This past Monday was the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War. The war lasted a little over 4 years, ending in 1918. In that time frame, almost 18 million people perished as a result of battlefield deaths, genocide, food shortages, and bombings. World War 1 has gone down in history as the first “modern” war that was fought without the original “rules of war.” Check out the timeline below to find out more about World War 1.
World War 1 Timeline
1914 – The catalyst to World War 1 took place in June of 1914 when Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated by a member of The Black Hand, a Serbian Nationalist. The war didn’t officially begin until August of that year, when Germany officially declared war on Russia. Germany followed up by quickly declaring war on France and invading Belgium, which brought England into the war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Canada entered the war on the side of the Allies in October. Many battles took place in 1914, though none were deciding battles. This was the year of the unofficial Christmas truce between soldiers on the Western Front.
1915 – Germany begin to use U-boats at this point in World War 1, which was problematic for all naval vessels. They sunk the British liner Falaba, killing an American citizen, which is one of the things cited as what spurned America to join the war. Poison gas was used for the first time in April of this year by the German forces. Italy joined the war on the side of the allies and the British ship Lusitania is sunk by Germans, killing more Americans.
1916 – This year was a fairly big turning point in the war. Tanks were introduced for the first time and Germans performed the first air raid involving planes rather than zeppelins over London, causing mass casualties. The longest battle of the war, The Battle of Verdun, begins in January and ends in December of this year with the French holding steady against the Axis powers. The US still hasn’t officially joined the war, but is working to build the military.
1917 – America joined the war in 1917, after discovering a telegram from Germany to Mexico, suggesting that Mexico should declare war on the United States. This spurned President Woodrow Wilson to declare war on Germany and join the Allies. Troops from both sides suffer a massive amount of casualties and realize how devastating the First World War is becoming.
1918 – November 11th of 1918 is known as Armistice Day and is the official day of peace that occurred after World War 1. The Allies chose to accept Woodrow Wilson’s 14 points plan, which laid out a future for the nations of the world after World War 1 concluded. With the help of the Americans, Allied forces were finally able to overcome the Axis powers and Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated the German throne on November 9th, leading to a brief peace between World Wars 1 and 2.
Honoring our Troops
Without our talented American troops, World War 1 may have gone on for many more years. Our brave men and women in uniform are just as important now as they were then and we’d like to continue to honor them. That’s why we at Advanced Packaging Inc. strive to create the best shipping and storage cases for our military heroes. They need the best to be the best. Advanced Packaging, Inc. was established over 40 years ago with the mission of engineering and delivering the highest quality shipping and cushioning systems available. Since then our worldwide customer base has grown to include those in the military, government, commercial and industrial business sectors, as well as many other industries. API’s local clients value our convenience to the Washington, DC tech corridor. If you have any questions, please contact Advanced Packaging Inc. by calling 1-888-206-5250 or visit our website today!
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Source: World War 1.net