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The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand along with his wife, Sophie Chotek, were assassinated. They were on their way to Sarajevo to inspect the Austro-Hungarian army. He was assassinated because he was perceived as a threat to Serbian independence. The Austrian government suspects that Serbia is responsible, sparking the conflict. -
War Declarations
In response to the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, this created a domino effect, many other countries joined due to alliances. Austria-Hungary declared war on Belgium, Russia, and Serbia. Germany declared war on Russia, France, and Belgium. Britain declared war on Germany. France and Britain declared war on Austria-Hungary. Japan declared war on Germany. The United States declared neutrality. -
The Battle of Ypres
The battle of Ypres sparked trench warfare. Ypes, a city in Belgium, was crucial to both sides. The armies while attempting to flank each other out continued to extend their lines until they reached the English Channel. The battle lasted until November when the Germans gave up due to harsh winter weather. In total, there were more than 254,000 casualties, 130,000 of those being German, 54,000 British, 50,000 French, and 20,000 Belgians. -
German Submarine Warfare Policy
Germany initiated a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, meaning all merchant ships were subject to attack, both civilian and military. The Germans used U-boats that inflicted lots of damage. They surprised and submerged enemies very effectively leading to many casualties. Almost 5,000 merchant ships were sunk by Austria-Hungary and Germany during World War 1. -
The Sinking of the Lusitania
The Lusitania was sunk by German U-boats off the coast of Ireland. The ship had 1,198 passengers aboard when sunk, including 128 Americans. This event sparked tension between the United States and Germany, which was still neutral. This caused the Germans to back down their usage of unrestricted submarine warfare for a short period of time. -
The Battle of Verdun
The battle of Verdun is credited with being one of the most bloody, and long-lasting battles in the war. The Germans believed that the war would be won or lost in France. Following that thought process the Germans carried out an offence on the French. The battle resulted in a French victory, however, there were extreme casualties on both sides. The French suffered 400,000 casualties, the German casualties amounted to 350,000. -
The Battle of the Somme
The battle of the Somme began in June and lasted until November 1916. The Allies mounted a large-scale artillery barrage in an attempt to drive the Germans away from Verdun. The Allied troops were met with a series of German machine gunners. The British ended up gaining six miles, however, the casualties were horrific. The many losses include 420,000 British casualties, 650,000 German, and 195,000 French. -
United States Declares War
At the beginning of 1917, the U-boat attacks resumed, as a way for Germany to shorten the war by cutting off British supplies. In response to this, the United States ended diplomatic relations with Germany. Then in April, the Germans sank the American ship, the S.S. Aztec. Five days after the attack on the S.S. Aztec the United States declared war on Germany. The Zimmermann Telegram was another reason the United States joined the war, the telegram revealed a German plot against America. -
The Russian Revolution
This was the time of the Russian Revolution which led to the Russian Civil War in 1923. Russia recently, in 1905, had become a monarchy and the people didn’t like this. The revolution consisted of two major events, the February Revolution and the Bolshevik Revolution. This led to Russia dropping out of World War 1 and eventually causing the rise of communism inside the country. -
Allies Occupy Germany
The Allied troops began the occupation of Germany from Luxembourg. American soldiers took the middle rine along with French Soldiers to the South, accompanied by Belgians and British taking the north. Citizens reacted to the occupation in a more curious manner rather than a hostile one. This happened a few weeks after Germany signed the armistice to end fighting on the Western Front. -
Bayon in the Grave Registration
He got out of the Army in 1919 because he got married to a French Woman, and then he got a job with the American Grave Registration which was just being organized in Paris. Within 24 hours men killed in battle were to be buried however possible. It was the job of the American Grave Registration to dig up these men and identify them. They would then ship them overseas or to an American cemetery in Europe, their information being organized on cards. -
The Treaty of Versailles is Signed
Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles. There are many things the Germans must agree to in order to sign this treaty. Among those things are paying war reparations, disarming, ceding Alsace-Lorraine to France, and recognizing Belgium’s sovereignty. The United States Senate refused to sign the treaty making them unable to join the League of Nations, which promoted international cooperation. -
Bayon's Journey Starts
In 1921 he was selected to be chief conveyer for three barges filled with 952 caskets of Americans killed in battle. He was given the task of taking them to Belgium. These barges were taking these bodies to an American cemetery in Belgium. Many of these American cemeteries are scattered across Europe. -
Bayon Receives a Warm Welcome
April 20th, 1921 He traveled through a town on his barge and this town greeted them with flowers and flags, and the mayor came out to meet them, along with the priest. The rest of France was said to be “immune to war and its terrible results”. The preschool children were dressed in their best and gave them flowers and wreaths hung on the barges. Many towns started doing this, slowing down their progress. -
Crowds at Liege
When going through a town called Avory which was right outside of Liege. Many crowds of people were forming on the banks. A small motorboat came to meet their barge asking them if they would stop at Liege for those there to pay their homage to the dead. They were met with food along with a calvary regimen. Along the banks, and above the canal, thousands of people crowded. -
Journey's End
They reached the cemetery where the barges were turned over, along with all of the paperwork revolving around the trip. This journey was in total twenty-two days long. Edward J. Bayon claimed that this experience is one he will never forget as long as he lives. He also said he would never forget the courtesy and thoughtfulness of the Belgium people. Later in WWII, he joined the Air Force.