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Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie were to partake in a motorcade on their last day of travel. They took a short train ride to Sarajevo to board a convertible for the ride towards city hall. While taking an alternate route, the motorcade made a wrong turn down the street where Princip (the assassin) was sitting. When he laid eyes on the Archduke he fired two shots, one hitting him and the other his wife. This assassination led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. -
The RMS (royal mail steamship) Lusitania, manufactured by a British brand named Cunard was on its way to Liverpool, England when it met its end. Months before, Germany announced that they no longer planned to follow the naval rules set in place. They continued to drop hints on their plans, but nobody really paid attention until it was too late. A German U-Boat sank the Lusitania, killing 1,195 people (128 of which were American). This action is what started to change the US’ feelings on the war. -
After struggling through 1914 and 1915, the British and French decided to design a plan where the opposing sides met (the River of Somme). On the first day of the battle, the British had already given away their plan, giving the Germans time to prepare. This day resulted in 57,000 casualties. The rest of the battle led to another 950,000 casualties (over 300,000 deaths total) and ended when poor weather hit the group (no progress was going to be made). In the end, there was no winner.
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When America began to supply Britain and its allied countries with supplies, Germany took this as a sign that their neutrality was over. This revelation led them to sink multiple US supply ships, killing many American citizens. The US’ case worsened against Germany when news came out that they wanted to form an alliance with Mexico. Finally, on April 2, President Wilson stated his case during a session of Congress. Four days later, the official declaration of war was drafted against Germany. -
Harry Frieman was drafted on November 6th 1917. The following summer, after spending months in training camps in the United States, he was put on a ship heading towards Europe. He wrote in his diary of his room on F deck, the whales they saw along the way, and the drills they practiced. His diary entries during this time talked about average days on board which featured events like salt water showers and shipdrills, and nights when it was so hot that the men slept on the outer decks of the ship. -
To get from the ship to the front lines, soldiers had to march for thirty plus hours and sleep wherever they could. On this particular night, Harry writes about sleeping in a barn where the only thing they are given is wine. Afterwards, everyone in his company is claimed to be drunk. -
In preparation for heading out to the front lines, Harry writes about his final medical check, along with having to turn in all personal/”unnessecary” items. Two days later, his group took up the positions of the previous regiment. He writes of how quiet those first days were as the men sat and listened to planes fly overhead, both from the Allies and enemies (some even were shot down). The first shells were a few days later, one which resulted in the death of his friend. -
During this day in the trenches, Harry’s regiment was set up at the edge of a camp and opened a barrage on German soldiers. He finds himself standing next to his close friend and one of the best fighters their group has. However, the barrage goes downhill when his friend is shot multiple times and gets a shell dropped on him. Harry flies multiple feet in the air and is scratched up from the shrapnel. -
Harry writes about going to see a show performed by "amateurs" in a stable instead of doing their usual drills. Afterwards, they hike to grab coffee. The rest of the day is described as leisurely, with some of the guys playing games to lighten the mood. -
The Treaty of Versailles was signed in the Palace of Versailles. The treaty ended World War l and slammed Germany with many penalties as they were blamed for causing the war and its damage. The penalties include a loss of military size, huge war reparations, and a loss of territory among other things. The assets of Germany were divided up among the Allies to try and control Germany. However, these rules were too strict and led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.