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Austrian Archduke Assassinated
There was a massacre in Austria. In June of 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, and so was his wife, Sophie, during their official procession in a motorcade. They were shot and killed by Gavrilo Princip, a 19-year-old Bosnian-Serb nationalist, in Sarajevo. The same day, Austria declared war on Serbia. This was the catalyst for World War I. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/archduke-ferdinand-assassinated -
Declarations of War
Shortly after Ferdinand's assassination, a plethora of major countries began declaring war on each other (between August 1st and August 28th of 1914). Germany declared war on Belgium, Russia, and France. Austria declared war on Belgium and Russia. Britain, Japan, and Montenegro declared war on Germany... The list continues as declarations of war were being fired left and right. https://www.britannica.com/list/timeline-of-world-war-i -
First Battle of the Marne
On September 6, 1914, the First Battle of the Marne ensued. The combatant countries were as follows: Germany, the UK, and France. German units had marched within 30 miles of Paris, but in a span of two days, France reinforced its units with 6,000 infantrymen, causing the Germans to begin digging north of the Aisne River (thus beginning the trench warfare that would continue for the next four years on the Western Front). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_the_Marne -
Battle of Hill 60
On the high ground of Hill 60, an explosion of mines was set off by British units underneath German positions. It was the first time the British had used this tactic to wipe enemies out of their defenses. After mildly fierce fighting, the British captured the hill victoriously. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHvaLDe-xiY -
Second Battle of Ypres
In this battle, German units released around 168 tons of chlorine gas into the Western Front. The gas attack stretched for around 7 kilometers and proved to have had an instant, powerful effect. Casualties were suffered by the French in minutes--leaving 6,000 troops dead, blind, or with lung damage. Eventually, the chlorine gas settled into French positions, and anyone fleeing it wound up in the line of fire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHvaLDe-xiY -
Lusitania Torpedoed
Off of the southern coast of Ireland, The Lusitania, a British ocean liner, was torpedoed by a German U-boat. In 18 minutes, it had sunk completely. There were 1,200 casualties, including 128 U.S. citizens. Onboard the Lusitania was 170+ tons of artillery shells and rifle ammunition at the time of the attack. -
Battle of Verdun
On February 21, 1916, the longest battle of WWI, the Battle of Verdun, began. Germany had the goal of inflicting as many French casualties as possible. The battle was fought in the hills of France, but ironically, Germany wound up suffering just as many casualties as France (300,000+) in the end. The entirety of the battle was ten months. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG3sH5e4ROg -
First Battle of the Somme
July 1, 1916, marks the beginning of the Battle of the Somme. It's one of the most notably bloody battles in WWI and was fought by Germany, Great Britain, and France. The purpose of the battle was to distract French army men from the tension in Verdun and also to weaken the Germans. However, Allies were unable to create a breach in German lines. https://www.bbc.com/timelines/ztngxsg -
Russia Switches Leaders
On March 15th of 1917, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated his throne. He did so after a week of riots in the Russian capital of St. Petersburg. The Romanov Dynasty was overthrown, as Russia was in the middle of a revolution. This lead to the Bolsheviks and Vladimir Lenin taking power in Russia. -
U.S. Declares War on Germany
The United States, on April 6, 1917, declared war on Germany. President Woodrow Wilson had wanted to stay neutral in the war, but the Zimmerman Telegram changed his mind. The message was intercepted and decoded by the United States. The telegram discussed a possible alliance forming between Germany and Mexico that excluded the U.S. -
Cambrai
November 20, 1917, marked the first time tanks were majorly used in combat. British tanks attacked German units in Cambrai and it came as a complete surprise. Britain took 7,500 prisoners of war and British casualties were minute. However, inclement weather rolled in and, ultimately, the British were pushed back. -
Private Charles Robert Bottomley - Event One
Private Bottomley arrived in England after sleeping in the fish market the previous night. At 2:30 pm, three boatloads of troops reported to England and took the train to London. Three hours later, they arrived. Bottomley ate, bathed, and changed his clothes before using the tube to head to Burton Station. -
Private Charles Robert Bottomley - Event Two
Bottomley left Victoria station for Folktown at 6 am and arrived at 9 the same morning. Upon arrival, he went to a rest camp where he stayed for six and a half hours. At 3:30 pm, he marched to the dock and boarded the Onward. He arrived in Boulange around 6:30 pm and stayed in the rest camp until the morning. -
Private Charles Robert Bottomley - Event Three
Private Bottomley's unit observed a draft parade. Following this, his section spent the afternoon getting vaccinated to prevent Typhoid Fever. This was because their conditions were favorable for the infection. Typhoid is a bacterial disease caused by contaminated food or water. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156859.php#symptoms -
Private Charles Robert Bottomley - Event Four
Bottomley's unit was warned to go down to the horse lines at Neun Le Mines sometime in the evening of March 23rd. It wasn't until 2 am when the units were relieved. However, at 6 am, only four hours later, Germans began shelling Boulange from above. -
Private Charles Robert Bottomley - Event Five
At 1 am, an SOS was called in. Bottomley's unit had to report to their respective positions of action by dawn. Everyone began digging and preparing for an anticipated German attack. It proved, however, to be for naught. The Germans never struck. -
Private Charles Robert Bottomley - Event Six
From 1 am to 6 am, Bottomley fired on German-occupied roads. Germany was firing six-inch batteries with gas shells. Bottomley did the same, but added bits of shrapnel. Germany retaliated with mustard gas. -
Private Charles Robert Bottomley - Event Seven
Bottomley woke at 5 am for retaliation against the German-released mustard gas. The gas had permeated the air in the town. Bottomley fired 25+ rounds of high explosives before returning to bed. Shortly after, his unit received an order to pack their kits. Then, they walked eight kilometers to their horse lines where they slept in huts. -
Private Charles Robert Bottomley - Event Eight
Bottomley was working the gun park. Many members of his unit were falling ill with a sickness. He observed that German troops were also. -
Treaty of Versailles
On June 28, 1919, World War One officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed. The treaty was negotiated between January and June of 1919 in Paris, France, by the Allies. The Germans were excluded from this process. However, Germany still signed the treaty. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/treaty-of-versailles-1
