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Nationalism
Nationalism was feeling that your country was the best. All countries felt that they were the best for one reason or another. This led to imperialism, arms races, and many conflicts. One aspect of being the best country is military. Countries wanted to prove that their military power was the best which led to war. Link text -
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Imperialism
Many countries were competing with one another. One way to compete was to see who could have the most colonies. This is how Imperialism began. Germany had very few and felt they deserved more. Their response was to go to war with Great Britain and France in order to obtain more colonies. Link text -
Service Location (Paris, France)
Edward Bayon was told to serve in France. He stayed here for the whole war. He would return afterwards to answer more commands. Sergeant Bayon would not only go here for WWI, but also WWII. He was in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Link text -
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Blockade of Germany
In World War I, the Allied Powers attempted to cut off the food supply of the Central Powers. They not only wanted to beat their opponent, they wanted to limit their food. The British had a strong Naval presence and decided to use it to cut off their enemies food rations. Both sides relied heavily on food exports which was how the Allies came up with this idea. Many view this as a key reason as to how the Allied Powers won the war. Link text -
Franz Ferdinand Assassination
A group of six assassins from the national group, Mlada Bosna were in the crowd when Archduke Franz Ferdinand visited Sarajevo. The assassins strategically gathered around where Ferdinand would pass through. One of the six assassins threw a grenade at the moving car but missed. The car continued. When returning, it took a wrong turn. Gavrilo Princip stood in the street and shot the Archduke. Link text -
Ottoman-German Alliance
The Ottoman Empire agreed to side with Germany in secret. On August 2, 1914, the Ottoman Empire vowed to enter the war if Russia decided to intervene. Germany tried to ally with many countries while preparing. The alliance was not well known which would help Germany. When the war had begun, The Ottoman Empire stood with Germany. Link text -
The Sinking of Lusitania
On May 7, 1915, a German submarine sunk the Lusitania. Many Americans were on board and the sinking killed 128. The sinking caused an uproar. Americans were infuriated by the Germans and began preparing for war. War was not immediately called but many knew it would soon happen. Link text -
Edward J Bayon
Sergeant Edward J Bayon was a veteran during WWI. His highest rank was a Staff Sergeant. He began services in 1917. He was in the branch Army Air Forces/Corps. After the war he was inducted into Mortuary Affairs. [Link text](<img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/Paris_in_1916.jpg/400px-Paris_in_1916.jpg" alt="Image result for paris ww1"/>) -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman telegram was an offer sent by Germany to Mexico to become allies in case America decided to enter the war against them. On February 24, 1917, U.S. Ambassador Walter H. Page was told of this note. Once Woodrow Wilson found out of the plan, he had began setting out for war. Mexico later obtained the telegram and was uninterested in entering war. Link text -
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States. He led the country while America went into WWI. On April 2, 1917, he declared war on Germany. One of the biggest reasons he saw war to be necessary was the Zimmerman Telegram. Soon after, America was sent out to fight. Link text -
United States Draft
Six weeks after America entered the war, U.S. President, Woodrow Wilson prompted a draft. This gave the U.S. the power to draft soldiers until it was no longer needed. America held three registrations. The first draft took place on June 5, 1917, shortly after the draft had opened. The draft randomly chose people who were able bodied and met criteria. Link text -
Graves Registration Service OR Mortuary Affairs
Created by General Order #104 was the Graves Registration Service. Those who are put on this list are tasked with the retrieval, identification, transportation, and burial of deceased soldiers. Edward Bayon was put on this list and later escorted over 900 American dead. While under duty, Bayon had to travel vast distances to have somebody properly handle all of the deceased soldiers. He was assigned a 22 day trip by his commander. Link text -
Post War
After the war, Bayon married a French girl. He met her during the time he was issued in Paris. After the war, he decided to stay in France. His wife accompanied him while he dealt with duties. She helped him greatly with Mortuary Affairs. Link text -
A Thrilling Adventure (A Bayon Memoir)
Bayon began a long task of escorting 952 corpses across the Panama Canal from France to Belgium on their way to America. His spouse would follow, they set out on a 22 day expedition. He had saw big post war cemeteries and even saw a crew mate fall overboard. In 22 days, Bayon led an escort to properly handle the bodies of the American dead. He titled this story, "A Thrilling Adventure." Link text -
Reparations
92 years after the world war, Germany pays their final reparation payment. The 1919 Treaty of Versailles burdened them with paying off the destruction that nations caused. Reparation is the money owed by the losing nation in a battle to begin reconstruction. The 1919 Treaty of Versailles had Germany pay a very large sum. Germany was to pay back the damage they caused during war. Link text
