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World War 1 Begins
The assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand is the main reason for World War 1. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and due to the alliance Russia joined. Germany then declared war on Russia and France saw everything unfolding then Germany attacked France through Belgium pulling Britain into war. Then Japan entered, so as you can see it just kept escalating. So overall, this started because the leader of Austria-Hungary’s leader was assassinated. -
Invasions Pick Up
Throughout these 5 days, there were a ton of invasions happening. France invaded Alsace and then British forces arrived in France. Germany didn’t fully think it through since there were a lot of countries allied against them. Those countries include Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Rhodesia, Romania, Greece, France, Belgium, the United States, Canada, Serbia, India, Portugal, Montenegro, and Poland. -
The Sinking of Lusitania
A German submarine hit a British steamship known as the Lusitania. This killed 1,195 people 128 of those being American. This set off several events that led to the United States joining the war. There were ads reminding the U.S. that Britain and Germany were at war and to not get on the boat since it was departing from New York. -
Recruiting for Red Cross
This was the day that Alice L. Mikel Duffield got recruited to go into the red cross. A woman had come through the hospital she was working at at the time and told them the men weren't getting treated right. She stated how several were injured and they needed nurses to come work to save veterans. Then said she hopes when they graduate they come help the red cross. -
Nurses Training for War
During training for the war, Alice and the nurses were given everything for free. They got school books, lecture notebooks, pencils, everything furnished, three meals a day, a place to sleep, and their laundry was provided by the red cross for training. Some of them had already been nurses prior to training but had to still go through training for the war. -
Impact on Families
Sometimes the way that your family views you going to war is really important. In Duffield’s case, her family didn't object to her going to help. They didn’t believe that America would be going to war, they thought it would stay between England and Germany. Otherwise, she may have stayed back or struggled to help -
United States Declares War
The United States started battling in World War 1. The United States was trying to stay out of the war due to Woodrow Wilson’s policy of strict and impartial neutrality. However, the US was prepared for the war and ready to go if they needed to. April 2, 1917, is when Wilson declared war since Germany stated “A war against mankind. It is a war against all nations. -
The Trauma of Veterans
I think that the things they see still stick with them. She was explaining how she was helping a wounded soldier and just broke down because he was dying. She had to be told that if she kept crying nothing would get done so she had to try and forget about it. During this interview, she had to take a break due to it making her emotional. -
Camp Pike
In Camp Pike, this was where the barracks were. They got their training here. It was very cramped and their food was very good in training. They only got 5 dollars but everything was provided for the nurses. It was a medical apartment. -
World War 1 Ends
The 11th month, on the 11th hour, on the 11 day, all guns fell silent in 1918. Austria-Hungary and Germany were running out of materials and men to keep fighting. Then the rest surrendered since Germany and Austria-Hungary were the main leaders in World War 1. 9.7 million veterans lost their lives.