-
The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand is often thought to be the event that caused the domino effects leading up to WWI. Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were shot by a group of nationalists by the name of Black hand, in Bosnia at a parade. The Black-hand group were Serbian nationalists who believed Bosnia belonged to Serbia. They were willing to do anything, that included assassinating Franz Ferdinand. -
Period: to
World War I
-
Machine Guns
Machines guns had been used before in the American Civil War, however the tactics used for the Machine Gun didn't quite fit the tactics needed in WWI, according to the Allies. However the Germans knew the potential of machine guns. They were prioritized by the Germans and could shoot more than 100 rounds a minute, essentially no man could go up against a machine gun. Machine guns were another cause of stalemate. -
Submarine Warfare
Submarines were mainly used by the Germans. They used it to sink surface-boats and it proved successful as a torpedo (from their U-Boats) could send a large boat sinking in just 18 minutes (like the Lusitania). The Germans used this to their advantage and targeted allies and their surface fleets. -
Mustard Gas
First used by the Germans in the battle at Ypres, Belgium. It is considered to be the "King of Battle Gases" because of it's potent and blistering aspects. Once exposed to Mustard Gas the effects are not immediate, however once present victims may notice their eyes to be bloodshot, watery, and a pain will soon follow. Mustard gas will also cause the skin to blister and once the blister pops it may cause infections. It's responsible for the high causalities from chemical weapons used in war. -
Lusitania
Lusitania was a British ship that was torpedoed by German submarines. The boat had more than 100 American citizens on it and this was one of the reasons that prompted the U.S.A to join the war. -
Elliot Hugh Lee
Elliot Hugh Lee graduates from Princeton University. He wants to contribute to the war and support his country. He wants to become an officer however he is advised to become apart of the U.S. Army Ambulance Corps. He is then stationed off in France. -
Trench Warfare
Trench warfare is the tactic that both the Allies and The Triple Alliance used during WWI. It's where both sides hide in man-made ditches to hide from the enemy. It was the main cause of stale-mate and it often had a lot of downsides to it, like trench foot or diseases being easily spread due to the close proximity soldiers had to one another. -
Aerial Warfare
We had just exited the Industrial period when WWI started, we had a lot of technology at our hands, one of them were airplanes. Since trench warfare kept both sides at a stalemate airplanes were the only way either side could get information from each other. -
A Letter to the Graduating Princeton Class
The letter contains dates and events from that time period. It also includes information on the U.S. Army Ambulance Corps unit that Elliot Hugh Lee, eventually joins. -
Tanks
Tanks weren't very popular in the WWI due to the fact that it was very slow (slower than a walking man). However it did prove effective when dodging machine gun bullets and tearing down stations. The first tank to be on the battlefield was a British design called Mark I. When the Germans saw the tank they surrendered immediately. Towards the end of the war the Allies had made more tanks than the Germans had (Allies had more than 200 while Germans had a mere 20). -
Zimmerman Telegram
A telegram sent from Germany to Mexico as a way to coerce them into an alliance. The Germans promised Mexico that they would get their land that they lost from the U.S. if they joined them in the war, fortunately Great Britain intercepted this telegram and informed the U.S. this ultimately angered everyone and was one of the reasons why we entered the war. -
Elliot Hugh Lee's Memoir
In Lee's memoir he often talks about how his day went or what he did, but an often reoccurring detail is of his trips to and from Paris while working in the U.S Army Ambulance Corps unit. -
Running from the Germans
The Germans broke through the west front of where they were located. During that time they waited and stayed low while alerting the other divisions (there were 8 of them) before finally making a leave a few days later. They drove off, dodging bullets, and headed south for the other divisions. -
Elliot Hugh Lee Receives a Letter from France
In the letter titled "Friends of France: The American Field Service with the French Armies" it mentions how at the start of the "Great War" (Not yet known as WWI) a group of Americans living in Paris were kind and generous to the French, as well as during the middle of the war the U.S. Army Ambulance Corps (what Elliot was apart of) would often drive to and from Paris to help others. The letter was a thank you letter for their service and generosity during WWI. -
Treaty of Versailles
Germany surrendered on November 11th, 1918. The Treaty of Versailles was created and officially signed by Germany and the Allied Nations on June 28th, 1919. The Treaty of Versailles mostly blamed Germany for the entire war and they would have to pay for the reparations. This is how the Treaty of Versailles led to WWII.
