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Archduke Assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated by Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on June, 28 1914. This is the cause of World War I. Gavrilo Princip was a serbian nationalist. He believed Bosnia and Herzegovina should have been part of Serbia. Initially he messed up the plan but later he was able to kill the royal couple at close range. -
Germany invades Belgium
Germany invades Belgium starting World War I, on August 4, 1914. The Germans invaded Belgium to get to France. Belgium remained neutral throughout all of this. Germany then occupied Belgium. -
Germany sinks Lusitania
Germany sinks the Lusitania on May 7, 1915. 128 Americans died from this attack. Germany had crossed the line. This ultimately led to the US declaring war on Germany. -
Italy declares war against Austria - Hungary
Italy declares war against Austria - Hungary on May 23, 1915. Italy was originally part of the triple alliance but later joined the allies. They had never fought with the alliance. They switched sides because they didn’t want to lose. -
Zimmerman Telegram
President Wilson receives the Zimmerman telegram from Britain. He finds out that Germany was plotting against the United States. Germany was trying to work with Mexico but they declined the offer. Americans now want to go into war. -
US enters WWI
The US enters World War I on April 6, 1917. They join Britain, France and Russia on the side of the allies. They fought the Central Powers which included Germany, Austria - Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. -
Selective Service Act
Congress passes the Selective service on May 18, 1917. Although the bill is heavily criticized Wilson sill signs it into law. This bill made it to where all men ages 21 - 30 had to register for military service. Then later these men would be drafted into war. -
American march through France
Elmer Holmes Van Schoick came over to Brest, France on March 17, 1918. The americans marched through and attracted lots of attention. France was very foreign to him. There were many alley ways and side streets. He saw women mourning and French soldiers.The barracks they stayed at were from the times of Napoleon. They later took a train to the countryside. Elmer stayed at a barn and was very content. It was a new experience to him. -
Mothers Day
The Postal Service promised the soldiers to speed the letters home. Everyone was writing letters. Elmer was thankful to receive a letter for his mother. He got paid 169 and a ½ francs on Friday. His company adopted a french war orphan. He put in some francs to support the orphan. Later that evening Elmer found a poem at the YMCA. It was a Mother’s day poem written by a member of Company C. Elmer wouldn’t rather be anywhere else at during the war besides home. -
Guardhouse prisoners
Where Elmer was stationed there was a guardhouse. Soldiers with minor offenses were sent to the guardhouse. Prisoners weren’t allowed to have alcohol and tobacco. The night before two of the prisoners went out while being attended by a guard. They asked to use the bathroom and left their canteens. One of their friends came over and filled two of the canteens with one. One of the canteens was left with water in it. The two men got caught and ended up getting solitary confinement. -
Under shellfire
On July 17th, 1918, Elmer was under shellfire. He was billeted on one side of the river. He was a long way under it but safety was his first priority. It was a new experience to him. The way the gun fired and the shell whistled was all new to him. The only deaths from the shells were 2 mules. -
Battle of St.Mihiel
The battle of St.Mihiel started on September 12, 1918 and ended on September 19. The American Expeditionary Force launched a major offensive against the Germans under General John J. Pershing. The attack was successful and the Germans abandoned their position. America was one step closer to ending WWI. -
Wilhelm II abdicates
Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates his throne on November 9, 1918. After that Germany had no hope. He was exiled from Germany and lived the rest of his days in the Netherlands. He died at the age of 82. -
Fighting in the war
Elmer was fighting in the war. Elmer spent time in no man's land. The infantry outflanked the Germans. Elmer was in Beaumont, France. There were some germans still left in the city and they would have to be eliminated. Civilians were hiding out where they could. Elmer slept in a wine cellar to avoid getting killed. He and his comrades had everything they needed. Germans dropped propaganda to try and trick the American troops. They underestimated the character of American soldiers. -
WWI ends
World War 1 officially ends on June 28, 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The allied powers wrote it out. Germany had no control over it. It limited Germany’s power and was very strict. It was one of the reasons why WWII started.
