-
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Happened on June 28, 1914. At 11 a.m.. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot. Later the same day, a 19-year-old male named Gavrilo Princip was apprehended. He was involved in a Serbian nationalist society, the Black Hand group, which was believed to have ties to the Serbian government. It was believed there were 6 conspirators in the death of Archduke. He was in Bosnia overseeing military issues. -
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, beginning World War I on July 28, 1914. Exactly a month after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Austria-Hungary government declared war on Serbia. Within six days, the European countries declared war on each other, which caused World War l. The conflict quickly got worse. People believed this caused World War l. A deadly war with 40 million military and civilian deaths. -
Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne ended on September 12, 1914. It was a battle fought from Sep 5th to Sept 12th, 1914. The Germans invaded France with the thought they would win the war by taking control of the land and beating the Allies. As time went on, the Germans began to get out of numbers, and they were running out of resources. The Germans retreated, and the Allies won the war. -
The Paris Peace Conference
The Paris Peace Conference took place on January 19, 1919, at Versailles. It was called to discuss terms of peace shortly following World War I. Thirty nations and the representatives of the United Kingdom, France, The United States, and Italy were there. The representatives got the nickname the “Big Four". The Big Four took a huge role in completing The Treaty of Versailles, which later ended World War I. -
Naval Operations in Dardanelles Campaign
The British and French launched a naval attack on Turkey. In hopes, they could knock Turkey out of World War I. The attack quickly backfired because of unknown Turkish mines. It caused many casualties along with a huge setback for the Allies. After the attack, it left a bad lasting impression on the Allies. Many viewed them as weak. -
Lusitania Disaster
The Lusitania was a cruise line with 1,959 men, women, and children. The sinking changed the opinions of many United States citizens. As many were outraged and no longer favored the Germans, the talk of war became more common. Two years later, President Woodrow Wilson decided to no longer be mutual with the Germans. -
Harry L. Frimean Drafted and off to camp
Harry L. Frimean got drafted for the war. He said his goodbyes and shortly left. He was sent to Camp Meade MD for training. He spent 8 months in camp. After training, he then documented his journey over the Atlantic Ocean. Throughout that time, there was not a single mention of his loved ones. But rather mentioned the sightings of sunsets and wildlife. -
Spring Offensive
The Germans continuously attacked the Western front, coming from all different directions. They believed the only chance they had left of victory was to attack the Allies before the US had time to send more soldiers over. The Germans did not succeed in the attack and they retreated. The Spring Offensive attack was significant because it was showing signs of weakness within the Germans. -
Arrived in Longvill
Harry Frimena arrived in Longvill and was waiting until he went to war. Frimena set up a tent and slept in the mud that night. He explained how the weather was miserable. It was cold and would not stop raining. A few days later, he was asked to turn in his personal belongings. On Sep 13 he and his fellow soldiers arrived at Verdun and brought their guns into position. It was his first time on an active war field. -
2,600 Bombs dropping
Harry and his fellow friends were camping out waiting for daylight until twenty-six hundred bombs of all sizes were dropped around them. The bombs did not stop going off until 5:30 A.M. They tried to advance but were struggling due to the ground being so torn up. They tried to assist the wounded the best they could. Many had to be left behind because there were not enough supplies to go around. -
Starvation and loss of friends
Harry Frieman witnessed his closest friends and his Lt. Schisler get killed by gunfire. Their casualties were high, so they took cover for the remainder of the night. The next morning, the third division came to relieve them. They hiked for two hours in the woods that night. Everyone was cold, exhausted, and starved. Their food was emergency rationed since the kitchen could not keep up. They got one canteen a week and didn’t get any more water until Sunday afternoon. -
Germans open fire
The Germans opened fire and did not stop for many hours. They were so close to the Germans that they had to whisper information, so they didn't get their hands on it. The Germans found out about their bombs, but the firing didn't stop. Frieman talks about how hundreds of dead American soldiers can not be moved because of the unsafe situation. He went three days without food and water until he was safe enough to get more supplies. -
Last shots fired
At 9 AM, the Germans were firing from all sides. They began to move to take cover. Once they got to a safe location, they were going to start to shoot, until they got word to take their time. There was an order that all firing must stop by 11 a.m. They couldn’t believe it. They knew the end of World War l was coming. -
Harry L. Frieman going home
May 12- May 16, 1919, was Harry L. Frieman’s last week enlisted in the military. He was in Paris, France, and he noted that he had tried ice cream for the first time. The next day, he hiked to the station. He explained how his pack was heavy but nothing he had been used to for almost the past two years. On Wednesday he had his last medical examination and on Thursday he exchanged all of his French money for U.S. dollars. By Friday, he was on a boat going home. -
The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was a document that was a peace agreement between Germany and the Allies, and it ended World War l. The Treaty of Versailles held the Germans responsible for starting the war. The document also has harsh penalties for the Germans, such as loss of territory. Some believe the document helped with the rise of Adolf Hitler and later caused World War Il.