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Leo Joseph Bailey Beside Roosevelt
Before our veteran had been a part of WW1, he fought in the Spanish-American War, in Roosevelt's "Roughriders" squad. He'd been captured by Spaniards, but easily escaped and rejoined his regiment. -
Start of WW1
While there were many events that could be the cause of WW1, there was one that is the most likely: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. He was visiting Bosnia to discuss the Balkans tension with Kaiser Wilhelm, when he was assassinated by the Black Hand. The Black Hand believed Serbia should control Bosnia, and took action. -
Lusitania Sinks
Germany didn’t appreciate the alliance between Britain and America. They began to sink any water vessel heading to or from the U.S. in order to avoid trading, to stop imports and exports, and avoid any assistance from the U.S. to Britain. The Germans warned the U.S. of what would happen, but still, we had our people on Lusitania, which was sunken by the Germans, and is believed to have led to the U.S. joining the war. -
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun was the longest battle during World War One, and the most expensive. In the first ten hours, the French put up a fierce fight, being set back but never giving up. They retook their ground late Fall and secured a definite win over the Germans. -
Jutland Battle
This was the largest Naval Based war during WW1, with British and German fleets, for the first time, actually fighting. The Germans were planning to weaken the British by ambushing them. Unfortunately, for the Germans, the British were warned ahead of time and set their Navy out ahead of time. -
Battle of the Somme
This battle was a cooperation between the French and the British, against the Germans. They’d met in December of 1915 to make an agreement. They would attack the region of the River Somme that coming summer. They had, unfortunately, faced a defense in Germany stronger than they’d expected, and did not make the advances they’d hoped for. They only gained about 7 miles of land. -
The First Tanks
Due to Trench Warfare, the British developed an armored vehicle with conveyor belt wheels. The idea was pitched by Ernest Swinton, a British army colonel, and William Hankey, who was the Secretary of the Committee for Imperial Defense. This idea was presented to Winston Churchill, who believed in the idea of a “land boat.” In order to hide this project from spies and such, they told people it was a vehicle to transport water onto the battlefield, getting its famous name “Tank.” -
Zimmerman Telegram
Germany was enraged with the alliance between the U.S. and Britain. Because of this, they sent an encrypted telegram to Mexico, offering them American land, that was originally Mexican, if they agreed to join in Germany’s fight. The telegram was intercepted by the British and deciphered by their cryptographers. This message is part of what drew America into the war. -
U.S. Enters the War
The U.S. was neutral for three years, during this gruesome war. However, on April 6 of 1917, America joined with its allies to fight in the war. Over a year later, the war came to an end on November 11, 1918. -
Letter to Sister
Veteran Leo Joseph Bailey wrote to his sister, “My twenty-third birthday occurs next week. Despite your two additional years, you may yet outlive me.” He was implying that he would probably die in this war. WW1 was so brutal that this pessimistic view was common in the people and was often why families of soldiers believed their soldier would never return. -
German Spring Offensives
The German Spring Offensives wasn’t just a battle. It was a gamble for Germany to tip the scales of the War. They had ambushed the British and French troops with artillery and gas and infantry. The German resources became concentrated after the defeat of Russia, and they were against the weakened allied forces who would be on the offensive for quite a while. Their plan failed, not breaking the allied lines, merely flexing them. -
Stationed in an Unknown Village
At some point during the month of April, Bailey’s unit was stationed in an unknown village temporarily. This was before the U.S. had joined the war. -
Photoshoot
Leo Joseph Bailey was on leave in Paris at this time. He took this time to have a small photoshoot, taking photos in his military uniform. -
Visit to France
In this image, Bailey is standing to what could be presumed as his lover, Germaine Jeannoit.
