This article by Doran Cart, Senior Curator at the National World War I Museum and Memorial, graces the American Legion magazine and website. Click here to read the article.
Month: November 2017 (Page 1 of 2)
It’s going to be a quiet weekend for WWI on C-SPAN3–just one program, repeated once.
–Peace Efforts Before U.S. Entered WWI. Jay Sexton and Jennifer Keene comment on audio clips from the podcast, “Enter the Peace Broker.” First airing is at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 3rd; it repeats that evening at 9:30 p.m. Times are Central, and as usual, we’re not responsible for schedule changes.
In November 1917 British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour issues a declaration stating the British Government’s support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” The Bolsheviks seize power in Russia and proclaim to the world that the new government intends to negotiate an “immediate democratic peace.” Prime Minister Kerensky escapes Petrograd and rallies the Army in an attempt to retake control, but is defeated and goes into hiding. Trotsky publishes the text of confidential diplomatic communications and secret treaties with foreign governments discovered in the Russian Foreign Office. Armistice negotiations between Russia and Germany begin. On the Western Front, the battle of Passchendaele comes to an end after weeks of intense combat and high casualties on both sides. The British Army launches a surprise tank attack at Cambrai; initial gains are lost in German counterattacks. Allied leaders meet in Rapallo to coordinate strategy. French Prime Minister Painleve is forced to resign after losing a vote of confidence; former Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau assumes leadership of a new government. An American delegation led by Colonel House arrives in Paris for the inaugural conference of the Inter-Allied Supreme War Council. In Great Britain, the Marquess of Lansdowne, a former Foreign Secretary, sends a letter to the Daily Telegraph urging the Government to seek a negotiated peace with Germany. In an agreement finalized in Washington, the United States agrees that Japan has “special interests” in China and Japan agrees to the “principle” of the “open door” policy; China is not consulted. President Wilson tells the annual convention of the American Federation of Labor in Buffalo that the way to a permanent peace is through victory. American forces achieve their first victories and suffer their first casualties of the war. Woman suffrage, still making slow but steady gains state by state, is approved in New York but rejected in Ohio. New York City’s reform mayor John Purroy Mitchel loses his bid for reelection to Tammany Hall’s candidate. The Espionage Act survives a First Amendment challenge.
It is often said about WW1 that the catastrophic casualties were due to the fast pace of battlefield technology far out-stripping the development of tactics. The fifty years leading up to 1914 saw steel gun tubes, rifling, cordite, TNT and its precursors, time fuses, self-contained ammunition, brass casings, breech loading, rapid fire systems (everything from machine guns to rifle magazines down to stripper clips), railroad transport, armored ships and the list can go on.
The 92nd Division elected to use the insignia on the right on their uniforms to honor the Buffalo Soldiers.
Prejudice and racism existed in the American military during WWI. President Wilson and his administration encouraged the military to turn their backs on the black soldiers.
The Kansas State Historical Society has copies of Kansas WW1 Veteran’s official military record, evidence of a person’s military career. In it includes when the veterans enlisted and when they were discharged. Most of them also have evidence of what units the veterans served during his/her enlistment. In my day this document had a government number DD214. It is a vital piece of paper that is required for any benefit due a soldier.
100 years ago in Kansas, November 29 – December 9, 1917:
November 29, 1917
- Kansas was given 800 federal troops to protect industries.
December 2, 1917
This looks like the weekend where one can see many of the talks given at the two recent conferences at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City. All times given here are Central, and all programs can be viewed on the C-SPAN website once they air on the networks. We’re not responsible for schedule changes.
The U.S.S. Texas is Sinking
The U.S.S. Texas (BB35) is in serious trouble. For the past 69 years she has been a floating museum located at San Jacinto, TX, near Houston. Beginning in 2012, the ship began to develop serious hull leaks and now the stewards of the ship, the Texas Department of Wildlife and Parks, says that the Texas must either be relocated to a dry site or scrapped. See the full story here.