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The assassination of Prince Franz Ferdinand
The assassination of Prince Franz Ferdinand on June 18, 1914, marks the beginning of World War I. He was the heir of the Austro-Hungarians, so when he was assassinated, people thought it was a direct hit to the country. He narrowly escaped the first attempt but was later caught on the next attempt at his life. He and his wife were killed in the same event in which she was the Duchess of Hohenberg. -
World War I Declaration
After the assassination, World War I was declared in July 1914. The Austro-Hungarians declared war on the Serbians for the assassination. Russia began to protect Serbia, prompting Germany to be involved to stop it. France then joined to help out Russia, which caused Britain to enter on their side. Japan declared war on Germany while Belgium and the United States stayed neutral. -
The First Battle
In October 1914, the very first Battle of Ypres was fought. It was fought in Belgium and was called the ‘Battle to the Sea’. It was very bloody, and neither side gained any ground. Around 124,000 Allied soldiers died during this battle, but German casualties were 130,000 soldiers. It was the introduction to gruesome trench warfare. -
Gallipoli Campaign
The Gallipoli Campaign began in April 1915, which was the Allied campaign in the Gallipoli peninsula. It was the aim to break through and allow them to attack Germany and Austria from the east and then establish a link with Russia. It was catastrophic for the Allies, resulting in 180,000 casualties before withdrawing in January. This was a major event because it was the first battle the newly independent countries fought under their flags. -
Germany Attacks A British Vessel
In May 1915, Germany sank the HMS Lusitania, killing 1,195 people. A German U-boat torpedoed a British-owned luxury vessel; it included 128 Americans on board. This angered the United States because Germany broke laws. This angered British citizens, and many enlisted, but it was also one of the reasons the United States entered the war. -
Bloodiest Battle of World War I
The Battle of Somme was fought in July 1916 and was acknowledged as the bloodiest battle of the war. It caused more than a million casualties and around 400,000 deaths, or MIA, in only 141 days. The British started the war by attacking the Germans hundreds of kilometers away. Both the British and Germans had equal casualties, but Britain only advanced a few kilometers; over 20,000 people died in the first few hours. -
United States Enters The War
A crucial moment in the war was when the United States entered in January 1917. The United States was angry at Germany for continuing to attack neutral ships that carried citizens. By mid-1918, there were over a million United States troops in Europe. Toward the end, there were around 2 million United States soldiers there, with around 117,000 casualties. -
The Bolshevik Revolution
The Bolshevik Revolution was a key moment in the war because Russia lost two million soldiers on the eastern front. The war was not popular and caused revolutions in Russia. Russia’s new government battled to get control but also did not want to withdraw from the war. They seized power in the October Revolution and tried to find a way out of the war. They gave enormous chunks of land to Germany, which reduced Russia's population by a third. -
Alfred C. Harrison Enlistment
Alfred Harrison joined the military in April 1917. He enlisted in the Hospital Corps, 22nd Regiment, N.Y. Engineers. He joined with his old friends, and one ended up being the sergeant of the corps he was in. He took the Oath of Allegiance and received shots before actually going. -
Battle of Passchendaele
The major thing that happened in July 1917 was the Battle of Passchendaele, which is known as ‘the blindest struggle of a blind war.’ It only ended when both sides of the battle collapsed. The Allies won the war, but in horrific conditions, and 150,000 people died. They also only received minimal land. It took the British 14 weeks to get this land, but it only takes a few hours to walk the entirety of it today. -
Arriving at Training Camp
In September 1917, Alfred was in a camp in South Carolina for his training and learning how to do military work. He started to get into the swing of things by setting up his desk, learning what records to file, and writing back to his family. When he first arrived, he helped set his squad's tent up and establish field offices. He did not enjoy learning to ride the horses because he stated it made him sore, but after that, he enjoyed taking them out on the trails in the mornings. -
Losing People and Being Reclassified
In October 1917, Alfred’s regiment was renamed and reclassified. These changes caused him to lose a few of his sergeants and best friends due to them being re-ordered to a new regiment. His regiment was now called the 102nd Regiment of U.S. Engineers of the 27th Division. When his friends left for their new regiments, they all cried together as they may never see each other again. -
Arriving at The Handling Facility
In March 1918, Alfred Harrison arrived at Camp Stuart and Belvoir, where he had a desk job. He filed records and other important papers. He had a desk in the infirmary tent that he did not enjoy. Due to his desk job, he received a significant amount of mail from his home and loved ones. -
Signing of Armistice
The signing of the Armistice marked the end of the war on November 11, 1918. The Allies were hit by major attacks from Germany, but the United States pushed Germany out. Germany’s allies dwindled quickly, which caused Germany to have fewer weapons, troops, and overall power. Germany agreed to an armistice with the French; it included, giving up land, a ceasefire, and more. The deal was signed at 5:20 AM in a secluded forest, and the ceasefire started at 11:00 AM, which ended the First World War. -
Being Dismissed and Travelling to Europe
In the month of March 1919, Alfred left the military and got dismissed. It took him many months to sign and get all the papers to be dismissed. He traveled to Paris and many European countries to get to Versailles. He stayed at many Red Cross areas where he was fed and later dismissed from the military.