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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
The main event that started it all. On June 23, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian terrorist. When the Archduke and his wife were riding through the city, Princip ran to the car, opened the door, and shot the couple. This caused a war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Serbian nationalists hoped this would start a war to take down Austria-Hungary. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
This british ship was sunken by a German U-Boat on May 7, 1915. German troops assumed that the Lusitania was carrying ammunition. At 2:10 in the afternoon, he Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk in just 18 minutes. Over 1,000 Americans were killed, which led to the U.S. turning against Germany -
Battle of Somme
The Battle of Somme was one of the largest wars in WWI. The war was between the British and Allies, and took place near the Somme River in France. What was supposed to be a great victory, ended in defeat. Just on the first day, over 57,000 British casualties were killed. During this war, the British lost over 420,000 casualties, and the Allied Powers lost over 1.5 million men. -
Introduction of Gustav Hermann Kissel
Gustav H. Kissel graduated from Harvard in 1917. He was accepted into the Air Service, and left for training in the Summer to England due to shortages of planes and equipment. He was transported to France, England to serve in the Army, as well. Kissel was a lieutenant at some point during his service. He kept a diary before his first mission on April 12. -
Women Join the Military
WWI was the first war women could officially serve in. Unfortunately, this did not include combat positions. Women served as nurses, electricians, photographers, pharmacists, and more. In the early 1900’s, women only served in the navy. When WWI began, women were serving in both the army, and the navy. By the end of the war, about 20,000 women were serving in total. -
U.S. Declares War
Although for years, America remained neutral, the people were very divided with their opinions on whether or not the United States should go to war. Some believed that we needed to be prepared, while others saw that as a sign that we would enter the war. Between February 3 and March 21 of 1915, Germany managed to sink six American ships. When a telegram was leaked the U.S. was angry. President Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. On April 2, 1917, the U.S. officially declared war. -
Russia Leaves the War
In March, riots broke out in Russia because nobody liked how the Government was handling the war. Food and fuel was getting scarce. The government wanted Russia to stay in the war. Unfortunately, the government couldn’t fix the food shortages in the nation. The Bolshevik Party overthrew the government, and established a communist government in November 1917. -
NWLB was Established
In order to prevent strike from disrupting the war effort, government officials created the National War Labor Board. Including 12 members, this was attempted to resolve labor disputes that could otherwise lead to strikes. This was appointed by Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States. The NWLB supported equal pay for women, an eight-hour workday, and opposed the disruption of war production by strikes. The NWLB gave unions the right to organize and bargain altogether. -
Kissel Leaves for the Overseas
On Thursday morning, Kissel is informed that him and five other american “camel” pilots must leave that night. He packs his things and gets ready to leave. As he gets on the train, he says his goodbyes. On Wednesday, he gets on the “troop train” where he sets off to Amiens to get ready for his first mission. For the next few days, he will relax and fly to get ready for April 12. -
German Spring Offensive
The German Spring Offensive was Germany’s attempt to end World War One. This was a series of German attacks along the Western Front. There were four German offensives; Michael, Georgette, Gneisenau, and Blücher-Yorck. By the beginning of 1918, Allied troops were exhausted from being at war with the Germans. The Germans made significant gains with their initial assaults. -
More Flying Practice for Kissel
Kissel talks about his not-so-pleasant day. He discovers that six officers went missing, and has to write a detailed description of all of their things. At the end of his diary entry, he says that he is glad to be finished. On April 2, him and the other flyers practiced their flips and formations. Kissel doesn’t know it yet, but he is very close to leaving for his first mission. -
British Royal Air Force
On April 1, 1918, the British Royal Air Force was formed. By the end of the war, the RAF had dropped over 5 tons of bombs, and claimed air superiority along the Western Front. They also contributed to the Allied victory over Germany. World War One was the first war where air power actually made a big impact. The RAF is one of the biggest and largest air forces in the world. -
Kissel's First Mission
On this day, Kissel went on his first mission. He flew with the British Royal Air Force. On this mission, his squadron encountered a lot of enemy planes. He was shot over Flanders, and was killed. He is the only American buried in in the Pont du Hem Cemetery near Armentieres, France. -
Battle of St. Mihiel
On September 12, 1918, the American Expeditionary Force launched their first major offensive attack as an independent army. Trenches filled with water at the rain poured down, and many tanks were wiped out. Despite these conditions, the attack was successful. The German troops decided to abandon the salient. By the 16th, Saint-Mihiel was free of German occupation. French forces continued to hammer the Germans, and the Allied powers got even closer to victory. -
World War One Ends
At 5 in the morning on November 11th, Germany and the Allies signed an armistice agreement in a railroad car in France. On the 11th day of the 11th month, at 11 am, the war had ended. This is now called Armistice Day, dedicated to world peace. With about 17 million people dead in total, the “war the end all wars” was over. Known as the Treaty of Versailles, this peace treaty was the official document signed to end battling conflict on June 28, 1919.
