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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/duke.htm
The shots that were fired on June 28, 1914, set the stage for the beginning of World War One. Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were returning home from a visit to City Hall when the chaos struck. Two bullets were fired by 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip, a Slavic nationalist with support from Serbia. These bullets that assassinated the Archduke sent nearly every county in Europe into a domino effect between alliances. This would set the stage for the Allied Powers and Central Powers. -
Germany Invades Belgium-Beginning to WWI http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/brussels.htm
To begin the tangle of alliances in Europe, Russia had declared war on Austria since they were with the Serbs. Second, Germany had declared war on Russia, being partnered with Austria. That lead France to mobilize on Germany and Germany, correspondingly, posed war on France. To be the first to strike, Germany had invaded into neutral Belgium, stirring France and also Britain. Starting on August 5, 1914, the Germans pushed their way through Belgium and caused the Belgian army to retreat. -
Battle of Mons http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-mons
The Battle of Mons was the last of four "Battles of Frontiers" in the first month of World War One. It was the British forces, led by Sir John French, teamed up with the French battling against the German forces who had invaded Belgium and were preceding towards France. The battle was fought over the 60-foot-wide Mons Canal in Belgium. After six hours of gruesome fighting, the French had retreated, leaving the British in danger and lead them to withdraw their troops, too. The Germans had won. -
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Battle of Tannenberg http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-tannenberg-begins
As World War One had just begun, Russia had sent two armies into Eastern Prussia while Germany had the majority of it's soldiers in the west near France. The Russian Armies had split apart in Prussia between the great Masurian Lakes, one lead by Aleksandr Samsonov that underestimated German numbers in the area. Germany had decoded messages sent between the Russian armies and planned a lethal attack on Samsonov's forces in Tannenberg. Samsonov's forces were destroyed only after 4 days of battle. -
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First Battle of Marne https://www.britannica.com/event/First-Battle-of-the-Marne
After the outbreak of World War One, Germany had occupied much of Belgium and proceeded towards France, more specifically Paris. To counterattack the Germans, General Joseph Joffre of France ordered to invaded German forces near the Marne River on the morning of September 6, 1914. As more French and British soldiers were supplied in, Germany was getting pushed only farther back. They declared for a general retreat that ended at the Aisne River; trenches were dug here, creating the Western Front. -
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The Gallipoli Campaign http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/battle-of-gallipoli
Early in WWI, one major goal of the Allies was to gain control of the Dardanelles Straits, a passage connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. This would give the Allies great naval power of Turkey. British and French ships seemed to often be taken down by the Turks so land invasion seemed necessary. The British had lined up large scale plans to invade the Gallipoli Peninsula. As the Allies invaded the Peninsula, little progress was made and 8 months after land battling, they retreated. -
Lusitania Sinks http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/lusitania.htm
After the war had just started, the United States had secretly sided with Britain and the Allies by benefiting them with supplies. The Lusitania was one of the ships carrying weaponry for Britain, but also carried cargo and civilians. 7 days after takeoff, catastrophe struck once the ship had entered the Irish Channel. The Lusitania was torpedoed by German U-boats, killing 1,198 people: 128 of them being Americans. Once news of the tragedy reached the US, outraged soared, making war only closer. -
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The Battle of Verdun http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-one/battles-of-world-war-one/the-battle-of-verdun/
Von Falkenhayn, a German General, designed a plan to attack the city of Verdun which was surrounded by twenty major forts. As the Germans began fighting in Fort Douaumont which was only 5 miles from Verdun, they tore through the French defense lines. Although they thought the war would be quick, it ended up lasting over 300 days and was the longest battle during WWI. The French put all the effort they could into defending Verdun and its surrounding forts. The battle finally ended December 18th. -
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Battle of Jutland http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/jutland.htm
The Battle of Jutland was a heavily anticipated battle that had been building up for more than a decade. Once WWI started, it was only Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany who feared and restricted the German naval attack. Finally on May 31, 1916, Germany had headed out into the North Sea off the coast of Denmark to meet up with the British navy; it was an epic duel that lasted all night. Although casualties were even, Britain came better prepared for the battle and held superior to the German navy. -
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The Brusilov Offensive http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/brusilov-offensive-begins
The Brusilov Offensive was the most successful invasion for the Allies in WWI. Planned out by Russian General Alexei Brusilov, the aim was to surprise attack the southwestern part of the Eastern Front where Austria-Hungary was stationed. The invasion began on June 4, 1916, when the outnumbered Russians swept through the Austrian defensive lines. By the end of the deadly offensive on September 20, Brusilov and his men had taken 1.5 million lives and 25,000 square km of territory. . -
Zimmerman Telegram https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/zimmermann
Along with the sinking of the Lusitania, the Zimmerman Telegram was another piece to the puzzle of why the US entered WWI. In January, 1917, the British had decoded a secret message from Germany to Mexico. The message said that Mexico will obtain US territory if they help Germany in WWI. Britain released the information to Woodrow Wilson on February 24, influencing the whole nation into war. The Zimmerman Telegram was the final straw for the US, sending America into war. -
U.S. Declares War on Germany http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/america-enters-world-war-i
When World War I erupted in Europe, Woodrow Wilson of the United States declared to stay neutral. Neutrality was favored by many in the US, but tensions began to rise throughout the years of warfare. German U-boats began torpedoing many US ships, like the Lusitania and the Housatonic, killing thousands of lives. The final straw was the Zimmerman Telegram, calling for a congressional vote for war. With landslide numbers, the US declared war against Germany on April 6, 1917. -
Eugene W. Lee upon entering WWI
Eugene W. Lee was born on March 24, 1899, in Salina, New York. Throughout his whole childhood, he always looked up to being in the Marines. Then s the U.S. entered WWI on April 6, 1917, he quickly registered for the Marines being just old enough to fight for his country. Lee wasn't given hardly any battle training in the U.S. and quickly was shipped over to France in less than a month of entering the service. -
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Private Lee's Entrance into France/Training
After his 13-day-long trip across the Atlantic Ocean to France, Eugene Lee landed in St-Nazaire, France. Upon arrival, they unloaded and eventually went to Moucourt, France, to stay and train. For nearly a year, he stayed in an old barn Moucourt to prepare for war and went to the trenches in Verdun to visualize trench warfare. The fighting was little in Verdun, the Germans only threw over a shell ever now and then and they did the same. His experience in Verdun had prepared him for Belleau Wood. -
Selective Service Act http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-congress-passes-selective-service-act
Only a month after America's entry into WWI, on May 18, 1917, the Selective Service Act, or Draft, was implemented. This act demanded that all men between the ages of 21 and 30 register for military service, leaving the chance to be selected to serve. It was necessary because before the war, only some 100,000 men were enlisted, insufficient enough numbers for warfare. A few months after the Act was in place, 10 million men had enlisted into service and gave the US the needed manpower for WWI. -
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Eugene Lee and the Battle in Belleau Wood
The Battle in Belleau Wood was the most memorable and famous battle Eugene Lee took part in. He arrived at Belleau Wood in early June, along with many other Marine squads. As all the soldiers formed up in organized squads, they went into the woods in waves. Chaos erupted and fighting became man to man. As the US soldiers drove the Germans out of the woods, they made foxholes to wait for the US artillery to take them away. Eugene was extremely lucky and only had a cut on his wrist, after all. -
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The Battle of Saint-Mihiel http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-launches-saint-mihiel-offensive
General John J. Pershing and his American forces had decided to headquarter his forces near Saint Mihiel in northeastern France. This area had been heavily occupied by the Germans since the beginning of the war and blocked all connection past the Eastern Front. The fresh American troops invaded the Germans on September 12, 1918. The attack appeared to be a great success as Americans pushed the German forces back east. By September 16, the Saint Mihiel area was free of German occupation. -
Private Lee's experiences on Armistice Day
On the Eve of November 10, 1918, Lee and his comrades were lined up along the Meuse river while facing against German soldiers. Over night was a stalemate, but on the very next morning very seldom a rifle was fired and Germany had raised up the white flag. It was a remarkable moment for Lee, the war was over. They celebrated the armistice by trading cigars and souvenirs with the Germans. Finally, Eugene Lee and the rest of the Marines walked the Germans all the way back to Germany. -
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Eugene Lee's Post-War Life and Return Home
When Eugene Lee and the Marines dropped off the Germans in Germany, his unit of men had all spread out in houses in the town Siegendorf. Lee had stayed in Germany for 9 months after armistice was made. Although they had just been at war with Germany, he began to make friends with the Germans and soon wasn't ever worried to be threatened by the Germans. In August, 1919, Lee arrived back in the homeland. Back in the US, he stayed in a Marine station where Lee and his mother happily reunited again. -
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End of WWI / Treaty of Versailles https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Versailles-1919
Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, and the fighting in WWI was officially over. It was now time that justice for the war was accounted for. The U.S., France, Britain, and Italy had held a convention in the spring of 1919 to settle to reparations for the war. The outcome resulted in redistributed German land, restrictions to the German military, and that Germany must pay for all destruction of the war. These harsh reparations stirred Germany and are seen to be one of the causes to WWII.
