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The Assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Austrian Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, were shot to death by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip whilst in an open car in a parade in Sarajevo, Bosnia. This sparked a chain of events that would lead to WWI; Austria-Hungary blaming Serbia for the attack and allied nations coming to others’ aid, and, a month later, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
Links: (Image and information)
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/archduke-franz-ferdinand-assassinated -
German Invasion of Belgium
Essentially, the only reason Germany invaded Belgium was to achieve a better route/tactic to invade and attack France. Free passage through Belgium was the best option, but when Germany proposed this, they were denied by the Belgian government because Belgium was a neutral country. Because of their refusal to cooperate, Germany invaded the country as as enemy; and Great Britain came to their aid.
Links: http://www.historyforkids.net/germany-invades-belgium.html -
First Major Use of Chlorine Gas
The first use of Chlorine gas was on the western front, launched on French forces in Ypres, Belgium. This was known as the Second Battle of Ypres. The Allied forces were expecting the first wave of enemy troops, but were attacked on four miles of the front with poison gas carried by the wind. The invention of that type of poison gas would harm the Allied nations immensely.
Links: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-introduce-poison-gas -
First Use of Tanks in Battle
The invention of tanks would also be another significant affector of both the Allied nations and Central Powers, positively and negatively. During the Battle of the Somme, the British launched a major offensive against the Germans by their first use of tanks. They launched about 40 tanks that advanced over a mile into enemy lines.
Links: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tanks-introduced-into-warfare-at-the-somme -
President Wilson Learns of the Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram was a message written by Arthur Zimmerman sent to the Mexican government. In it, Germany proposed a German-Mexican alliance in the event that the US declares war on Germany. The coded message was given to President Woodrow Wilson, and he would then take the message and propose to Congress that the military prepares in case of a German attack.
Links: https://www.thoughtco.com/world-war-i-zimmerman-telegram-2361417 -
US Enters the War
Initially, the US declared neutrality in 1914. Since the beginning of the war, many US ships/submarines were damaged or sunk by the German army, and in 1915, Germany declared that all ships that entered the war zone around Britain would be attacked, neutral or otherwise. After these attacks, the public grew more hostile with Germany, and soon the government would as well.
Links: https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/wwi -
Selective Service Act
The Selective Service Act gave the president the power to draft soldiers. The state of the US military wasn’t very well at the beginning of the war, and, in attempt to avoid a draft, President Woodrow Wilson did what he could to better prepare the military during 1916. His attempts didn’t do much, so he finally pushed the government to create a military conscription.
Links: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-congress-passes-selective-service-act -
Groves Enlists
Frank W. Groves was a runner in H Company of the 28th Infantry of the Oregon National Guard and went immediately to the Mexican border after enlisting. In the winter of 1917, he shipped out from New York to southern France upon General Pershing’s order. He became one of the first Americans to land in France.
Links: http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.93331/ -
The Battle of St. Mihiel
The Battle of St. Mihiel (Sept. 12-16) was the first major offensive attack of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) against the Germans as an independent army. They were to set up a front facing the Saint-Mihiel salient (a piece of land located between Verdun and Nancy) on the Western front of France. The salient had been occupied by German forces since 1914, and they would be the ones to free it of the Central Powers control.
Links: http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/stmihiel.htm -
Battle of Soissons
Groves also remembered much of the Battle of Soissons, where he had unfortunately gotten wounded. The Battle of Soissons (July 18th - 22nd) was a battle mainly fought between the French and German armies, though there was American assistance. In the end, the French were able to recapture most of the land previously occupied by the German army.
Links: http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.93331/
https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Battle%20of%20Soissons%20(1918) -
Brest-Litovsk Treaty
Despite the fact that an armistice between Russia and the Central Powers was reached in December 1917 and a cease-fire declared December 15, negotiations for the terms began at Brest-Litovsk on December 22nd and the actual Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed March 3rd, 1918. In the treaty, Russia gave up land and recognized the independence of Ukraine, Georgia, and Finland.
Links: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/treaties-of-brest-litovsk -
Battle of Cantigny
In an interview, Groves remembers the Battle of Cantigny vividly. He did not fight, as he was a runner, but he was caught in the midst of conflict frequently while delivering messages. The Battle of Cantigny was the first American offensive of World War I, it’s objective to capture the village of Cantigny. It was a victory aided by the French, with 1,067 casualties.
Links: http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.93331/
http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/cantigny.htm -
Kaiser Wilhelm's Abdication
After the un-consented announcement of his abdication, Wilhelm could do nothing. He formally abdicated and went into exile in Holland. His official abdication proclamation was published on November 30, in Berlin, Germany. While he had a small role in the war itself, he was a large factor in beginning the war.
Links: http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/abdication.htm -
Grove's Armistice
After returning to the front, on the night of November 10th, Groves was ordered to deliver a message. It said that the Germans asked to discuss an armistice. After delivering it, he went to the other runners and told them the war was over. November 11th, they began marching, and, he remembered, that day they couldn’t hear the Germans.
Links: http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.93331/ -
Armistice Day
“The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the Great War ends.”
In a railroad car just outside of Compiegne, France, at 5am, delegates sent by Prince Max von Baden signed an armistice with the Allies. Germany’s allies (Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria) had already surrendered and the German troops were facing chaos both on and off the battlefield.
Links: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/world-war-i-ends -
Serving In Germany And Returning Home
They marched everyday until they reached their destination, and there the German people were to provide shelter in their own homes. Eventually, Groves would write a letter to the war department requesting to be discharged. He didn’t return to Oregon until the summer of 1919.
Links: http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.93331/
