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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife was assassinated on June 28, 1914. They were assassinated in the Capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo. The first attempt of the assassination was a failure. The assassinator threw a bomb at the cart of the Archduke. Because the car was moving, it rolled off and injured an officer and a few bystanders. His next attempt was shooting the Archduke. The assassinator ended up shooting the Archduke and his wife whom was pregnant. -
Russia Mobilizes
Russia mobilized its army to intervene against Austria-Hungary. They were in favor of its ally. Their ally was Serbia. This move starts a reaction that leads to the mobilization of the rest of the European Great Powers.
(Click Here)https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/russia-mobilizes-army
https://www.shmoop.com/wwi/timeline.html -
World War I Begins
The assassination of Franz-Ferdinand and his wife set off a number events. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbian government for the attack. The government of Austria- Hungary waited to declare war until they were sure that Germany was supportive of their country. On July, 28, Austria Hungary declared war on Serbia. Within that week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain, and Serbia were all lined up against Austria-Hungary and Germany. -
Christmas Truce
On Christmas Day in 1914, troops along 2/3 of the front declared a truce. In some places, this truce lasted up to a week. Soldiers on either side of the Western Front sang carols to each other and celebrated the holiday as if they were all allies. A year later, Centuries on both sides were ordered to shoot anyone who tried to bring back the tradition of yesteryear.
(Click Here) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce -
Zimmerman Telegram
British intelligence gives Wilson the so Zimmerman Telegram. The Zimmerman Telegram was a message from German secretary Arthur Zimmerman. He was proposing that Mexico side with Germany in case of war between Germany and the United States. In return, Germany promises to return to Mexico the Texas and a lot of the rest of the American Southwest. Mexico declines the offer, but the outrage at this interference in the Western Hemisphere pushes American public opinion to support entering the war. -
Germans Fire
The Germans fired shells filled with chlorine gas at the Allied lines. This was the first time that large amounts of gases were used in a battle. The result was the near-collapse of the French lines. The Germans were unable to take advantage of the breach.
(Click Here) https://germany-chlorine-gas.weebly.com/use-of-chlorine-gas.html -
Germany Limits Submarines
Kaiser Wilhelm reacted to international outrage when the Lusitania was sunk. He suspended unrestricted submarine warfare. That was an attempt to keep the United States out of the war. That only helped German efforts to prevent American supplies from reaching France and Britain. -
Battle of Verdun
Leo J. Bailey described the battle. He said that the battle's causalities were very light. He also mentions that the batlle was very long and he was happy to survive yet another day. The battle of Verdun was the longest battle of WWI -
Battle of Somme
The first day on the Somme was the opening day of the Battle of Albert. The name was given by the British to the first two weeks of the battle. The battle was later named the Battle of the Somme. Leo J. Bailey was a soldier coming out of recovery. He said he was having a hard time keeping up with the others because of his previous injury. -
First Tanks
The British employed the first tanks ever used in battle. They used them at Delville Wood. Although they were useful at breaking through barbed wire and clearing a path tanks were still first. They also failed to be the essential weapon, as their designers thought they would be. -
The US Enters the War
This was the day that Congress authorized a declaration of war against Germany. The US entered on the side of France and Britain. The majority of Americans believed it would be best if the US stayed neutral, but more than 2 million US soldiers ended up fighting within the span of the war. -
Germany and Russia Peace
The Germans signed a peace treaty with the Bolshevik government of Russia. The treaty gave Germany lots of land that had been colonized by Ukraine and Poland. Peace on the Eastern Front allowed Germany to shift soldiers to the Western Front. This caused problems for the French, British, and Americans. -
Leo J. Bailey fought in the Battle of Cantigny
The Battle of Cantigny was a important to America. It was the first major American offensive of the war. The Americans were fighting strong. They made a large attack against German. -
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought. This battle marked the first use of the term "D-Day" by the Americans. The attack at the St. Mihiel was part of a plan in which the Americans would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was the first and only offensive launched by the United States Army in World War I, and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating. -
Artillery Attack
Leo Joseph Bailey was wounded at Belleau Wood while diving for his dugout during an artillery attack and would spend two months recuperating in various hospitals. Despite his injury, he later looked back on this period. In his memoir, he remembered sleeping in a bed for the first time in nearly a year and waking to clean linens and a hearty breakfast as “the ideal life of a soldier’s dreams.” .
