April, 6,1917 was the date of America’s entry into World War I. It is often referred to as The Great War. Also, it was supposed to be considered as the war to end all wars.
It was a great war, but not for all the people who suffered individually with painful injuries, wounds, limb-dismemberment, or died. Also suffering were their families, relatives, friends.
But it was not the war to end all wars. Many countries worldwide have known wars on their own land. Most of those countries have been conquered or overtaken by their enemies.
War is hell–I know! I served with quite a few million other men and women in World War II. Prior to that great adventure, I worked in the war plants for two years before I enlisted in the Army. My two brothers served in WWII. Jim in the Navy and Babe in the Army.
My dad, John, and Uncle Tom served in World War I soon after they arrived in the United States from Greece. They were in the 85th Division, known as the Polar Bears. They spent eight months in northern Russia, even after the Armistice had been signed, mostly due to poor communications. They survived temperatures down to 30 degrees below zero, just 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle. I’m proud to be a Polar Bear Cub.
What were the causes of World War l?
All the real causes of how and who started the war remain controversial. The war began in the Balkans in 1914. It was well known at the time that Germany and Austria-Hungary were antagonistic rivals of Russia, France, Serbia, and Great Britain. Each nation began their first part of the war in 1914 over some political, territorial, and/or economic matters. The situations worsened and went out of control.
Suddenly, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophia, were assassinated in June 1914. They were heir-apparent to their countries. Their assassinations led to the war. Most of the European nations were at war. In 1915, Germany had enacted a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare against any ships that entered the British war zone.
Why did the United States want to remain neutral?
Our country was initially determined to remain neutral as war erupted across Europe. Most Americans felt that our country should stay out of World War I. We hadn’t been a signatory to any of their agreements. President Woodrow Wilson declared a neutrality policy, attempting instead to broker a peace agreement. Even when a German sub sank the British ocean liner, Lusitania, in 1915, with 128 Americans on board, the United States demanded a stop to the destruction of passenger ships, and Germany agreed, leading to continued American neutrality.
Why did the United States finally get into World War I?
President Woodrow Wilson maintained neutrality until Germany ignored the agreement to ensure passenger safety before destroying enemy ships. Pressure in the U.S. mounted as German U-boats attacked and sank our ships carrying U.S. citizens and then Germany attempted to persuade Mexico to attack the United States. Germany would then become their ally.
On April 6, 1917, the United States officially declared war against Germany after their country repeatedly attacked armed and unarmed vessels traveling to Britain, resulting in American casualties; also, on that date, the U.S. joined WWI and soon held the first of three draft registrations in which more than 24 million U.S. men would register for the draft.
War is hell. But we must be happy that we can now celebrate the 100th Anniversary of World War I, on April 6, even though most all of the people from that era are no longer alive today. Had my dad lived, he’d be 127 years old.
Despite the high costs of armament, and the bloody battles that ensued, there were also the very much higher costs of wounds, suffering, and deaths. Even so, many good events and products came about because of the wars. Many first-time situations developed. Civilization has benefited with numerous new inventions and adaptations of older items. Computers, as one example, are utilized in so many ways, mostly in beneficial ways, but also in sneaky warfare.
Wars are necessary sometimes, to achieve some really important goals. The Revolutionary War was the Greatest Event for America when the early colonists fought the British hierarchy, to gain our freedom and liberty. Gratefully, We became the United States of America.
Numerous wars, too many to list, have been fought. Has anyone ever recorded the caveman battles of who killed that dinosaur, and who wants to take the meat from us?
More seriously, I obtained much of the following information from various history books that included some of the firsts in World War I. I was fascinated to learn that World War I has already become a forgotten war. It was fought a full, one hundred years ago, and we lost over two million Americans in just over one year. What a price to pay in any war.
One of the firsts starts with April 6,1917 when the U.S.A. declared war on Germany, and The Selective Service Act was passed by Congress in May to recruit men for our Armed Forces. Also, in May, 177 staff members of The American Expeditionary Force landed in France.
General John J. Pershing led the first doughboys of the AEF to sail across the Atlantic Ocean to land in France in June of 1917. The naval convoy of ships sailed successfully without any submarine attacks.
Additionally, and not in any strict sequence, are many of the other firsts from WWI.
• The first U.S. Aero Squadron arrived in France.
• First Americans were killed by German bombing.
• A merchant transport ship was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland, • and an Army troop ship was sunk on its return trip to America.
• German submarines had sunk so many ships of all kinds that many U.S. Naval airplanes flew in an anti-submarine patrol; also a naval overseas transportation service was created to protect the shipments of supplies to our troops. Only eight of the nearly five hundred cargo ships became victims of the enemy submarines.
January of 1918 marked the first time American soldiers began trench warfare, on French soil. Another first was when the Army Tank Corps began their battles with the enemy and the Army Air Services provided about 750 airplanes and 800 pilots to attack the Germans.
So much information had to be obtained to fight and win a war that Air balloons, used as forward observers hovered over enemy positions to report the best enemy targets. Fighter planes began their very welcome entry into the war. A well-known American fighter pilot, Eddie Rickenbacker, shot down more than 21 enemy planes, and four balloons,
The German Army began using poison gas against our troops, seriously affecting more than 1,000 soldiers in one night of shelling. Thankfully, many dozens of medics were available to assist the afflicted as much as they could with any medicines and the limited knowledge they had about poison gas warfare. Field hospitals and ambulance services were in constant use as were all the doctors and nurses.
The American Army began their real offensive action with heavier counter-attacks by wounding, killing, and capturing thousands of enemy troops. Fierce fighting with all our Allies helped bring World War I to an end with the signing of The Armistice “on the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month of the year. November 11th each year is known as Veterans Day.
The United States had more than 4.7 million service members serving worldwide during WWI.
More than 50,000 American lives were lost during battle, with some 200,000 non-mortally wounded, leaving over 17 million dead and 20 million wounded.
Yes, war is hell but happily, World War I was fought 100 years ago.
Bill Thomas of Rossmoor is a Veteran of World War II, and Past Commander of VFW Post 4048, and American Legion Post 857.
Contact Bill atvvbthomasvets@gmail.com
This article appeared in the April 19, 2017 print edition of the News Enterprise.
