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Archduke Assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, he was shot and killed along with his wife on June 28, 1914. Franz Ferdinand was Royal Prince of Hungary, and being assassinated by a Serbian Nationalist angered civilians. Archduke was in Sarajevo, Bosnia to inspect the imperial armed forces. His Wedding anniversary was also on the day him an his wife were assassinated. Austria and Hungary blamed Serbian government for the act. -
Russian Mobilization
The Russian Mobilization started after the Franco Prussian War, the Russians had been defeated an humiliated and didn’t want to seem weak to European countries. Because of this Russia decided to side with France against Germany. After a while Russia had been able to put money together to make railroads to transport the troops. Russia was unorganized and did not have encryption codes so that just made knowing every move of the Russians to the Germans easy. -
Germans Fire
A year or so after the World War started The Germans surprised the world. Introducing poison gas on April 22, 1915 the Germans fired over 150 tons of deadly chlorine gas over the western front. The Germans used different types of gasses such as tear gas, xylyl bromide, and Mustard gas. Mustard gas was by far the most lethal gas, it blistered the eyes, lungs and the skin. The chemical warfare went on but France and Britain started to develop their own chemicals an gas masks -
Lusitania Sinks
May 5, 1915 Germans torpedoed the Lusitania without any type of warning killing 1,198 passengers/crew members, 128 of them being American. The Germans argued saying that they warned all ships that entered the Britain's war zone that their would be deadly force. The boat sunk abnormally fast, in 20 minutes the boat sank, thinking the torpedo hit the boiler but it hit 173 tons of ammunition for Britain, exploding the ship and causing it to sink faster than normally. -
First Tanks
“Little Willie” the first prototype tank ever made, in England on September 6th 1915, weighed 14 tons and a max speed of 2 mph. Improvements were made and tanks would soon conquer the battlefield. Ernest Swinton and William Hankey were the two masterminds behind the armoured vehicle . Being the answer to the trench warfare for the British it did not succeed because they were too slow an would overheat. Later on would the British make a tank that would fulfill their expectations. -
Submarines Back
After The sinking of the Lusitania two years ago, Germany’s Unrestricted submarine warfare rises again on February 1, 1917. German Navy Commanders weren't ready to pass the use of the submarines so aggressively. So they convinced Kaiser Wilhelm and the government that the U-boat was the best essential war strategy the Germans had. Bethmann Hollweg told the Government that the unrestricted submarine warfare would start again on January 31, 1917. -
U.S. Enters the War
Woodrow Wilson, our president, pledged to America that when the World war started the we would be a neutrality. And America would do just that until Germany was sinking American ships over an over again. The U.S. Senate voted 82 to 6 and the U.S. House of Representatives voted 373 to 50, Putting America in WWI. By the time the war was over America had lost 50,000 plus soldiers from the 2 million soldiers that served. -
Selective Service Act
Woodrow Wilson brought his plan to the Congress on April 2, 1917. This plan would give America the army it needed to help America’s allies. The Allies needed new troops so they needed more men. So President Wilson signed the act stating that all able bodied men ages 21-30 were to sign up and join military service. The law was then passed on May 18, 1917. -
Becoming a Corporal
As a high private for six months George Brown Sheppard was with the Second Squad of Company L, 2nd New Jersey Infantry. In his first week he traveled from Princeton, to Trenton Armory, to Gibbstown, to Lyon Tabernacle in Camden. He was in Camden for month camping out in a field on the edge of the town. He went to Trenton and he was blamed for letting 3 prisoners escape. He became a Corporal on September 17th, 1917. -
Germany an Russia At Peace
Russia an Germany on in December of 1917 the agreed to armistice and peace talks. After the Germans went on into St. Petersburg Vladimir Lenin decided to put the Treaty into place an was signed on March 3, 1918. After the treaty was put into effect Germany believed they would get land from Russia, they didn't because the allied nations were dominant. -
Discharged to accept a Commission
He left for Anniston on October 3rd and he became Company C, 11th M.G.9n. He went to 3rd O.T.S. and Graduated on January 5, 1918. He became a Sergeant in the F.A. and had to stay 24 hours because an account had bundled orders. He went from camp McClellan to camp Jackson with the rest of the Transported artillery, He was then discharged to accept a commission on May 12th. -
29th Division
He met Bill in Washington on May 13th, and they spent the day trying to get an assignment from the Adjutant General's office. The major couldn’t help them so they went to the civilian clerk. They learned that they were suppose to report to the 29th division for duty. He an Bill both went to camp Jackson and McClellan to obtain theirs orders. -
In Charge of 78 Men
On June 13th he was to report to Camp Hill because he would be taking charge of 78 men. All of the men were freshly recruited Privates, they were to be transferred to the 104th Engineers at Fort Debarkation. They were to be sail the next day an he was suppose to be at the pier at 7:30 a.m -
Leaving the Harbor
On June 15th he set sail with 5 transport in single file. He was escorted by a destroyer and cruiser and an dozen of small chasers and he had two over watch seaplanes. George, after they left the harbor, got settled for the abandon ship drills. George was put into charge of the lifeboats it could only hold up to 12 men and it was located at the front of the ship. -
Armistice Day
Armistice day represents the day the WWI conflict ended. The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1918. The first Armistice celebration was a year after the Treaty was signed. There was a parade and gatherings an such and at 11pm there was a pause in the day at work an at schools an so on.
