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Archduke Assasinated
On June 28th, 1914, archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assasinated during a vist to Sarajevo. The assasin, Gavrilo Princip, shot and killed the archduke and his wife at point-blank range. This caused a chain reaction that lead to WWI -
Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia
On July 28th, 1914, Austria-Hungray declared war on Serbia. This was the start of WWI. Soon after, Germany, Russia, France, Britain, and others picked their sides and declared war on one-another. -
German Assault on Liege
On August 5th, 1914, the German amry launched their first assault on the city of Liege. After 10 days of fighting, German forces finally broke through. This was the first battle of WWI. -
First Battle of The Marne
On septembther 6th, 1914, one of the most decisive battles of WWI started. French commander general Manoury attacked the right flank of the German 1st Army. While it did not win the war, it made it clear it was going to be a long one. -
First Trenches Dug
On September 15th, 1914, both Allied and Central powers began digging trenches. The trench system was constantly being repaired and improved from late 1914 to early 1928. While the conditons in the trenches were horrid, they actually protected soldiers from more deadly harm, such as gun-fire and artillery shells. -
First Gas Attack
On April 22nd, 1915,Germany used poison gas fro the first time. The effects were devestating. There were over half a million casualties due to gas attacks by the end of the war. -
Battle of Somme
On July 1st, 1916, Allied forces launched a massive offensive. While they only gained a few miles, around 600k allied soldiers were killed, wounded, or M.I.A. The offense ended November 18th. -
Zimmerman Telegram Made Public
On March 1st, 1917, President Wilson authorized the Zimmerman Telegram to go public. The telegram offered an alliance between Mexico and Germany against the U.S. After learning about the telegram, Wilson soon brought the U.S. into the war. -
John Brennan Joins the Army
On July 24th, 1917, John Joseph Brennan joined the U.S. Army. At first, he was underweight. He weighed again later and was accepted. "This is just the first day." -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
On March 3rd, 1918, Russia signed a treaty with the Central powers pulling out f WWI. Earlier in the war, russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin took ocntrol and called for a ceasefire. After agreeing to harsh terms, the peace treaty was signed. -
Brennan boards a transport.
On May 17th, 1918, Brennan was loaded onto the transport heading to France. Soon, he would land with his company. "We got on the transport at 10:00 a.m., left dock at 3:50 p.m." -
Brennan lands in France
On may 30th, 1918, Brennan's transport landed in St. Nazaire. Earlier, there had been a battle. "At 3:20 p.m., we were attacked by a number of submarines." -
Brennan in WWI
From May to the end of 1918, Brennan served in the army. During which he fought in battles. All the while being shelled, gassed, and fired upon. -
WWI Ends
On November 11th, 1918, Germany signed a amistice with the Allies on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. With millions dead and wounded, WWI was "the war to end all wars." The harsh terms would lead to yet another world war about 20 years later, WWII. -
Brennan's Discharge
On April 3rd, 1919, John Joseph Brennan was discharged from the army. After serving his country, he was happy for a rest. Soon afterwards, he went back to his home and settled down.
