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The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
On June 28th, 1914, the Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, Sophie, were assassinated in Bosnia by a Serbian man. This man was a member of the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist group. The Black Hand thought that Bosnia should belong to Serbia. This event started the domino effect on European countries. Austria-Hungary gained the support of Germany, Serbia gained the support of Russia, and Russia gained the support of France. This assassination lit the spark that started WW1. -
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World War 1
The start and end of World War 1. -
World War One Begins
One month after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Russia, and Serbia declared war on each other. These declarations of war cause Europe to split into two main alliances. The Central Powers included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. The Allies included Britain, France, and Russia. There were other countries, like the U.S., who later joined the allies. Once the alliances were set in place, the war began. -
The Germans Release Poisonous Gas
On April 22, 1915, the Germans released poisonous gas onto the allies in Ypres, Belgium. This attack was the first attack in history to use poison gas as a weapon. The Germans dumped more than 150 tons of chlorine gas onto the allies. After this attack, gas masks became essential for all soldiers on both sides of the war. The effects of chlorine gas would be horrendous for anyone not wearing a mask for protection. -
The Lusitania Sinks
During WW1, Germany began to use unrestricted submarine warfare against it's enemies. German subs would attack any ship heading from the U.S. to Britain without warning, and they did not care where the ship came from. The Germans sunk the Lusitania as part of their submarine warfare tactics. However, the ship had at least 100 Americans on it. When the U.S. found out what the Germans had done, the U.S. became angry. The Lusitania was also part of why the U.S. joined the war. -
The Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was sent from Germany to Mexico. In the telegram, Germany promised that if Mexico joined Germany, then they would take back territories from the U.S. that previously belonged to Mexico. The Germans went behind the U.S.'s back, which made the U.S. mad. This telegram was part of the reason why the U.S. entered the war in the first place. Without this telegram, the U.S. might not have entered the war. -
The U.S. Enters World War One
One year before the war ended, the U.S. finally entered the war. The U.S. planned to originally stay out of the war because it was mostly taking place across the ocean in Europe. The U.S. entered the war because of the sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmerman Telegram. The U.S. got made at the Germans for sinking a boat with Americans on it and for going behind their back to recruit Mexico. The U.S. also wanted to help the allies in the war. -
The Selective Service Act
The Selective Service Act was created to ensure that the U.S. had enough soldiers to fight in WW1. This act was also known as The Draft. The Draft required that all men between the ages 21-30 (changed it to 18-45 later) to register for the military. These men, if they passed medical and other exams, would officially join the military. Uncle Sam is often used to promote people to volunteer for the army instead of waiting for the Draft. -
Zone No. 1 (Veteran Event)
Albert Lester Kleinecke settled into Zone No. 1 located in France. His letter described his conditions in the zone as somewhat comfortable and secure. He was not living quite like other soldiers on the front line. He had a skill for mapping terrain. He had begun to work in the drafting room in some of the barracks, but he sent many letters from his various locations. -
The Battle of Cantigny
The Battle of Cantigny was a major battle for the U.S. during WW1. It marked the first offensive attack in the war for the U.S. Before the battle, the French were struggling to survive in Cantigny, as small village on the Somme River in France. The U.S. sent 4,000 soldiers and General John J. Pershing to try at retake the village from the Germans. After surviving heavy attacks from the Germans, they were successful in taking the village and secured a win for the allies. -
Anniversary of Enlistment (Veteran Event)
In the letter that Albert Kleinecke sent to his family, he explained that this was the anniversary of his enlistment for WW1. This means that he had been working in the trenches for at least a year. He expressed how his life is still comfortable and secure. He also mentions how he sang songs with other soldiers. His letters, so far, have described a better life than most soldiers knew. -
Surveying Party (Veteran Event)
On August 1st during WW1, Albert Kleinecke left his normal duties and joined a surveying party. Their job was to scope out the land and to survey other headquarters. His party stayed at Co, H - 29th for one night and moved onto the next headquarters. Other people in his party had been there for two weeks, so he was the newcomer. In his letter, things seemed to have stayed somewhat comfortable, at least where he was staying. (Photo is not related to the veteran, but is related to his job). -
The Battle of Amiens
The Battle of Amiens was one of the last battles of WW1. During this battle, the allies lead and offensive attack against the Germans in the sector of Amiens in France. They had around 75,000 soldiers to carry out this attack and hopefully end the war. The allies ended up defeating the Germans and helped end WW1. This day was known as a Black Day for Germany. -
Topography School (Veteran Event)
During WW1 on October 1st, Albert Kleinecke wrote to his family about starting at a topography school. At this school, he learned how to make precise drawings of the makeup of the land. He moved on from surveying the land to drawing it. This job more than likely gave him a better position in the army and allowed him to remain where he was. His letter described how he thought the school was fine and how things were at the barracks. -
Almost the End (Veteran Event)
Four days before the war ended on November 11th, Albert Kleinecke wrote about how the U.S. still fought with the Germans on the other side. He explained how the U.S. still used artillery to attack the Germans. He also mentioned that bombshells or last-minute gas attacks could occur, but weren't a big threat. One more thing that he mentioned was about German propaganda. He explained how the Germans were trying to say that they hated the bloodshed and didn't want to fight anymore. -
World War One Ends
After fighting for fours years, the war finally ended in 1918. The war officially ended with the surrender of Germany, but peace hadn't been fully restored. The Treaty of Versailles was signed later and made Germany pay for the war. The end of the war was known as Armistice Day, but has now been changed to veterans day. The Great War's name, as it was known as during the time, was also changed to WW1 after WW2 happened. -
Going Home (Veteran Event)
After WW1 ended in 1918, the U.S. troops were to return to their homes. However, this was easier said than done. On May 25th, 1919, Kleinecke wrote about how he was staying at "Camp Agony." He said that he was on his way home, but had to go through this camp before he could return. He described his stay at the camp as not very comfortable. After getting through this camp, he believed that he would be officially heading home. (The photo of his wife symbolizes what he was going home to). -
The Treaty of Versailles
After the end of the war in 1918, the world needed to try and resume peace between nations. The Treaty of Versailles was created for this purpose. This treaty stated that Germany was responsible for the war, Germany had to pay for the war, and the borders of Germany were to be demilitarized. The treaty would cause Germany to become virtually powerless, and cause Hitler to rebuild Germany during WW2. The treaty was signed in 1919, but it did not take affect until January 10th, 1920.
