Apr
9
WWI: The Lusitania
April 9, 2012 | Comments Off on WWI: The Lusitania
The Lusitania was an ocean liner that was sunk on a voyage to New York by a torpedo fired from a German U Boat submarine. Many passengers died, including quite a few Americans. The death of innocents infuriated America and lead to increasing feelings of animosity towards Germany. Below is a detailed article on the sinking […]
Apr
7
Trench Warfare of WWI
April 7, 2012 | Comments Off on Trench Warfare of WWI
Source: http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/trench-fighting_pdf Above is an article written in 1915 about the utilization of Trench Warfare at the beginning of World War I. The article summarizes what life was like in the trenches from the first hand viewpoint of the author who lived and fought in the trenches. The author tells the story of a particular attack […]
Mar
31
The Zimmermann Telegram
March 31, 2012 | Comments Off on The Zimmermann Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram is regarded as one of the most influential pieces of cryptography ever. This was due to the fact that it was one of the reasons that the United States would end up declaring war on Germany, and thus alter world events. The message was from the German foreign minister Arthur Zimmerman , […]
Mar
31
The Role of Aircraft in WWI
March 31, 2012 | 1 Comment
The role of aircraft in WWI was far more limited than their role in future wars. This was because the outbreak of the war occurred in 1914, only a decade after the first airplane had been produced. At the beginning of the war, most of the sides involved only had small air forces. For example: […]
Mar
30
Kaiser Wilhelm II
March 30, 2012 | Comments Off on Kaiser Wilhelm II
Kaiser Wilhelm II addressing troops circa 1914. Source: http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/firstworldwar/ger-pre-war-berlin.htm Kaiser Wilhelm II ruled the German empire from June 15, 1888 to November 19, 1918. Against the advice of his chancellor, Otto van Bismarck, Wilhelm II supported Austria-Hungary ultimately leading to Germany’s involvement in World War I. “Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary on 28 June […]
Mar
29
Chemical Warfare in WWI
March 29, 2012 | Comments Off on Chemical Warfare in WWI
WWI would see the emergence of the mass use of chemical weapons. These weapons were intended to heavily demoralize and kill defenders in the trenches. Chemical agents used ranged from tear gas, to mustard gas, to chlorine. Some of these agents were simply intended to knock the will out of the enemy, whereas others were […]
Mar
29
The Armenian Genocide
March 29, 2012 | Comments Off on The Armenian Genocide
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marcharmenians.jpg The Armenian Genocide was the systematic killing of the Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire during the last few years of WWI. This genocide is often considered one of the worst genocides in history, having killed between 1-1.5 million people. This policy of genocide was conducted through forced marches, deportation, and extermination. […]
Mar
25
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
March 25, 2012 | Comments Off on Wilson’s Fourteen Points
Wilson’s Fourteen points was a speech given to a joint session of Congress. The general purpose of this speech was to ensure that the people understood that WWI was being fought for a moral cause. It was also intended to set a groundwork for forming peace in post-war Europe The points are as follows: I. […]
Mar
19
WWI in the Middle East
March 19, 2012 | Comments Off on WWI in the Middle East
World War I in the Middle East would prove to be multifaceted, long, and disastrous for both sides at times. Both sides would suffer major defeats and losses. The British would suffer major campaign defeats. The Ottomans would lose the war. The Ottoman Empire was (at the time) a serious threat to British interests. The Empire was the world’s […]
Feb
20
Propaganda during WWI
February 20, 2012 | Comments Off on Propaganda during WWI
Each of the nations which participated in World War One from 1914-18 used propaganda posters not only as a means of justifying involvement to their own populace, but also as a means of procuring men, money and resources to sustain the military campaign. In countries such as Britain the use of propaganda posters was readily […]