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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie planned to go to Bosnia. After learning about his trip, a few young Bosnian's plotted a plan to assassinate him. They went to the Serbian of Belgrade to gather weapons from The Black Hand, which is close to the military and they also helped them smuggle the weapons over the border. June 28 was the last day of their trip and they planned on going to the City Hall. After a failed attempt, Appel Quay shot twice at Franz and hit him and his wife. -
Weapons of WWI
With a range of 1,400 meters, the bolt action rifle was the most commonly used weapon of WWI. Machine guns were also used and they required four to six men to operate. The machine guns had bullets that exploded on impact. Chlorine gas was first used by Germany but later was replaced with mustard gas because chlorine gas required good weather. Tanks were first used in the Battle of Somme and they required a crew of at least three and could travel at a maximum speed of 3 mph. -
Life in the Trenches
Originating in the Civil War, Trench Warfare is a type of war where both sides dig trenches as defense from one another. They were defense from things like mustard gas and machine guns. Trench Warfare caused many casualties because the soldiers would have to look over the trench to see where to shoot and they would get shot in the process. Disease was a big factor in deaths. There were rats in the trenches and water at the bottom which would cause trench foot. -
Period: to
WWI
The beginning and end of the first World War -
The Christmas Truce of 1914
The Christmas Truce was a ceasefire that started on Christmas Eve with troops singing carols over to the other side. Then on Christmas Day, German troops rose out of the trenches saying "Merry Christmas" in the language of their enemies. They originally thought this was a trap, but they didn't see any weapons so they also rose and shook hands. Some played soccer and others retrieved the bodies of their fallen friends. Nothing like this has ever happened again. -
The Battle of Somme
It was one of, if not the largest battle that took place during WWI. It took place between July 1 and November 1 in 1916. It was fought next to the Somme River located in France. In just the first day, the British lost 57,000 troops and by the end they would lose over 1.5 million. It took place in trenches and Germany was eventually weakened and they retreated. -
Zimmerman Telegram
It was telegram originally meant for Mexico, but the United States eventually got hold of it. It was written by Arthur Zimmerman, the German Foreign Minister. It tells the intention of Germany to the United States neutral and it tried to persuade Mexico to join Germany in the war. They said that they would reconquer the land in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona for Mexico if they agreed to help. -
Germany Resumes Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Germany declared the area around Britain a war zone, threatening to sink every ship that is in that area with their Submarines. On May 7, 1915, Germany sunk the "Lusitania" which was a trade ship. 128 American people died on that ship. Even after a strongly worded letter to Germany from Woodrow Wilson himself, they still used unrestricted Submarine Warfare. -
League of Nations
Announced in a speech by Woodrow Wilson, the League of Nations was a plan to keep peace between the nations after WWI. They planned on solving problems before they exploded into a full on war. The Congress didn't ratify the Treaty of Versailles and they didn't take part in the League of Nations. It ultimately failed because they were scared to lose authority to the people who didn't participate in the League of Nations. -
Veterans Photo with Caption "A Bunch of German Prisoners at St. Nazaire"
This photo was also taken in 1918. It depicts German POWs inside of a building. It looks like there are allied soldiers guarding them. The soldiers look angry. -
Veteran's Photo with Caption "Our A.E.F. Press Special made up of 16 Red Cross cars over 1,000 feet long"
Taken in 1918, this photo shows railroad tracks. There is also men in the photo. You can see a big sing that says "A.E.F. Press Special." AEF stands for American Expeditionary Forces. There is 16 Red Cross cars with over 1,000 feet of track. -
Poppies and Symbolism
Poppies are often tied to the fallen soldiers of WWI. Poppies can remain dormant as seeds and have the ability to sprout out whenever. Because of this, the land in between the trenches, or "No Man's Land", had poppies growing in it, despite being torn apart by war. They even showed up on cemeteries where soldiers lied. They were also used on propaganda posters in the US to get people to join the war. -
Postcard to "Mrs. Reuben T Clark"
Reuben T Clark sent out a letter to his wife about how he was doing. It was written on May 22, 1919, a little before the Treaty of Versailles was signed. He says that he is doing well. He also mentions Bordeaux, Paris as a place that he is staying. -
Postcard to "Mrs. Reuben T Clark"
Yet another postcard to his wife back at home. This one was sent on May 24, 1919. In this postcard, Clark says that he had a night stay in Bordeaux, Paris. He then says that he will be leaving for Leon on Sunday. -
The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles officially ended WWI. It said that Germany was to pay reparations for the War and a few German politicians agreed. The Treaty also limited Germany's Military. They were not allowed to have weapons over a certain tier. A few of the politicians who agreed to the Treaty got assassinated and it is said that it lead to World War II. -
Postcard to "Mrs. Reuben T Clark"
This was another Postcard to his wife. This one was written after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Clark mentions the cider that he had in Normandy. He says that it is like in the song "Apple Blossom Tim in Normandy. He ends the postcard by saying that he will be leaving for "Bush" at 1 PM.
