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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was one of the biggest causes of WWI. He and his wife, Sophie, were killed by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist. Princip fired a gun into the couples' strangely barely-protected car as they were travelling to visit a wounded officer after a previous attack made that day. -
WWI Begins
This is the day that German invaded Belgium, officially beginning the war. Because of their alliance with Belgium, Britain had no choice but to declare war against Germany. This caused a domino effect of other countries joining the war as well, on both sides. -
Christmas Truce
Created just five months after the start of the war. It began on Christmas Eve when the Germans and British troops sang Christmas Carols to each other. The next morning, they left their trenches, crossed "No Man's Land," exchanged presents of cigarettes and puddings, and played soccer. -
Armenian Genocide
Started when the Ottoman government began creating a systematic decimation of its Armenian population. This happened until the Ottoman empire ceased to exist in 1923 and was replaced by Turkey. However, by that time virtually all of the Armenians in Turkey had disappeared. -
Lusitania Sinks
On this date, a British ship, known as the Lusitania, was torpedoed by a German submarine. Of the 1,198 passengers that drowned in the process of the ship sinking, 128 of them were Americans. This caused American citizens to rethink their country's neutrality in the war. -
Battle of Verdun
This battle began on February 21st, 1916 and lasted until December 16th, 1916. It is considered to be one of the bloodiest battles in history. There were more than 600,000 casualties on both sides. -
Battle of the Somme Begins
Also known as the Somme Offensive, this was one of the largest battles in WWI. Only on the first day, the British lost more than 57,000 troops. By the end of the battle, Britain had lost around 420,000 men, France lost about 200,000, and the Germans lost around 465,000 men. -
The United States Joins the War
On this date, the United States officially joined the World War. They did this by declaring war on Germany, after feeling threatened by the Zimmerman Telegram. This was two days after the Senate voted 82 to 6 to enter the war, and the House of Representatives voted 373 to 50. -
Otto Ferdinand Leven
Otto Ferdinand Leven is a World War I veteran. His parents moved to the United States from Germany, where Otto worked on their family farm for the first 23 years of his life in Newkirk, Oklahoma. He was drafted into the army in October of 1917, where he was assigned to the 90th Infantry Division and served in the 357th Regiment. -
Otto's First Letter Home
In his first letter to his family from the war, Otto seems to have a very positive attitude. He describes what it was like digging the trenches used in the war, saying that it was long and hard work. He discusses some of the people he has met and his thoughts on the country he is in. He says it's a "funny country" as it is often cloudy in the mornings. -
Otto's Letter From Camp Travis
Otto sends another letter to his family where he addresses things they talked about in their letter to him (such as the rain they were having back home and their truck problems). He clears up their confusion about where he is in Europe, since someone thought they saw him somewhere else and immediately contacted his family. He tells them that he is still in Camp Travis and that there must just be a lot of men out there that look like him. He also talks about about two people he often visits. -
Otto Leven's Last Letter
Otto Leven's final letter was sincere and emotional, showing his cheerful personality just as all of his other letters did as well. He told his family just how much he appreciated their letters and asked them to continue sending them as a reminder of home. He also said, "Believe me, I sure would like to have a great big talk with you all, for I certainly have lots to tell." -
Armistice Day
A holiday marking the armistice signed between the Allies and Germany in WWI. It is now celebrated every year and is better known as Veteran's Day. Armistice Day is believed to be the true end to the conflict in the war. -
Letter From the Red Cross
A letter from the Red Cross to Otto Leven's family that took months to inform them of their son's death. It stated that on September 29th of the previous year, Otto was mysteriously separated from his patrol group. He was found the next morning mortally wounded and later died at the hospital. The cause of his fatal wounds was never discovered. -
Treaty of Versailles is Signed
The Treaty of Versailles officially marked the end of the First World War. It was negotiated among the Allies, with little help from Germany, and included boundaries for Germany and assigned liability for reparations. Germany agreed to the terms of the treaty, although just years later, it became a direct cause of Hitler's rise and the Second World War.
