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Franco-Prussian War
The war between France and Prussia (the future German Empire) that lasted from 1870 to 1871 ended with a humiliating defeat for France. -
Accession of Wilhelm II to the German Throne
With the accession of Wilhelm II to the German throne in 1888, the German foreign policy became more bellicose. -
Kiffin Yates Rockwell
Kiffin Yates Rockwell was born in 1892 in Newport, Tennessee, the son of James Chester Rockwell and Loula Ayres. James, a Baptist minister, died shortly after Kiffin's birth, and the family soon moved to the home of his maternal grandfather in South Carolina, and later to Asheville, North Carolina. -
Wright Brothers
The first recorded powered flight was in 1903 when the Wright brothers flew their aircraft. The first powered crossing of the English Channel was by Louis Blèriot in 1909. -
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Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese rivalry over Manchuria and Korea reached its height with the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). -
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Moroccan Crises
The Moroccan Crises - the Tangler Crisis (1905-1906) and Agadir Crisis (1911) - brought the European powers on the brink of war. Instead of ‘softening’ Britain and bring it closer to the Central Powers, the Moroccan Crises further reinforced the Entente Cordiale and increased the British hostility towards Germany. -
Entente Cordiale
In 1907, Britain also entered into an alliance with Russia that was already in alliance with France. This formed the Triple Entente which in turn became the core of the Allies during World War I. -
Virginia Military Institute
After completing his preparatory schooling at the Orange Street School in Asheville, he enrolled at the Virginia Military Institute in 1908 and subsequently attended Washington & Lee University where his brother, Paul, was also a student. Kiffin left college in 1911 and worked for an advertising agency in Atlanta until 1914. -
Bosnian Annexation Crisis
In 1908, Austria-Hungary decided to annex Bosnia and Herzegovina that was formally an integral part of the Ottoman Empire. The annexation of the provinces that were occupied by the Dual Monarchy since 1878 was bitterly opposed by Serbia that was closely related to the provinces both ethically and geographically. Serbia was supported by the Tsarist government and the crisis persisted into 1909. -
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Italo-Turkish War
The Italo-Turkish War that took place between 1911 and 1912 did not pose any major threat to peace in Europe. But the Turkish defeat revealed the weakness of the Ottoman army and disagreement between the European powers about the so-called Eastern Questions - the fate of the decaying Ottoman Empire. -
Balkan Wars
In 1912, Serbia, Greece, Montenegro and Bulgaria formed the Balkan League, a military alliance against the Ottoman Empire. Within a few months, the Balkan allies stripped the Ottoman Empire of its possessions in the Balkans and divided the conquered territory among themselves. In June, Bulgaria turned against its allies of Serbia and Greece due to a dispute over partition of Macedonia. -
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Woodrow Wilson was elected President for a second term
Between 1914 and the spring of 1917, the European nations engaged in a conflict that became known as World War I. While armies moved across the face of Europe, the United States remained neutral. In 1916 Woodrow Wilson was elected President for a second term, largely because of the slogan "He kept us out of war." Events in early 1917 would change that hope. In frustration over the effective British naval blockade, in February Germany broke its pledge to limit submarine warfare. -
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
On June 28, 1914, a group of conspirators from the revolutionary movement called Mlada Bosna (‘Young Bosnia’) carried out the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian heir presumptive, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife while they were visiting Sarajevo. Since the assassin, Gavrilo Princip and his 5 accomplices were Bosnian Serbs, the Dual Monarchy accused Serbia to stand behind the assassination. -
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Battles fought along The Western Front
Marne in September of 1914
First battle of Ypres in October - November of 1914
Verdun in February - December of 1916
Somme in July - November of 1916
Passchendale in July - November of 1917
Cambrai in November of 1917
Marne in July of 1918 -
July Ultimatum
On July 23, Austria-Hungary presented an ultimatum to Serbia. Vienna, however, intentionally imposed impossible demands to Serbia in order to be able to declare war on its neighbor for ‘orchestrating’ the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. A few days later, the Austro-Hungarian troops invaded Serbia and started the devastating World War I. -
War on Serbia
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. -
Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire (Turkey) and Germany sign a secret treaty of alliance. -
Germany war on France
Germany declares war on France. -
German army crossed the Belgian border
The German army crossed the Belgian border on August 3rd 1914. Britain and France declared war on Germany on August 4th. The Germans pushed through Belgium, occupying Brussels before entering France.
The British and French armies marched to stop the German advance. The Battle of Marne 4th - 10th September prevented the Germans from marching on Paris. -
Germany invades Belgium
Germany invades Belgium, leading Britain to declare war on Germany. -
Battalion C of the Second Marching Regiment
In August 1914 they enlisted in the French Foreign Legion and by early October were in the trenches as members of Battalion C of the Second Marching Regiment of the Second Foreign Battalion. -
Austria-Hungary invades Russia
Austria-Hungary invades Russia -
Eastern Front
The line of fighting on the Eastern side of Europe between Russia and Germany and Austria-Hungary is known as the Eastern Front. Fighting began on the Eastern front when Russia invaded East Prussia on 17th August 1914. Germany immediately launched a counter-offensive and pushed Russia back. This pattern of attack and counter-attack continued for the first two years of the war and meant that the Eastern Front changed position as land was captured and lost by both sides. -
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Battles Fought Along The Eastern Front
Tannenburg in August of 1914
Masurian Lakes in September of 1914
Bolimov in January of 1915
Lake Naroch in March of 1916
Riga in September of 1917 -
Chemical Weapons
Tear Gas
The French was the first to fire this.
Chlorine
Used by the German Forces
Phosgene & Diphosgene
Used by the German Forces
Mustard Gas
Used by the German Forces -
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Trench Warfare
The main type of fighting used during World War I on the Western Front was trench warfare. The soldiers of the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente began to dig long, deep holes in the ground called trenches, where soldiers fought to guard themselves from enemy fire, in October of 1914. Trenches soon stretched hundreds of miles throughout northern Europe, protected by barbed wire and buried land mines. -
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Trench Warfare 2
Laid out in a zig-zag pattern so enemy fire could not sweep along the whole length of the trenches and destroy them, the trenches were only about 2 metres deep, with dirt walls reinforced by sandbags. Between the trenches of the opposing forces was flat land called "no man's land", where soldier could easily be picked off by enemy machine guns. Often those who went "over the top" and into no-man's land could not be brought back to safety if they were injured. -
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Trench Warfare 3
Fighting in the trenches was hardly pleasant work - in fact, it had been described by many as "hell on earth". The soldiers had no latrine or garbage disposal, nowhere to sleep but hunched up against the trench walls and nowhere to go but into enemy territory to escape their filthy confines. When it rained, the trenches were flooded with cold, muddy water. One report describing the trenches said that "there was mud everywhere, thick gluey mud, in which was mixed up all the ruin of the war. -
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Trench Warfare 4
The harsh conditions of the trenches were not easy on the soldiers. Disease spread easily, and many developed trench foot, where the flesh around the toes begins to rot due to prolonged dampness. Others came down with trench mouth, a painful infection of the gums. A mental disorder called shell-shock was also very common. It was a nervous breakdown due to the constant threat of death and the terrible conditions the soldiers were forced to endure. -
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Trench Warfare 5
Soldiers would shave their heads and burn the seams of their clothing to protect against lice, but in the vulgar conditions of the trenches such preventative measures were seldom enough. Rats also inhabited the trenches, carrying all sorts of diseases, they would shoot them for fun. Units were allowed to leave the trenches to rest in a warm, dry place, eat a warm meal, and bathe only once a month before returning to active duty. -
1st Regiment, Moroccan Division
Kiffin was wounded by an exploding shell in December 1914; following his hospitalization and recovery he served with the 1st Regiment, Moroccan Division. A second wounding and convalescence followed, and Rockwell faced the possibility that he would be unfit for army service. With the encouragement of a fellow Legionaire, he requested a transfer to the French aviation service. -
Christmas Truce
It is a Truce between the British and German soldiers meeting on Christmas. The Christmas Truce of 1914 is one of the most interesting events that occurred during World War I. In the midst of war and fighting, soldiers along the western front stopped fighting in an unofficial cease fire on Christmas. -
Tanks
The idea of the tank came from a development of farming vehicles that could cross difficult land with ease by using caterpillar tracks. However, the British army’s hierarchy was dominated by officers from the various cavalry regiments that existed. At the start of World War One, the first engagement between the British and Germans had involved cavalry near Mons. This seemed to emphasise the importance of such regiments. However, trench warfare had made the use of cavalry null and void. -
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Unrestricted submarine warfare was first introduced in World War I in early 1915, when Germany declared the area around the British Isles a war zone, in which all merchant ships, including those from neutral countries, would be attacked by the German navy. -
Planes with Weapons
With more planes taking to the skies, enemy pilots began to fight each other in the air. At first, they tried throwing grenades at each other or shooting with rifles and pistols. This didn't work very well. -
Merchant Shipping
As Britain is an island isolated from mainland Europe they were particularly depended on resources transported over the sea. German U-Boats were extremely effective against merchant ships, hindering the allies supply line. Food and other essential items became short in supply. 50% all British merchant shipping was sunk by the German U-boat campaign over the course of the war. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
A string of attacks on merchant ships followed, culminating in the sinking of the British ship Lusitania by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915. -
The War at Sea
Britain's main naval tactic was to keep German ships in German ports and to block supplies from reaching Germany. Germany's main naval tactic was to post u-boats in the Atlantic ocean and to destroy ships taking supplies from America and other countries to Britain. On 7th May 1915, the passenger liner Lusitania, was torpedoed by a German submarine. Nearly 1200 civilians lost their lives. -
Requirements for Tank
Have a top speed of 4 mphon flat land
The ability to turn sharply at high speed
The ability to climb a 5-feet parapet
The ability to cross an eight feet gap
A working radius of 20 miles
A crew of ten men with two machine guns on board and one light artillery gun -
Starting Life for the Tank
The start of life for the tank did not bode well. The first model came off the factory floor on September 8th 1915. On September 10th, its track came off. The same happened on September 19th when government officials were watching. However, these officials were impressed as they knew that any new weapon was bound to have teething problems and their recognised the potential that the new weapon had. Its main weakness was the track system. -
U-Bout Warfare
By September 1915, the German government had imposed such strict constraints on the operation of the nation’s submarines that the German navy was persuaded to suspend U-boat warfare altogether. -
The Red Baron Facts
Information:
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War 1. Full Name:
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen Born:
May 2, 1892 in Wroclaw, Poland Died:
April 21, 1918 in Vaux-sur-Somme, France Buried:
April 22, 1918 at South Cemetery Wiesbaden, Germany Siblings:
Lothar von Richthofen, Bolko von Richthofen, Ilse von Richthofen -
WW1 BattleShips
For the Allies the most important use of battleships was to support the amphibious invasion of Gallipoli in 1915. The First World War showed just how vulnerable modern battleships were to cheaper forms of weaponry. In 1914 SM U-9 (a German U-boat) sank 3 British armoured cruisers in less than an hour. -
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U-Boats
U- Boat is an abbreviation of ‘unterseeboot’, which when translated into English means ‘undersea boat’. When the First World War began the German armed forces had 29 U-Boats at their disposal. In the first 10 weeks of the conflict they sank five British cruisers. Between October 1916 and January 1917 a grand total of 1.4 million tons of allied shipping was lost to the U-Boats. -
Kaiser Wilhelm II
At the beginning of 1917, however, naval and army commanders managed to convince Kaiser Wilhelm II of the need to resume the unrestricted submarine policy, claiming that unrestricted U-boat warfare against the British at sea could result in a German victory by that fall. -
Zimmerman Telegram
In January of 1917, British cryptographers deciphered a telegram from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann to the German Minister to Mexico, von Eckhardt, offering United States territory to Mexico in return for joining the German cause. This message helped draw the United States into the war and thus changed the course of history. -
Germany Resumes Submarine Attacks
On February 1, Germany resumed its submarine attacks on enemy and neutral shipping interests at sea. -
American press published news of the telegram
In an effort to protect their intelligence from detection and to capitalize on growing anti-German sentiment in the United States, the British waited until February 24 to present the telegram to Woodrow Wilson. The American press published news of the telegram on March 1. -
Conquering the U-Boat
Grouping together a large number merchant vessels into a defensive convoy for better protection. Advances in early sonar technology. Increased use of aircraft to find and track German U-boats. The extra naval presence brought by the entry on the United States into the war in April 1917. -
Wilson broke diplomatic relations with Germany
Two days later, Wilson broke diplomatic relations with Germany; on April 6, 1917, the U.S. formally entered World War I on the side of the Allied powers. -
The Zimmermann Telegram by Barbara Tuchman
On April 6, 1917, the United States Congress formally declared war on Germany and its allies. The story of British intelligence efforts to decipher the German code is fascinating and complicated. The Zimmermann Telegram by Barbara Tuchman recounts that story in all of its exciting detail. -
Contributions to America
America's population of 90 million gave the military the potential to have a very large army. In steel production, America produced 3 times as much as Germany and Austria did. America had been the provider of many war parts for the French and British armies while it was neutral. -
America's Entry into the War
America's entry into World War One was well received by the Allies as her military power was desperately needed on the Western Front after the loss of men at the Somme and Verdun. The turmoil in Russia meant that Germany could move men based on the Eastern Front to the Western, so a nation of such power as America was seen, by the Allies, as a welcome addition to the cause.In early June 1917.. -
America's Entry into the War
By April it had risen to 837,000 tons. At the same time the chaos in Russia was set to release tens of thousands of German troops for the Western Front. To cap this, the failure of the Nivelle offensive in 1917, led to widespread mutinies in the French Army. -
Russian Revolution
Russia dropped out of WW1, and started a revolution. -
German Airplanes
“The airplane is useless for the purposes of war.” As a result of this attitude they were initially mainly used for reconnaissance; for example, feeding back information for artillery strikes, recording German troops movements etc. If by chance German and Allied airmen came across one another, aerial combat was crude but deadly. -
Russian
By 1917, the Russian people were fed up and demoralised by the huge number of Russian losses. The government and monarchy were overthrown and the new Bolshevik government signed the treaty of Brest Litovsk which took the Russians out of the war. The Eastern front stretched from Riga in the north to Czernowitz in the south. -
Aircraft
By the time World War One had ended, aircraft had become far more sophisticated and had differentiated into fighters, bombers and long-range bombers. -
Private Gunner
The last day of World War One was November 11th 1918, known as Armistice Day. Despite November 11th being the last day of the war, on many parts of the Western Front fighting continued as normal. This meant, of course, that casualties occurred even as the people of Paris, London and New York were celebrating the end of the fighting.
