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Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife were on their way to the annexed Bosnia. A nationalist group known as the Black Hand was plotting to assassinate the Archduke and his wife after learning about the trip. Gavrilo Princip, who was only 19 years old, shot and killed the Archduke and his wife as they passed by in their vehicle in Sarajevo, and sparking outrage in Austria-Hungary. This act of aggression is a main factor in the beginning of the "War to End all Wars." -
Battle of Liege
The Battle of Liege is the first battle of WWI, and it is the official start of actual warfare. The Schlieffen Plan was the approach that Germany was taking at the beginning of the war. The plan was to cut through Belgium and take a more direct route to France. This meant that taking the city of Liege was a crucial first step in the right direction. Germany invaded Belgium on August 5, 1914 and the battle lasted until the 12th of August. It resulted in Germany capturing Liege. -
First Battle of the Marne Begins
Germany was quickly advancing through France, and they were getting dangerously close to the capital of Paris. France needed to launch a counterattack, which is exactly what they did. After a few days of fighting, the German army became extremely tired and worn out. They started retreating on the 9th of September, and were pushed back. This was the first major battle that the Allies were the victors, and it established confidence in the Allied forces. -
Christmas Truce
Not even war could kill the spirit of Christmas. The German and British troops started singing Christmas carols from their respective trenches. When Christmas day finally came, the two sides agreed on a temporary ceasefire to celebrate Christmas. They sang and talked almost like they weren't going to go kill each other the next day. It is even said that some of the soldiers played soccer. It was a heartwarming moment in the middle of one of the greatest wars of all time. -
Second Battle of Ypres Begins
The Second Battle of Ypres began when Germany bombarded the the Allied trenches with an artillery barrage. It seemed as if it was just a regular battle, and the Allies were prepared for combat, but they had no idea what was about to hit them. The Germans fired over 150 tons of chlorine gas across 4 miles of the Allied trenches. Neither side gained much from this battle, but this was the first use of lethal gas in modern warfare, and it would influence the rest of the war. -
Lusitania is Sunk
German U-boats were used to torpedo enemy ships, and they are a major detail in WWI. The Lusitania was a British passenger ship which was illegally sunk by a German U-boat. The attack killed 1,128 people including 128 Americans. The Germans claimed that the attack was because the boat was carrying military supplies, but that did not stop Americans from being angered. The lives lost on the Lusitania caused outrage among Americans, and many called for the U.S. to interfere in the war. -
Battle of Verdun Begins
The Battle of Verdun is the longest single battle of WWI. The Germans invaded Verdun and they were moving swiftly. They captured fort Douaumont and Fort Vaux. The Germans were extremely close to the Verdun Cathedral, but they called off the attack. The French now had an opportunity to go on the offensive. The recaptured their forts and pushed back Germany. The battle lasted for about 10 months, and resulted in over 600,000 casualties. It is the most brutal and bloodiest battle of WWI. -
Tanks Used for the First Time in Battle During the Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme was launched by the Allies to relieve the troops fighting at Verdun. The point of the war was to put a sizable dent in the German troops in hopes to weaken them. On September 15, the British launched the first tank attack in history. Only about one third of the tanks made it to battle, and they were not developed enough to really work. The Battle of the Somme was one of the most deadly wars in WWI with over 1 million casualties. -
Zimmerman Telegram Intercepted by American Intelligence
The Zimmerman Telegram was issued by Germany and sent to Mexico. It was a depicted message proposing an alliance between the two nations. Germany asked Mexico to invade the United States to distract them from what is happening in Europe, and in exchange, Germany would give back Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Germany said it was going to resume U-boat attacks as well. Mexico declined the offer and the telegram was intercepted by American intelligence. This angered the United States even more. -
Longshaw Kraus Porritt Awarded the Croix de Guerre
Before the United States had officially entered the war, Connecticut native Longshaw Kraus Porritt volunteered to transport the wounded from the battlefield for immediate help. He served from April to September in 1917. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre which was given to people who displayed acts of heroism. A little over 2 million of these rewards were given out. Porritt was a hero before he even officially served in the military. -
USA Enters the War
The United States had been debating whether or not war was the best option for the country, but after the Zimmerman Telegram was intercepted, it was clear that it was time to go to war. The sinking of the Lusitania was the first time Americans were directly impacted, and it already had some Americans calling for war. Although Woodrow Wilson, the president at the time, was a very anti-war, he recognized that a clear danger was present, and it was time to take action. -
Selective Service Act of 1917
The United States had just entered a war that they were ill-prepared for, and they needed soldiers fast. The military did not have enough men or resources to fight such a major war, so they resulted to a draft. The draft was based off of your birthday, and if you were drafted, you would go to war. 24 million men were registered in the draft and over half of all Americans who served in WWI were drafted. Today, every man within the first 30 days of his 18th birthday must register in the draft. -
Longshaw Kraus Porritt Serves in the U.S Navy
After volunteering as an ambulance server driver, Porritt served in the Navy from September to December in 1917. He spent about six weeks aboard the USS Corsair during his service and was sworn into the U.S. Navy while on board. The main purpose of the USS Corsair was to destroy enemy submarines and for convoy. After his time on the Corsair, he was sent to Lacanau, France and he broke his foot while trying to move something. He was sent to a hospital in Brest, France. -
Battle of Cambrai Begins
The Battle of Cambrai was the first time tanks were used on a large-scale during combat. The Allies used 3 tank brigades to power their way through German defenses on November 20th, and pushed them back quite a bit.The tanks used at Cambrai were much more efficient than the ones used at the Battle of the Somme, but they were still extremely slow, leaving enough time for Germany to rebound. The Germans launched a counter attack, and they were able to recapture what was lost in the initial attack. -
Porritt Sent to Italy
The Italians suffered a devastating loss in the Battle of Caporetto, and the entire 1st Italian army was captured. They needed relief, and they needed it fast. Military personnel in Paris knew that they needed Americans to fight on the Italian front, specifically ambulance units from the American Red Cross. Porritt had previous ambulance experience, and decided to become an Ambulance Field Service Driver while still in the hospital. He was given honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy. -
Battle of Cantigny
The United States had not yet fought in major battles in WWI. They had declared war, but were not ready for combat until almost a year later. The American troops charged into Cantigny and took control with help from the French. The troops were ordered to not give up and inch, and that's exactly what they did. The Germans launched 7 counter-attacks attempting to regain control of Cantigny, but to no avail. The Battle of Cantigny is the first major battle won by Americans in WWI. -
Porritt Awarded the Italian War Merit Cross
Porritt spent about 10 months as an Ambulance Field Service Driver. During his time, he served in major wars including the Battle of the Piave in June of 1918, and the Battle of Vittorio-Veneto in October of the same year. The War Merit Cross (Croce Merito Di Guerra in Italian) was awarded to Porritt for outstanding service during these two major battles during WWI. A little over 1 million of these crosses were issued. -
Porrit Promoted to First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army
Porritt spent almost a full year in the military serving in the Navy and Army. He spent six weeks on the USS Corsair and was then sent to Italy to help out a struggling Army. He was a crucial part in saving lives during WWI, and without men like Longshaw Kraus Porritt many more men would have died. He served in two major battles during WWI and was awarded the Italian War Merit Cross. For all of these accomplishments, Porritt was promoted to First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. -
Armistice Day
On the 11th Hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, the War to End All Wars officially ended. Germany had been fighting a two-front war for a few years, they were in debt, and they were running out of resources. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany resigned from power which basically rendered Germany out of the war, and they finally agreed to sign a peace treaty. The war claimed about 40 million causalities in all with almost have of them being deaths. It is one of the most deadly wars of all time. -
Treaty of Versailles
After the war, Allied forces decided that it would be best to punish Germany for their role in WWI to safeguard them from another outbreak. The Treaty of Versailles put extreme reparations on Germany as well as military limitations. The treaty put Germany into deep debt, and they fell into a great depression. This helped give rise to Adolf Hitler, who promised to lift Germany out of debt and make them great again. The Treaty of Versailles is a major factor in the creation of the Nazi Regime.
