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Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand was the leader of Austria-Hungary. He was shot dead in Sarajevo, capital of the Austrian province Bosnia. His killer was backed by a Serbian terrorist group. France and Russia formed an alliance. This was the assassination that started World War One. -
Europe Descends Into the War
British proposed for a meeting of the great powers and it was ignored. Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia on July 28th. Russia joins in to mobilize their army. Germany responds by declaring war on Russia. France is Russia's ally at this time. -
Britain Declares War on Germany
Germany attacks France while invading Belgium. Germany does this to eliminate any threat from the West. Britain and the other great powers of Europe protect Belgium's borders. Belgium appealed to Britain. The British then declared war on Germany. -
The War in Africa
In Africa, the first shots of World War One were fired. The German Empire had four colonies in the east, west, and South Africa. They had these four colonies by 1914. French and British forces invaded Togoland, Kamina. The Germans destroy it. -
The Battle of Mons
The British Army's first engagement in France was the Battle of Mons. The German's kaiser ordered the destruction of Britain's Army. 70,000 British soldiers are attacked by 160,000 German troops. Britain's force suffers heavy causalities. The British are then forced to retreat. -
Elephant Helpers
During WWI, many interesting animals were used. An Indian Elephant from the Hamburg Zoo was used during WWI. It was used by Germans in Valenciennes, France. It helped moved tree trunks in 1915. As the war continued, they became scarce. -
Sergeant Stubby
Most decorated war dog of WWI. He was the only dog to be promoted to Sergeant through combat. He started out as the mascot of the 102nd Infantry. He was then the 26th Yankee Division. He served for 18 months and participated in 17 battles. -
German Communication
Behind the Western front, A German communications squad was present. They were setting up using a Tandem Bicycle power Generator. This bike was generated by two-man pedal power. By pedaling this bike, it powered a light radio station. They were first used in World War One. -
Letter to "Ma"
On November 20th, 1917, Francis Edward Mahoney was promoted as Corporal Non-Commissioner Officer. He had been in the Army for 16 years. He received strips on his arm. He was described to be very efficient and capable. His pay was raised by $6 a month. -
Camel Corps
Australian Camel Corps were used in the War. They were used at Sharla near Beersheba. Many of these men were killed an hour or so afterward. The colonel was killed as well. This was in December of 1917. -
Letter to Ma
After spending a lot of downtime, Francis had something exciting happening. He was expecting to leave for the front lines. They didn't quite know when. It could've been the next day, or in the next year. Besides that, he was enjoying the goody basket sent to him from his Mother. -
Harley Davidson
During the first World War, many new inventions were created. One invention was the Harley Davidson Motorcycle. The United States made more than 20,000 Indian and Harley Davidson Motorcycles during the last years of the War. They were deployed overseas. Many soldiers rode them during the War. -
Letter to Mom
In Francis' letter to his mother, he talked a lot about the spare time he had. During war, he often wasn't on the front line fighting. During his spare time, he enjoyed eating good food that was provided. He claimed to be getting fat. He also stated that he quit his bad habit of indulging in cigarettes. -
Letter From Jean McCarthy
Senator Joe McCarthy, friend of Francis gave his life. A letter was sent from Jean McCarthy, Joe's wife to Francis. Joe was filled with courage and dedicated his life to his work. He fought a good, fearless battle. Francis was dealing with the loss of this good friend. -
Letter From the White House
Francis had received a letter back from the White House. It was from Evelyn Lincoln, President Kennedy's personal Secretary. It said that President Kennedy read his letter and thanked him for his kindness and support. The President was very appreciative and grateful for Francis. In return, Francis received a P.T. Boat Tie Clasp.
