April 6, 1917, the United States would enter World War I. America would answer the call to arms and sacrifices would be made both on and off the battlefield.
Chronology of Main Events of the War for Liberty
Battles That Have Marked the Greatest Struggle in the World’s History
Four Years of Bitter Warfare Before the Defeat of Autocratic Attempts to Rule the World Could Be Assured- Progress of the Titanic Contest Practically as It Went On From Day to Day.
From June 28, 1914, when the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, and his wife, at Sarajevo, Bosnia, gave Emperor William of Germany his excuse for beginning war which he believed would result in his gaining practical control of the world through military domination, the main events of the struggle are told in the following chronicle:
JANUARY
| 1 – | Submarine sinks British transport Ivernia |
| 9 – | Russian premier, Trepoff, resigns. Golitzin succeeds him |
| 31 – | Germany announces unrestricted submarine warefare |
FEBRUARY
| 3 – | President Wilson reviews submarine controversy before Congress; United States severs diplomatic relations with Germany; American steamer Housatonic sunk without warning |
| 7 – | Senate endorses President’s act of breaking off diplomatic relations |
| 12 – | United States refuses German request to discuss matters of difference unless Germany withdraws unrestricted submarine warfare order |
| 14 – | Von Bernstorff sails for Germany |
| 25 – | British under General Maude capture Kut-el-Amara; submarine sinks liner Laconia without warning; many lost including two Americans |
| 26 – | President Wilson asks Congress for authority to arm American merchant ships |
| 28 – | Secretary Lansing makes public Zimmerman note to Mexico, proposing Mexican Japanese-German alliance |
MARCH
| 9 – | President Wilson called extra session of Congress for April 16 |
| 11 – | British under General Maude capture Bagdad; revolution starts in Petrograd |
| 15 – | Czar Nicholas of Russia abdicates |
| 17 – | French and British capture Bapaume |
| 18 – | New French ministry formed by Alexander Ribot |
| 21 – | Russian forces cross Persian border into Turkish territory; American oil steamer Healdton torpedoed without warning |
| 22 – | United States recognizes new government of Russia |
| 27 – | Geneneral Murray’s British expedition into Holy Land defeats Turkish army near Gaza |
APRIL
| 2 – | President Wilson asks Congress to declare that acts of Germany constitute a state of war; submarine sinks American steamer Aztec without warning |
| 3 – | Lucius F. Bagley enlists in the National Naval Volunteers |
| 4 – | United States Senate passes resolution declaring a state of war exists with Germany |
| 6 – | House passes war resolution and President Wilson signs joint resolution of Congress |
| 7 – | Frank Turgon enlists in the National Naval Volunteers |
| 8 – | Austria declares severance of diplomatic relations with United States |
| 9 – | British defeat Germans at Vimy Ridge and take 6,000 prisoners; United States seizes fourteen Austrian interned ships |
| 20 – | Turkey severs diplomatic relations with the U. S. |
| 24 – | Leonard K. Church enlists in the United States Navy |
| 24 – | John H. Cooper enlists in the United States Army |
| 24 – | Kenneth I. Smith enlists in the United States Army |
| 28 – | Congress passes Selective Service Act for raising army of 500,000; Guatemala severs diplomatic relations with Germany. |
MAY
| 7 – | War Department orders raising of nine volunteer regiments of engineers to go to France |
| 11 – | George Paulson enlists in the United States Naval Reserve Force |
| 14 – | Espionage act becomes law by passing Senate |
| 14 – | Walton H. Hovey enlists in the New York National Guard |
| 18 – | President Wilson signs Selective Service Act; also directs expeditionary force of regulars under General Pershing to go to France |
| 19 – | Congress passes war appropriation bill of $3,000,000,000 |
JUNE
| 5 – | Nearly 10,000,000 men in U. S. register for military service |
| 5 – | Frank W. Randall enlists in the United States Army |
| 5 – | Vernon A. Sleight enlists in the New York National Guard |
| 12 – | King Constantine of Greece abdicates |
| 13 – | General Pershing and staff arrive in Paris |
| 15 – | First Liberty loan closes with large oversubscription |
| 25 – | Edwin W. Oviatt enlists in the United States Navy |
| 26 – | First contingent of American troops under General Sibert arrives in France |
| 29 – | Greece severs diplomatic relations with Teutonic allies |
JULY
| 9 – | President Wilson drafts state militia into federal service. Also places food and fuel under federal control |
| 10 – | Selden H. Oviatt enlists in the United States Naval Reserve Force |
| 13 – | War Department order drafts 678.000 men into military service |
| 14 – | Aircraft appropriation bill of $640,000,000 passes house; Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg’s resignation forced by German political crisis |
| 18 – | United States government orders censorship of telegrams and cablegrams crossing frontiers |
| 19 – | New German Chancellor Michaelis declares Germany will not war for conquest; radicals and Catholic party ask peace without forced acquisition of territory |
| 22 – | Siam declares war on Germany |
| 23 – | Premier Kerensky given unlimited powers in Russia |
| 27 – | John A. Hundley enlists in the United States Army |
| 28 – | United States war industries board created to supervise expenditures |
AUGUST
| 1 – | Elmer J. Bush enlists in the United States Army |
| 3 – | Wilbur F. King enlists in the United States Army |
| 3 – | Thomas D. Sovia enlists in the United States Army |
| 25 – | Italian Second Army breaks through Austrian line on Isonzo front |
| 28 – | President Wilson rejects Pope Benedict’s peace plea |
SEPTEMBER
| 7 – | James B. Nice is inducted into the United States Army |
| 7 – | Homer C. Odell is inducted into the United States Army |
| 7 – | Arthur M. Smith is inducted into the United States Army |
| 7 – | John A. Hundley leaves for overseas duty |
| 7 – | Wilbur F. King leaves for overseas duty |
| 7 – | Thomas D. Sovia leaves for overseas duty |
| 10 – | General Korniloff demands control of Russian government |
| 11 – | Russian deputies vote to support Kerensky. Korniloff’s generals ordered arrested |
| 16 – | Russia proclaims new republic by order of Premier Kerensky |
| 20 – | General Haig advances a mile through German lines at Ypres |
| 21 – | General Tasker H. Bliss named chief of staff, United States Army |
| 25 – | Edgar R. Murrell is inducted into the United States Army |
| 26 – | Lester C. Anderson is inducted into the United States Army |
| 26 – | John H. Bell is inducted into the United States Army |
| 26 – | Roy L. Brown is inducted into the United States Army |
| 26 – | Lester D. Collins is inducted into the United States Army |
| 26 – | Lester P. Hiscock is inducted into the United States Army |
| 26 – | Harold H. Ingraham is inducted into the United States Army |
| 26 – | Alfred J. Turgon is inducted into the United States Army |
OCTOBER
| 1 – | Frederick H. Turgon enlists in the New York National Guard |
| 16 – | Germans occupy islands of Runo and Adro in the Gulf of Riga |
| 25 – | French under General Petain advance and take 12,000 prisoners on Aisne front |
| 27 – | Formal announcement made that American troops in France have fired their first shots in the war |
| 29 – | Italian Isonzo front collapses and Austro-German army reaches outposts of Udine |
| 31 – | William E. G. Kirk is inducted into the United States Army |
| 31 – | Willis Winters is inducted into the United States Army |
NOVEMBER
| 1 – | Secretary Lansing makes public the Luxburg “spurlos versenkt” note |
| 9 – | Permanent interallied military commission created |
| 14 – | Harold C. Adams enlists in the United States Navy |
| 21 – | Raymond C. Corbit is inducted the United States Army |
| 22 – | Elmer S. Wadsworth is inducted into the United States Army |
| 23 – | Clarence E. Robinson enlists in the United States Army |
| 24 – | Navy Department announces capture of first German submarine by American destroyer |
| 28 – | Bolsheviki get absolute control of Russian assembly in Russian elections |
DECEMBER
| 6 – | Submarine sinks the Jacob Jones, first regular warship of American navy destroyed |
| 7 – | Congress declares war on Austria-Hungary |
| 7 – | Lyndon H. Wells enlists in the United States Army |
| 8 – | Jerusalem surrenders to General Allenby’s forces |
| 15 – | Chester B. Williams enlists in the United States Navy |
| 16 – | Fred C. Hall is inducted into the United States Army |
| 16 – | Foster F. Hiscock is inducted into the United States Army |
| 16 – | Frank Jamieson is inducted into the United States Army |
| 29 – | Alfred J. Turgon is discharged from the United States Army |
Historical events timeline transcribed from The Hilton Record, December 23, 1918, Page 2.
Addition of World War I Veterans by Tammy M. Mullen
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