Today in History: World War One Ends

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the armistice that ended the First World War was signed by the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègn in northern France. General John Joseph Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front, and known as "Black Jack", said of the men and women who served, "Time will not dim the glory of their deeds.”  With nine million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded, WW1 was thought to be the war that ended all wars due to its massive destruction; however, the Treaty of Versailles, formed in 1991, caused punitive measures on Germany, rendering an instability in Europe that would influence the onset of the Second World War in 1939.

The assassination on June 28th, 1914, in Sarajevo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, by Gavrilo Princip, a Yugoslav nationalist, had triggered one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. Germany invaded Belgium, Luxembourg, and France; Austria and Hungary invaded Serbia; Russia attacked Prussia; and more countries became involved, forming the Allies and Central Powers of World War I. Within four years, 15 million people had died. 

Interesting to discover the Historical Note 256, The Pigeon Of Verdun in the collection of Louis Forsdale (1922-1999), Teachers College, Columbia University Professor Emeritus of Communication and Education who previously served in the Army Air Corps. The time capsule reveals a letter to the editor of The Smithsonian about the carrier pigeon, "a vital means of battlefield communication in World War I." On June 4th, Major Sylvain Eugène Raynal, commander of Fort Vaux, east of Verdun -- the site of the longest battle which lasted 302 days during WW1 (Febrary 21, 1916 - December 18, 1916); Raynal sent his last carrier pigeon to the rear with a message that described the suffering and danger of his men, declaring "Relief is imperative." The pigeon delivered the message, but soon died at the dovecot of poisoning and smoke -- only to be posthumously awarded the Légion d'Honneur in honor of its heroism. In 1915, Raynal was himself promoted as an officer to the Légion.

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• Sears, A. H. (1918, Nov 04). End Great War Near: German Autocracy Is Doomed; Surrender OF Austria hastens Downfall of Despised Prussianism; Amistice Terms For Berlin, Now Ready, Will Crush Military Caste.  Los Angeles Times (1886-1922) 
• Great War Ends. (1918, Nov 11). Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1922) 
• Abject Surrender of Germany Marks End of Great War: Hostilities Cease on Eleventh Hour of Eleventh Day of Eleventh Month---Americans Kept Time in Sportsman-Like Fashion. (1918, Nov 12). The Hartford Courant (1887-1922) 
• City Breathes "Thank God" As Great War Ends: Normal Conditions Will Be Slow to Return, Is Business View. (1918, Nov 12). Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1922) city-breathes-thank-god-as-great-war-ends/docview/174436684/se-2
• Leading Events of 1918: Great War Has Overshadowed All Other Happenings Throughout the World --Armistice the Climax of the Years Startling Events. (1918, Dec 29). Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922) 
• Nevinson, H. W. (1938, Nov 11). Armistice at Mons: November 11, 1918 the End of the Great War: An Observer's Thoughts. The Manchester Guardian (1901-1959) 
• Morgan, C. M. (1943, Dec 08). Political Warfare: 1918-1943: Toward Tomorrow: A Peace Aims Feature. The Christian Science Monitor (1908-) 
• Fredericks, P. (1965, Sep 05). The War That Didn't End War: The Great War 1914-1918. A Pictorial History.  New York Times (1923-) 
• Kermode, F. (1975, Aug 31). An Innocence Died: The Great War and Modern Memory. New York Times (1923-) 
• Eddy, W.O. (1979, Nov 09). Let Us Remember. The Christian Science Monitor (1908-) 
• Blythe, R. (1986, Apr 18). The Final Week: A Stillness Heard Round the World: The End of the Great War: November, 1918. The Guardian (1959-2003) 
• Sehlstedt, A., Jr. (1988, Nov 11). A Look Back: Soldiers' Story 70 Years After the First Armistice Day, Three Veterans Recall the Great War's End. The Sun (1837-) 

 Tips:

• Afflerbach, Holger, ed. The Purpose of the First World War : War Aims and Military Strategies.  Berlin, Germany: De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2015. e-book
• Biagini, Antonello, and Giovanna Motta, eds. The First World War. Volume 1 : Analysis and Interpretation.  Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015. e-book
• Cawood, Ian., and David. McKinnon-Bell. The First World War. London: Routledge, 2001. e-book
• Gilbert, Martin. The First World War : a Complete History. [New York]: RosettaBooks, LLC, 2014. e-book
• Goldstein, Erik. The First World War Peace Settlements, 1919-1925. London : Routledge, 2013. e-book

Images:

• World War, Battle of Verdun, from the Rothman Lantern Slide Collection, Courtesy of Teachers College, Columbia University
• Columbia University Staff Working In Washington During World War I. Teachers College. (Date Not Known), from Historical Photographs of Teachers College, Courtesy of Teachers College, Columbia University
• Special News Slide, Courtesy of the Gottesman Libraries (forthcoming)

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