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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot twice in the neck on June 28th, 1914. Ferdinand as well as his wife Sophie, were shot by a 19-year-old Serbian army reject. This event sent the world into an over-4-year war that we now know as WWl. Not two months after his sudden death, the world was divided into two different sides, the Allies and the Central Powers. -
Austria Declares War on Serbia
Almost exactly a year after Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, Austria officially declared war on Serbia. This is due to the fact that the man who killed the Archduke was from Serbia. In the time span of the next six days, other European countries began to declare war on each other. This event kicked off the next four years of war. -
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First Battle of the Marne
In the early hours of September 6th, 150,000 French soldiers attacked Germany’s army in an attempt to stop their invasion. The First Battle of the Marne took place 30 miles outside of Paris. This battle consisted of the British, French, and German armies. The First Battle of the Marne ended when the French army pushed the Germans back out of their territory. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
On May 7, 1915, a German torpedo hit a British ship, The Lusitania. This event affected Germany’s relationship with the US and turned out to be a contributing factor in the US getting involved in the war. This was a civilian ship that was carrying thousands and killed over 1000 including almost 300 American civilians. The attack on this ship proved that Germany was willing to do whatever it could to win this war. -
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Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun started on February 12th, 1916, when the German troops began to attack the French battlegrounds. This battle is considered one of the bloodiest and longest battles during the war. The Germans chose to attack this area since Verdun threatened one of their main lines of communication that was vital for the war. The Battle of Verdun went on for over 11 months and finally ended on December 18th, 1916. -
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Battle of the Somme
On the morning of July 1st, British troops started the over 15-mile trek in one direction, while French troops came in from the other direction. The leaders of these troops were confident that this attack would damage the German troops for the Allies to advance. The German forces were much stronger and more prepared than they had foreseen. This battle took place on the banks of the Somme River and eventually ended on November 13th. -
William James Bean is safe at port of debarkation
This postcard signifies the worry of family members who are waiting for someone overseas. The card was a template that they gave to all soldiers. The army knows that families would be constantly worrying about them so they created this templated card to send home reassurance. When they were given this card, they filled in information specific to them and their families, and the army would send it off for them. The purpose of this letter is to let families know their soldiers have arrived safely. -
William James Bean arrived safely overseas
This letter is another example of a templated card that the soldiers can send to their families. This letter is slightly different from the last because this card is to let the soldier's families know that they have arrived overseas and made it there safely. This postcard has slightly less information written on it. The previous letter elaborated on the situation while this one just states the place of the soldier at the time. -
Germany Resumes Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
Unrestricted Sub Warfare was a military tactic used by Germany in World War 1. They would use these submarines to shoot and sink enemy ships. The most famous attack of the German U-boats was the sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915. With these submarines, the Germans would attack military ships as well as civilian ships. -
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Battle of Vimy Ridge April 9-Apr 12, 1917
On Sunday, April 9th, Canadian forces fought against the German army. This was the first time in WW1 that the 4 divisions of Canada's army fought and attacked together, leaving Germany severely outnumbered. At the end of this short battle, the Canadian casualties were much less severe than the Germans, including losing a few thousand prisoners. This short but effective battle was won by the Canadians on April 12th. -
U.S. Congress passes Selective Service Act
On May 18th, 1917, The US Congress passed an act that allowed the military to draft soldiers. Having the ability to draft soldiers means that the military can request men to come and join the armed forces when their country is in need. When the Selective Service Act was signed, all men in the US between the ages of 21-30 were required to register for the draft. By the end of the war, over 24 million men had registered under the Selective Service Act and joined the military. -
Bean writes to his wife and mother about the first nights at camp.
Willam James Bean wrote a letter to his wife and mother describing the experiences of his first night at the camp. He tells them about the trip to camp and how it felt similar to cattle transport. He also filled them in on the camp cuisine, which from his report, was beans, beans, and more beans. Another thing he explained in this letter was they must stay inside for up to 10 days due to quarantine, and he has to take a medical exam very soon. -
Bean writes another letter to his mother. This one explains his quarantine as well as his Christmas dinner.
On the first page, William tells his mother that he won't be permitted to leave his quarters until the following Monday due to his quarantine. He goes on to report his Christmas dinner provided by the camp. He describes how there was everything you could want and how they could help themselves to anything. After this, he tells his mother he has no happiness in the army, but he knows what he needs to do for his country. He closes his letter by wishing his family a Happy New Year. -
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson outlines his Fourteen Points for peace.
In January 1918, Woodrow Wilson gave a speech outlining his hopes for peace in the world. His speech had 14 points, including solving territory issues, international balance, and national security. At the Paris Peace Conference, where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, Wilson strived to have his 14 points put in the treaty, but many leaders disagreed with his statements. Even though his points were not all put into the treaty, they did play an important part in politics in the next years. -
Bean sends a postcard home to his wife.
On the front side of this postcard is a photo of a large ship in the middle of what looks to be the ocean. Right on the bottom edge of the front side, it says “U.S.S. NEW HAMPSHIRE”, which is most likely the name of the ship. On the backside of the card, William writes to his wife about the current weather as well as the troops’ current location. -
Treaty of Versailles is Signed
On June 28, 1919, The Treaty of Versailles was signed. This took place exactly five years after the sudden assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This document was signed in Paris to formally end the First World War. The treaty was signed by the Allies as well as the Central Powers.