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Archduke Franz Ferdinand was from Austra-Hungary and he was assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavriol prinp who was a member of Serbian nationalist group. The goal was to protect Austria-Hungary control over Bosnia. This caused outrage in Austria-Hungary and led to the blame of Serbia for supporting the attack. This was the beginning of World War 1. -
Germany invaded Belgium to reach France quickly breaking their agreement to respect Belgium's neutrality. Britain promised to defend Belgium, so they declared war on Germany in response. Now the British Empire and other countries such as Canada, India, and Australia into the conflict. Now the war has become global. -
The battle of the Somme was one of the bloodiest battles in history. This battle was led by the British and the French Forces against Germany. On the firs day Britain had almost 60,000 casualties.The battle was supposed to push German forces back but resulted in massive losses and little land gained. -
Alvin York was a Tennessee farmer who was drafted into the U.S. Army after America had joined the war. He originally tried to claim conscientious objector status because his religon went against violence. He eventually decided to join the war and serve for his country. -
The united states entered WWI after germany repeatedly attacked ships, including sinking the passenger ship Lusitania. The Zimmerman Telegram which is where Germany asked Mexico to attack the U.S. also increased tensions and U.S. bought soldiers supplies and energy to the allied side. This gave the Allies a major advantage and shifted the wars outcome. -
York had trained at Camp Gordon in Georgia where he quickly became known for being an excellent marksman. His skills came from years of hunting in the mountains of Tennessee. After training, he was sent to fight on the Western Front in France. -
York took part in the massive Meuse-Argonne Offensive which was one of the biggest campaigns for American troops in the war. His unit was ordered to push through the Argonne Forest. Many soldiers were wounded or killed. -
During battle York's platoon was ambushed, and many soldiers were shot. He had taken down multiple German machine gunners. He led a group that captured 132 geman soldiers and neutralized 35 machine guns. He saved many lives. -
After the years of war and fighting, Germany agreed to an armistice, meaning the war would temporarily stop. This took effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. Millions of people had lost their lives. The official peace treaty was signed 1919 -
For his incredible bravery, Alvin York was awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military award. When he returned home, he was a national hero, but he stayed humble. His story inspired the movie Sergeant York.