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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was going to Bosnia to visit with his wife.That morning they were both killed by Gavrillo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist. The Archduke was shot in the neck and his wife in the stomach, which killed them both minutes. This event set WWI in motion. -
The war begins
A month after the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, war was declared. Austria-Hungary felt threatened by the assassination of the Archduke. They needed to be prepared in case Serbia tried to invade. After receiving support from their allies, Germany, Austria-Hungary declared war against Serbia. -
Germans fire
The Germans fire shells filled with chlorine gas at Allied lines. This is the first time that large amounts of gas are used in battle, and the result is the near-collapse of the French lines. However, the Germans are unable to take advantage of the breach -
Battle of Somme
The battle of the Somme was meant to draw German soldiers attention away from the battle of Verdun. In just one day, 20,000 British troops were killed and 40,000 were wounded. The battle lasted nearly four and a half months. It resulted in over 1,000,000 casualties including French, British, and German soldiers. -
First tanks were used
The British were the first ones to use tanks in battle. Trench warfare and machine gun fire completely changed this battlefield revolution. The first tank-versus-tank battle occurred between the British and Germans but is viewed as inconclusive because neither side could reach a victory. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman telegram was a coded message sent from Germany to Mexico. The message promised Mexico the return of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas if Mexico sided with Germany, if the United States entered the war. Mexico politely refused because they didn’t have an army to fight the U.S., and they knew Germany couldn’t actually help with anything because they were basically broke themselves. The Zimmerman telegram was decoded by Britain who later alerted the U.S. -
The US joins WWI
The Senate voted for war so President Wilson signed the declaration. That began the pathway to war. Submarine warfare and the Zimmerman telegram were key reasons as to why war was declared against Germany. There were about 133,000 men in the U.S. army, but over the next two years more men were drafted. -
The Lusitania sinks
A passenger ship called Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat. In the matter of minutes, the entire ship sunk. It killed around 1,200 people, 128 who were American Citizens. This attack caused a worldwide outrage. The ship carried ammunition, so Germany felt as if it was an actual target. -
Lucius Byron Nash enlisted in the Navy
Lucius enlisted in the Navy Reserves in August of 1917 as an electrician. He was later recalled to active duty on the USS Salem. After that, he was later assigned to the USS Roanoke. He distributed mines across the North Sea to keep German U-boats from attacking the Atlantic shipping lanes. -
Nash requests leave for 5 days
After being in the Naval service for over a year, Nash requested 5 days off. He was headed to London to see his family. He said he could be communicated with through the Naval Headquarters in London. The letter was granted by his commanding officer. -
Lucius Byron Nash gets promoted
Nash was promoted to Lt. Junior Grade. He got it from serving in the Naval Reserve Force from August 27, 1917- His paymaster J.R. Frawley sent the letter of recommendation to Nash's Captain J.P. Parker. J.R. Frawley said in his letter of recommendation that he is a "young man of sterling character." -
War ends (Armstice Day)
An armistice based on President Wilson’s Fourteen Points speech is made between Germany and the Allies. The fighting on the western front stopped at 11:00 am, Paris time, the morning of November 11, 1918. The armistice had hard punishments on Germany, but they were meant to show Germany that they were defeated. The armistice was also made to prevent Germany from trying to start a war back up again. -
Lucius recieves a War Service Chevron
Lucius Nash received a War Service Chevron. This means that he had been working in the Navy for a year. He was granted this by his commanding officer. When soldiers received a chevron, they would put it on their uniform. -
Nash is relieved from active duty
After serving in the Navy for about 2 years, Nash was relieved from active duty. He was sent a letter on January 16, relieving him of active duty. This was sent to him by the Chief of the Bureau. He returned home on February 22, 1919, and reported that he returned home to the Bureau of Navigation. -
Treaty of Versailles
World War One officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty was made mainly by the Allies with little to no help from Germany. The treaty contained a total of 440 articles. It established Germany’s boundaries and said that they would be responsible for reparations from the war. The first part of the Treaty talked about the League of Nations, which Germany wouldn’t be allowed to join until 1926.
