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New Year's Letter to Sister
On January 1, 1917, Edgar Andrews wrote a letter to his Sister Sue on New Year’s. He talks about how they cannot celebrate it regularly and must celebrate as a group in Massachusetts, France. He says that he hopes the war will be over soon so he can be back home for the next New Year. This part of the letter just shows how much hope the soldiers had that the war was going to end quickly but they were wrong. -
Germany Ends Restriction of Submarine Warfare
On January 19, 1917, Germany decided to resume unrestricted submarine warfare. This means that if any submarine enemy or neutral power found its way into Allied waters then German submarines would initiate combat.[worldwar.org/learn/about-wwi/unrestricted-u-boat-warfare.] -
Update Letter to Mother
On November 4, 1917, Edgar D. Andrews wrote a letter to his mother about starting education in a small town in France. He writes about how the city has not progressed much in the last 100 years. The people of the town fed his troops very well. You can see in the letter how his expectancy when he is getting home has gotten worse, as he now expects next Thanksgiving. -
October Revolution
On November 7, 1917, Vladimir Lenin led the October Revolution with the Bolsheviks against the government in Russia. This revolution was a key point at the beginning of the Russian Civil War. This overthrow of the government in Russia took them out of the war, which set Germany’s sights more on France. -
Letter to Father
On December 2, 1917, Edgar wrote about how his broken rib he had sustained weeks before had healed. He wrote this letter to his father in Baltimore. He writes about how he understands that the war will keep going and get worse as it goes. His belief in a quick end has been long defeated since his first letter. -
Armistice of Focsani
On December 9, 1917, the Armistice of Focsani was signed. This was a temporary ceasefire between Romania and the Central Powers. Romania started this due to Russian troops leaving the country after the October Revolution. The Romanians were too overwhelmed by the relentless Central Powers. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205264220] -
Letter to Sister
On January 19, 1918 Edgar wrote a letter to his sister. He wrote about how he thinks the war will never end and how a week feels like months. He talks about how the weather is changing over in France. He also says he would give anything to go back home. -
Brest-Litovsk Treaty Signing
On March 3, 1918, the Brest-Litovsk Treaty was signed. This was a peace treaty between the Soviet Union under the new Bolshevik government and the Central Powers. But it took away about a quarter of Russia’s territory. The treaty was signed so that Russia could get out of the war and focus on its own civil war. [https://www.britannica.com/event/treaties-of-Brest-Litovsk] -
Homecoming Letter to Sister
On December 15, 1918 Edgar wrote to his sister. All he really talks about is how he is awaiting his return to the U.S. He says he will come back in January of 1919. In the letter he is also planning for what will happen when he gets back. -
Paris Peace Conference
On January 18, 1919, the Paris Peace Conference began in Paris and Versailles. This conference talked about peace rules between nations after the war. This conference is known to have started more problems than before. This was due to countries wanting to get revenge on each other. [https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/paris-peace]