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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia. The man who killed him was named Gavrilo Princip and he was only 19 years old at the time. Ferdinand was heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire and when he was assassinated many people were angry. This sparked WWI because Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Russia, France, Belgium, Serbia, and Great Britain had all teamed up against Germany and Austria-Hungary all within a week and that begun WWI. -
Germany Invades Belgium
Germany invaded Belgium which began WWI. On August 2nd the German government wrote a letter to the Belgian government telling them to give them permission to go through Belgium so that they could get to Paris, France easier. The next day, August 3rd, Belgium replied to Germany denying them permission to cross through their country. The same day Germany declared war on France. The next day Germany invaded Belgium which caused Britain to join the war defending Belgium’s choice to remain neutral. -
Germany Uses Chemical Warfare
The Germans fire shells filled with chlorine gas at the Allied lines. It was the first time that large amounts of gas were used in a battle. It almost caused the French lines to fall but the Germans did not take advantage of this. People started saying that Germany breached the Hague Conventions but Germany said that France broke it first. Germany continued to use chemical warfare throughout the rest of the war. -
Lusitania Sinks
The British ocean liner called the Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine. In 20 minutes the ship sank into the Celtic Sea. There were 1,959 passengers and 1,198 died, and 128 of those dead were American. That action got the attention of many Americans but Germany said that they had given many warnings. Later we found out that the Lusitania had about 173 tons of war munitions for Great Britain so the Germans said their attack was justified. -
Zimmermann Telegram
British codebreakers intercepted a message that was from Germany to Mexico. It was called the Zimmermann Telegram and it was a proposal for for Mexico to take sides with Germany in the war. They wanted to get Mexico to be on their side in case that the U.S entered the war so that they could attack them from a closer area. Germany promised to win back the land the U.S. took if Mexico agreed but Mexico declined Germany’s offer. -
Germany Resumes Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
German U boats continue to use unrestricted submarine warfare. They had stopped in response to the pressure of neutral countries including the United States. Unrestricted warfare had first started in early 1915 when the Germans began attacking ships around the British Isles even if the ships were from neutral countries or merchant ships. This type of fighting is what got the United States into the war. -
U.S. Enters the War
The U.S. and Britain were good trading partners so tension between the U.S. and Germany rose. The U.S. would send ships to Britain but they would be sunk by German mines. Germany declared unrestricted warfare against all ships even if they were neutral. A month later a German cruiser sank the William P. Frye which made President Wilson very mad but Germany said it was a mistake. They kept sinking U.S. ships so Wilson went to Congress to declare war on Germany and 4 days later they said okay. -
Selective Service Act
The Selective Service Act allowed the President to draft soldiers. When Congress had declared war the U.S. army was pretty small and they were not trained well. The Selective Service Act made all men between the ages of 21 through 30 to register themselves for military service. After some months there were 10 million men that were registered. At the end of the war there around 24 million men registered and out of the 4.8 million Americans who fought in the war about 2.8 million were drafted. -
Charles Stanley Lamb - Letter to his Dad
Charles wrote to his dad and told him that he got his uniform and a gun. He tells his dad what he does in the mornings to get prepared for the day. He tells him about all the food that they have there and that it all goes on the same plate and it can get pretty messy. He also tells him how he thinks it’s funny how things are set up and how the organizations work. -
Charles Stanley Lamb - Letter to his Mom
He wrote to his mom about how he went to New York with his associate clerk because they had never been there. He talked about how they went to the top of the Woolworth building and looked at the city. He talks about how clear the day was and that he could see all the way into the bay and up into the river. He also talks about how they are getting new gear and that the week coming up is going to be busy. -
Charles Stanley Lamb - Letter to his Folks
This was a short letter that he wrote to his folks. He tells them that they have to pack a lot of stuff and then unpack. He says that they are getting a lot of junk and that most of the things that they are getting are to keep their equipment clean. He has a lot on his mind and he can’t think of what to write. -
Charles Stanley Lamb - Letter to his Dad from France
Charles writes to his dad and tells him that he liked the trip to France. He said that they are in a “beautiful wood near an old French concentration Barracks”. He also says that there are a lot of kids going in and out of the camp and that some no some cuss words but they all know how to ask for a cigarette. He also tells us that he’s carrying around a typewriter that is messed up and he could lose his job. -
Battle of Cantigny
The battle of Cantigny was the first major U.S. victory in the war. They captured many German soldiers but the Germans fought back. The U.S. took over the German-held village but the U.S. had experienced 7 counterattacks! The U.S. was helped by France with air cover, artillery, heavy tanks, and teams of flamethrowers. -
Armistice Day
The first World War had ended on the 11th hour of the 11th month of the 11th day. Germany realized that they were not going to win the war and they were low on resources so they signed a armistice agreement with the allied powers. 9 million people died and another 21 million were hurt. There were also about 5 million civilians who died mainly because of diseases, starvation, or exposure. -
Charles Stanley Lamb - Letter to his Mom. Going Home
Charles writes to his mother and tells her how he expects to get discharged tomorrow. He tells her how he thinks 6 months is a long time to wait but he’ll surely get home and he’ll get to get there in 1st class. He also talks about how there was an 18 year old service sergeant who went AWOL for 3 hours so he was given 3 months of hard labor and ⅔ pay. He also talks about how he may get to go home earlier if more soldiers are returned because they won’t need him. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles officially ended the first World War. Germany had agreed to pay all reparations under the Dawes plan and the Young Plan. The treaty was written by the the Allies with almost no help from the Germans. The treaty also set up for World War II because it gave Hitler the opportunity to rise to power.
