Dragutin Dimitrijević

Serbian army officer and conspirator

Born: August 17, 1876 · Died: June 24, 1917

War & ConflictPolitics & GovernmentDied on This Day

Dragutin Dimitrijević — Image via Wikimedia Commons or Wikipedia.

Overview

Major work

Significance

Dragutin Dimitrijević, better known by his nickname Apis (Апис), was a Serbian army officer who was the main leader of the Black Hand, a paramilitary secret society devoted to South...

Who was Dragutin Dimitrijević?

Dragutin Dimitrijević, better known by his nickname Apis (Апис), was a Serbian army officer who was the main leader of the Black Hand, a paramilitary secret society devoted to South Slav irredentism that organized the 1903 overthrow of the Serbian government and assassination of King Alexander I of Serbia and Queen Draga. Many scholars believe that he also sanctioned and helped organize the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914. This led directly to the July Crisis and the outbreak of World War I.

Dragutin Dimitrijević (left), Dušan Glišić and Antonije Antić

Related on thisDay

Alexander I, King of Serbia, and Queen Draga Assassinated in Belgrade by the Black Hand — May 29, 1903

29 assassins overthrew King Alexander I in 1903 Belgrade, ending his rule in Serbia completely

Sources and further reading

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Date article: Alexander I, King of Serbia, and Queen Draga Assassinated in Belgrade by the Black Hand — May 29, 1903 Wikipedia source

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MLA

“Dragutin Dimitrijević.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/dragutin-dimitrijevi/. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

APA

Dragutin Dimitrijević. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/dragutin-dimitrijevi/

Chicago

“Dragutin Dimitrijević.” thisDay. Accessed November 2, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/dragutin-dimitrijevi/.

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