst for the outbreak of World War I. The assassination was carried out by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist associated with the Young Bosnia organization, which was linked to the Black Hand.
The secretive nature of the society and its violent methods led to it being regarded as a terrorist organization by many during that time. Following the outbreak of World War I and the increased scrutiny of secret societies, the Black Hand's influence waned, and it was officially disbanded in 1917. However, its legacy persisted as it had played a pivotal role in the events that led to one of the most devastating conflicts in history.