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Leading up to the War
WW1 mainly started because of the assignation of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian National terrorist group. The Austrian-Hungary Empire then started a war with Serbia. Germany, an ally of the Austrian-Hungary Empire sided with the central powers and Russia sided with Serbia, causing all the smaller nations that were allied to also go to war, creating the world war. -
The Start of WW1
After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Austria-Hungary government made harsh demands from Serbia. The Serbians rejected it, prompting Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia. Because Germany was allied with Austria-Hungary, they declared war on Russia, who has had ties with Serbia. Then, France got involved so Germany declared war on France, and soon, Great Britain and Japan declared war on Germany. -
First Battle of Ypres
The fight was an attack from Germany trying to break through Allied lines to capture French ports on the English Channel and therefore gain access to the North Sea and more. The battle of Ypres was very bloody with neither side gaining much ground. The losses included 54,000 British, 50,000 French, and 20,000 Belgian, and more than 130,000 German soldiers either killed, wounded, or missing. This battle also introduced trench warfare. -
Gallipoli Campaign
The Gallipoli Campaign was the goal of breaking through the German-allied Ottoman Turkey’s Dardanelles Strait. This was implemented because it would allow them to attack Germany and Austria from the east and establish a link with Russia. The campaign proposed by Winston Churchill failed and was a mess for the allies. The allies lost nearly 180,000 soldiers. -
Germany sinks HMS Lusitania
A German U-Boat sunk the HMS Lusitania killing 1,195 people and 128 American citizens. This deeply angered the U.S. and many Americans enlisted. Germany broke the 'prize laws', which declared ships be warned of attacks. Germany defended their actions, stating that the ship was caring weapons for warfare. This is one of the factors that led America to join the allies in the war. -
The Battle of Somme
The battle of Somme is largely known as the bloodiest battle of WWI. The allied forces aimed to relieve pressure on the French, who were suffering in Verdun. There were more than a million casualties, including 400,000 dead or missing. When the battle was over, the allies only gained a few kilometers. -
The Bolshevik Revolution
Russia lost nearly 2 million soldiers on the eastern front, so the war become very unpopular with the people. Riots escalated into a revolution forcing the abdication of Russia's, last Tsar, Nicholas II. The new government imposed control but didn't want to leave the war, and soon, Lenin's Bolsheviks took power in the October Revolution with the goal of trying to find a way out of the war. -
America Enters the War
Germany had been targeting British merchant vessels that often carried U.S. citizens and British intelligence intercepted a telegram from Germany proposing an alliance if the U.S. were to enter the war. The public outcry grew, and Washington declared war. The U.S. first deployment of troops landed in France at the end of June. The veteran I chose, (Brennan, John Joseph) didn't want to be drafted, so he volunteered. He described how there was no party and no kind words. -
The Battle of Passchendaele
The battle of Passchendaele took more of a symbolic reference than a strategic significance. The allied troops launched an attack to seize key ridges near Ypres. The allies achieved victory at the cost of nearly half a million causalities and 150,000 deaths. The allies only gained ground that took them 14 weeks that today we could walk in a few hours. At this time, the veteran I chose (Brennan, John Joseph) was still in training camp. -
The signing of the Armistice
The allies launched a counter-attack that was successful and was a vital breakthrough, Germany retreated their troops from all sides. Bulgaria agreed to an armistice, Austria was defeated and Turkey halted their movements. German met French commander General Ferdinand Foch and signed an armistice at 5:20 am, a cease-fire was ordered at 11:00 am. Around this time, the veteran I chose
(Brennan, John Joseph) was finishing up training camp and described this moment as "about to become real men". -
The Treaty of Versailles
The treaty was signed between Germany and the Allied powers, formally ending the war. The terms of the treaty stated that Germany would pay financial reproductions, lose territory, and give up all of its overseas colonies. With this, it was also filled with harsh demands from Germany. At this time, the veteran I chose was in the trenches on the front lines and he described it as cold, and often walking over dead soldiers. -
Cleaning up the War
The war was mainly cleaned up by the military and civilians. The civilians came back to their broken villages and helped clean up. There weren't enough men after the war, so the French and British employed the Chinese to help. The veteran I chose was shipped back to New York and he describes going to the church.