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Veteran - Leonard H. Maunder
Leonard H. Maunder served from 1918 to 1919. He fought in France during that time. He was enlisted into the Army. His highest rank was First Sergeant. -
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On June 28, 1914, a Bosnian Serb shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, when they were visiting Sarajevo. The assassination was made by 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip. The two were visiting Sarajevo to inspect the military of Bosnia and Herzegovnia. Austria-Hungary immediately blamed Serbia, and declared war. This event triggered what we now know as World War I. -
Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia
Following the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Serbia was supported by Russia, France, and later Great Britain. Germany backed Austria-Hungary, knowing they had a tough war ahead of them. The two sides were called the Allies and the Central Powers. -
Germany Declares War on France
A week earlier, Serbia and Austria-Hungary went to war because of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Following that, the "great war" began, as most of Europe were going against each other. Two major powerhouses declared war quite early, being France and Germany taking opposing sides. -
Germany Declares War on Russia
Germany declared war on Russia because they were on opposing sides of the war. Russia's forces began moving, so Germany asked that they would stop. Russia refused, so Germany advanced their troops. France saw Germany advancing their troops, so decided to advance troops of their own. -
Great Britain Declares War on Germany
Great Britain was part of the Allies. Because Germany was on the side going against Britain's own, they declared war on Germany. Britain primarily declared war because they wanted to keep control of their empire. If the war went bad for the Allies, Britain would have the entire Central Powers to go to war against. -
Turkey Joins the Central Powers
Before war broke out, Turkey (known then as the Ottoman Empire) had suffered multiple defeats and had lost some territories. They saw the only option to reduce the risk of losing more of their empire was to join the war. They joined the Central Powers, as they had a secret alliance with Germany at the time. Turkey didn't want to stand by as their allies fought an uphill battle. -
Christmas Truce
The Christmas Truce was an unofficial cease-fire between Britain and Germany took place. The Germans walked across no-man's land, unarmed, so the British accepted it as a sign of peace. They exchanged gifts, sang Christmas carols, and even played a game of soccer. Some soldiers used the cease-fire as a time to retrieve dead soldiers from the battlefield. -
German Gas Attack at Ypres
During the Second Battle of Ypres, Germany used 150 tons of chlorine gas on French soldiers. The soldiers were not prepared for the deadly gas that the Germans had concocted. The gas was fired into French trenches. Later on in the war, the Germans developed and used mustard gas, which caused blisters and killed thousands of soldiers. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
Before the war, Germany agreed not to attack British ships with submarines. One day, though, the Lusitania was nearing the coast of Ireland when a German U-Boat launched a torpedo at the ship. The ship was underwater within 18 minutes. All but 5 of the 1,924 passengers on board died. -
Italy Declares War on Austria-Hungary
When World War I began, Italy declares itself neutral. Despite being part of the Triple Alliance, Italy joined the Allies in 1915. This opened a new stretch of land for war to take place, being the border between Italy and Austria-Hungary. Italy was a relatively young powerhouse, but managed to deploy 1.2 million soldiers. -
Germany Invades London with Zeppelins
On the night of May 31, 1915, German zeppelins towered over London. They dropped 90 incendiary bombs and 30 grenades. The zeppelin used was the largest flying vessel ever built at the time. By dawn, seven were dead, with 35 wounded. -
Germany Declares War on Portugal
Portugal entered the war in 1914 to keep control of its African colonies. They joined the Allies and Great Britain. Earlier in 1916, Portugal pledged their alliance with Great Britain by capturing ships docked in Lisbon. Germany declared was because they didn't appreciate Portugal taking their ships. -
First Use of British Tanks at Flers-Courcelette
Tanks were used for the first time in combat on this date. The tank was used as a solution to get around the issue of barbed wire. Each tank had a team of six soldiers, and was equipped with machine guns, bulletproof armor, and treads that could travel over the toughest of terrains. Around a dozen tanks took place in the battle. -
United States Declares War on Germany
The United States could have stayed neutral, but entered for multiple reasons. One reason was the sinking of the Lusitania. Another reason was the Zimmerman Telegram. The United States joined the Allies to primarily fight against Germany. -
United States Troops Arrive in France
The first US troops landed at Port Saint Nazaire. The landing site was kept secret because of the threat of German submarines. According to my veteran, it took him 12 days to get to France from Newport News, Virginia. They were protected from submarines along the way by multiple destroyer ships that circled them for a few days. -
Armistice
Nearing the end of the war, Germany was one of the only powers left facing the Allies. They eventually gave up and requested an armistice with the United States. My veteran states that 4 days prior, there was a "false armistice" across the Allies' side that reached the US. He said that everywhere he went in France on the day of the Armistice, people were celebrating, drinking wine, and partying. -
Treaty of Versailles is Signed
The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty that ended World War I. My veteran stated that it was controversial, as it was very unfair towards Germany. The treaty stated that Germany had to follow Wilson's "Fourteen Points," and the treaty affected them socially, economically, and politically.
