June 2014 - What's Happening @ LWLC : World War I

One hundred years on June 28th, the Arch-duke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was assassinated in Sarajevo (capital of Bosnia and Hercegovina) by Bosnian Serbs who opposed Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia. The Austro-Hungarian Empire blamed Serbia and sent a diplomatic ultimatum. When Serbia refused, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.

Alliances led to countries declaring war against each other (Serbia was allied to Russia who was allied to France who was allied to Britain. Britain also got involved when Germany invaded Belgium, a British ally. Austria-Hungary was allied to Germany) and full-scale war occurring by early August 1914. During the four-year war, other countries joined one side or the other. World War I finally ended with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

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Here are a two photos from May 2014 that relate to World War I:

VERDUN, FRANCE: During the Battle of Verdun, an explosion over a trench buried alive 25 French soldiers. At one grave, the tip of the soldier's bayonet is above ground. The Battle of Verdun lasted 11 months (Feb.-Nov 1916) and cost 700,000 French and German soldiers with practically no change in the front lines. The front lines would not change until 1918 during the German offensive and Allied counter-offensive which led to the end of the war. 

BELGRADE, SERBIA: This display in the Military Museum of helmets and weapons by both the Central Powers (left side - Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey) and Allies (right side - Serbia, Russia, France, Belgium, Britain and the Commonwealth, Italy, United States among others) made me think of how both sides matched. The border between 1914 Serbia and Austria-Hungary was the Sava River, so Belgrade (the capital) was close to the border.

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Here are some books and e-books accessible to ASU patrons  that discuss World War I

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