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The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On June 23, Ferdinand and his wife Sophie departed for a trip to Sarajevo and Ferdinand knew he could potentially be in danger. When he was visiting two wounded officers in the hospital, he got shot at and a bullet pierced his neck and shot Sophie in the abdomen. A few minutes later they both passed away and the shooter, a Serbian nationalist, admitted to shooting Ferdinand and his wife. This is the event that sparked World War I. -
World War I Begins
On July 23, the ambassador of Austria- Hungary sent and ultimatum to Serbia. The ultimatum said that they must suppress anti- Austrian propaganda, the Serbian government must wipe out terrorist organizations within it borders and accept an investigation by the Austrian- Hungary government for the Archdukes assassination, or they will face military action. Serbia went to Russia for help. On July 28, Austria- Hungary declared war on Serbia. On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia. -
The Lusitania Sinks
The Lusitania was a passenger ship that was going through the Celtic Sea. On May 7, at 2:12 p.m. the ship was hit by an exploding torpedo. It was shortly followed by another explosion. The ship sand within 20 minutes. 1,201 people drowned and 128 of those people were Americans. To justify the attack, Germany stated that the Lusitania was an enemy ship. -
The Sussex Gets Attacked
The Sussex provided a ferry service on the English Channel. The German U-Boats mistook the ship for a mine layer and torpedoed it. 50 people were killed but none of them were Americans, although some were injured. The ship did not sink and was towed into the French port of Boulogne. This caused President Wilson to send Germany and ultimatum saying to end the attacks on unarmed ships or risk diplomatic relations. Germany responded the the "Sussex Pledge." -
Battle of the Somme Begins
The battle of the Somme lasted 4 months. It was fought in northern France on a 15 mile front near the Somme River. For seven days the Allies bombarded German trenches. Then the Allies sent 100,000 men to attack them. The Germans weathered artillery and fought as the British soldiers advanced. The Germans killed 19,240 British soldiers. It was one the most bitter and costly battles of World War I. -
Battle of the Somme Ends
After 4 months of fighting, the battle ends. On November 18, The British Commander in Chief called a halt to his army near the Somme River, ending the battle. There were 3 million soldiers that fought on both sides and more than 1 million soldiers died or was wounded during the battle. The Battle of the Somme remains the most controversial operations of World War I. -
Sumner Gets Recalled
Allen Melancthon Sumner Jr. was in the United States Marine Corps from 1907-1914 and then he retired. When World War I began he got recalled in April. On July 5, Sumner started active duty at Marine Barracks, Quantico. In August he was assigned to 81st Company when the 1st Machine Gun Battalion was formed. Later on he was promoted and became captain. -
Congress Passes a Declaration of War
The U.S. remained neutral in the beginning of the war. It was not easy to remain successfully neutral through the beginning of the war. The Allied Powers proclaimed a blockade of the Central Powers and it did not go with the rules of navel warfare. The United States government would still not get involved even with this issue. When the Germans attacked a U.S. ship, President Wilson went to the Congress and they allowed the U.S. to get involved and fight Germany. -
United States Join the War
When entering the war, the U.S. joins its allies(Britain, France, and Russia). Germany decided to continue the policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. Also, Britain intercepted the Zimmerman Telegram, sent by Germany, which suggested the idea Mexico should form an alliance with them. More than 2 million soldiers fought in France under the command of Major General John Pershing. Most of Americans wanted to remain neutral and did not like the U.S. joining the war. -
Sumner's Ship Gets Attacked
Everyday Sumner sent a letter to his wife and on August 20, his letter explained what happened when his ship was attacked. Around 8:30 a.m. there was gunfire at Sumner's by an enemy submarine. The attack lasted about and hour and a half. The 20th co. crew was the first organization to fight back against the enemy. They only got a chance to fire a few shots, the destroyer did most of the work. No one got hurt and they made out of the attack fine. -
Sumner Sails from New York to St Nazaire
From December 14- 31 Sumner sailed from New York to St Nazaire, France. He sailed on a German ship called the USS DeKalb. When Sumner arrived he began training in the Vosges. Later on he was in the front of the line at Mont-sur-la-Cote on the Verdun Front. This was just the beginning of Sumner's time in the war. -
Sumner Takes Command
Sumner became in command of the 81st Company when Major Waller got transferred to the 3rd Company. He also had to take command in Belleau Wood. On June 10, Major Cole was wounded Sumner had to step in and take command of the right front. A month later Sumner died in battle. -
Allen Melancthon Sumner Dies in Battle
Sumner died in action on July 19 near Vierzy, France. He was supervising a platoon during a counterattack against German Forces. A fragment of a High Explosive shell hit him and he died instantly. Sumner was commissioned in his honor. He served from March 17, 1907- January 1, 1914 and March 1917- July 19, 1918. -
World War I Ends
World War I ended with an armistice. Germany was outmatched and their allies were crumbling around them. On November 11 Germany surrendered and all nations agreed to stop fighting as the terms of peace were being negotiated. In this war, 9 million soldiers died and 21 million soldiers were wounded. -
Treaty of Versailles Signed
The Treaty of Versailles was a peace document for the end of World War I. It was signed by the Allied Powers and Germany. It was drafted during the Paris Peace Conference. The "Big Four" made all the major decisions. These four included David Lloyd George of Britain, Georges Clemenceau of France, Woodrow Wilson of the United States, and Vittorio Orlando of Italy. The defeated nations did not have any say in making the treaty.
