The Great War
In 1914, an assassin’s bullet initiated a series of events which swiftly engulfed nearly all of Europe in armed conflict. Eventually, a majority of the nations of Europe allied themselves with one of two alliances. One alliance, the Triple Entente, originally consisted of France, the United Kingdom, and the Russian Empire, whereas the other alliance, the Central Powers, included Germany and Austria-Hungary. The equity of the two alliances prolonged the war over several years and exhausted the resources, human and matériel, of the nations involved. On account of the colonial empires of the combatants, the conflict became a global conflict, which the people at that time called the World War or the Great War. The United States remained neutral throughout much of …show more content…
After a victory at St. Mihiel, Corporal George C. Marshall, future Chief of Staff of the United States Army during World War II, gained notoriety by coordinating the logistics to rapidly stage the American troops for the Argonne offensive sixty miles away. Critically important, the Americans needed to be in position to coordinate their advance with British and French attacks elsewhere along Germany’s defensive perimeter. During the battle, a battalion of the 77th Division advanced further than their flanking support and found themselves surrounded by Germans with their exact location unidentified by the American command. The “Lost Battalion” held out against enemy attack, friendly fire, and hunger until rescued. In addition, elsewhere in the battle, Corporal Alvin York captured 132 Germans, which won him the Medal of Honor and the admiration of the American …show more content…
The deadly efficiency of the machine gun, a highly effective and lethal weapon, made it and its crew a high priority target. The reality of death in war struck suddenly. During John’s first night on the battlefield, he arrived dead tired in the pitch dark of night and sought out a suitable place for slumber in a shell hole. He awoke with the first light of dawn to a ghastly scene and the realization that he had been using the corpse of a decapitated German soldier as a pillow.38 In a subsequent incident, mustard gas engulfed John immediately following an artillery barrage. Still protecting himself from falling debris caused by the explosions and consequently, unaware of the approaching dangerous cloud, John donned his gas masked only after inhaling a damaging dose of the toxic chemicals. The mustard gas made him deathly sick, causing weight loss to significantly below one hundred pounds. However, in a display of machismo, John rebuffed the idea of reporting to the field hospital and stoutly remained at his post. Years later, while reminiscing on his exposure to mustard gas, he laconically characterized the experience with the four letters: H, E, L, and
In 1914, an assassin’s bullet initiated a series of events which swiftly engulfed nearly all of Europe in armed conflict. Eventually, a majority of the nations of Europe allied themselves with one of two alliances. One alliance, the Triple Entente, originally consisted of France, the United Kingdom, and the Russian Empire, whereas the other alliance, the Central Powers, included Germany and Austria-Hungary. The equity of the two alliances prolonged the war over several years and exhausted the resources, human and matériel, of the nations involved. On account of the colonial empires of the combatants, the conflict became a global conflict, which the people at that time called the World War or the Great War. The United States remained neutral throughout much of …show more content…
After a victory at St. Mihiel, Corporal George C. Marshall, future Chief of Staff of the United States Army during World War II, gained notoriety by coordinating the logistics to rapidly stage the American troops for the Argonne offensive sixty miles away. Critically important, the Americans needed to be in position to coordinate their advance with British and French attacks elsewhere along Germany’s defensive perimeter. During the battle, a battalion of the 77th Division advanced further than their flanking support and found themselves surrounded by Germans with their exact location unidentified by the American command. The “Lost Battalion” held out against enemy attack, friendly fire, and hunger until rescued. In addition, elsewhere in the battle, Corporal Alvin York captured 132 Germans, which won him the Medal of Honor and the admiration of the American …show more content…
The deadly efficiency of the machine gun, a highly effective and lethal weapon, made it and its crew a high priority target. The reality of death in war struck suddenly. During John’s first night on the battlefield, he arrived dead tired in the pitch dark of night and sought out a suitable place for slumber in a shell hole. He awoke with the first light of dawn to a ghastly scene and the realization that he had been using the corpse of a decapitated German soldier as a pillow.38 In a subsequent incident, mustard gas engulfed John immediately following an artillery barrage. Still protecting himself from falling debris caused by the explosions and consequently, unaware of the approaching dangerous cloud, John donned his gas masked only after inhaling a damaging dose of the toxic chemicals. The mustard gas made him deathly sick, causing weight loss to significantly below one hundred pounds. However, in a display of machismo, John rebuffed the idea of reporting to the field hospital and stoutly remained at his post. Years later, while reminiscing on his exposure to mustard gas, he laconically characterized the experience with the four letters: H, E, L, and