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The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On June 28th, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed by a extremist group called the black hand. The group believed the Serbia should have owned Bosnia, not Austria-Hungary. This is what sparked the war. -
The Invasion of Belgium
On August 4th, 1914, Germany invaded Belgium to get to France. The Germans wanted free passage, but Belgium was neutral and didn’t want to partake in the war. When the country was invaded, they joined the Allies in an attempt to keep safe. It ultimately failed and many cities were overthrown. -
Poison Gas
On April 15th, 1915, Germany officially brought true chemical warfare into battle. Tear gas was often used in war, but never something deadly. After Germany pushed back other forces with their posion gas, other coutries began to produce their own. -
The Lusitania Sinks
On May 7th, 1915, Germany sunk Lusitania, a British ocean liner. 1,198 people died, 128 of them being American. After America’s demands for an end to the attacks one merchant ships, Germany promised to maintain the passengers safety before sinking any vessels. In November, they sunk another ocean liner. -
The Zimmerman Telegram
This was the last straw for the U.S, it set them off to war. On January 16, 1917, the British showed the U.S. a telegram from Germany to Mexico. It read that if Mexico went against the U.S. to regain lost land, the Germans would provide support if they in return supported their cause. On April 2nd, 1916, the U.S. officially declared war on Germany. -
The U.S. Joins
On April 6th, 1917, the U.S. officially joined the allies. The U.S. was originally neutral, but thanks to two incidents, they joined. First Germany sunk the Lusitania, a British ship, that resulted in American deaths. To finish it off, Germany sent the Zimmerman telegram. The war soon ended after, on November 11, 1918. -
14 Points
On January 8th, 1918, Woodrow Wilson proposed the 14 points. The point of the speech was to help the world become a safer place. Each point was an idea to keep peace between nations. Wilson wanted equal trade conditions, arms reductions, and many more. He also wanted to keep Russia on the allies side by using the terms. -
On Board
In May of 1918, Charles Lamb landed himself on a war boat. The entire thing was a mess. Men were forgetting things and do basic soldier skill incorrectly. Before they boarded, they were given three sandwiches, two to keep. He was one of a few soldiers that had to haul a heavy crate to the ship. Through all of that, he still wishes that he was able to be in the city instead of on the boat. -
24 Hours of Freedom
On May 3rd, 1918, Charles Lamb got 24 hours off. He decided to spend his time with a friend around town. He talked about the beauty of the city from within and from a higher perspective. He also noted that even though it was a wonderful sight, you could still see the ships in the river. -
French Friends
On May 23, 1918 Charles Lamb and his troop were ordered to move; specifically to France. He tells of how the French were kind to them and even gave them cigarettes when asked. Amongst the friendliness, he’s constantly reminded that there is a war brewing by the constant zeppelins in the air. -
Star and Stripes Orphans
During the war, France and Belgium had 200,000, orphans. Some lost all of their family, others were left with only one parent. Relief efforts came from American people who were touched by the stories of the children. In August, the Franco-American Committee for the Protection of Children of the Frontier was started and provided the children with things they needed. -
What to do After the War
On March 8th, 1919, Charles Lamb sits in a discharge camp and reminisces about a show he saw. He’s ready to sign his last paycheck and head out to Paris. This is the final sign of him being a soldier. -
Visit to Paris
May 15, 1919, Charles Stanley Lamb arrives back in France. He talks about how the city is beautiful, but busy. Last time he was in France, he was at war. This time he’s come on his own freedom and wants to work in entertainment. -
Treaty of Versailles
On June 28th, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was officially signed at the Hall of Mirrors at Palace of Versailles. The document was made by the Paris Peace Conference. The treaty punished Germany for the war in many ways. It gave some of their territory to other countries, stripped away their oversea colonies and restricted their military. -
League of Nations
In 1920, Woodrow Wilson proposed the idea of the League of Nations. It was supposed to be a group that kept peace between countries, but it sadly didn’t end up like that. One rule they had was that a country couldn’t declare war or peace without consulting the league. The U.S. never joined because of the rule, and being a world power, that really damaged the league. In the end, it failed and the United Nations took its place.
