In the Muddy Trenches: World War One

Trevor's Journal, July 3rd, 1917.

I get the feeling we don't have much time here. I know Mykola is onto us. I just don't know what his next move is.
We're in France right now, watching as the first American troops to join the efforts of the Great War land. A lot of the Frenchmen are cheering, glad to have them here. France is looking pretty awful right now. There are trenches, bombed buildings, craters in the streets and fields, dead horses... it's not a pretty sight. But I think in the midst of so many others, Mykola has more trouble finding us.
Currently, Dominik and Marin are helping at a hospital for wounded soldiers, just like when we went to visit George Washington's camp. I think Marin has found her calling. She's usually so listless whenever we go anywhere, nervous and unsure of herself and of her safety. Now, she's got all these men to help take care of, and she's determined to do her part. I'm amazed she can handle seeing such destruction. I guess I know what she'll probably be when she grows up!
Dominik is somewhat annoyed with me. As soon as he figured out we were in the time period of the Great War, he demanded we go to the Eastern Front so he could join his fellow Russians in the last offensive against the Germans in Galicia. Uhhh, not a good idea. Those guys are getting slaughtered over there, the offensive was a huge failure and hundreds and hundreds of men died. It could even be totaled in the thousands, no one really knows. Dominik insisted he wanted to fight anyways, he explained that was the battle that started the spirit of the Revolution among his people. I need to remember to have a talk with Dominik later and show him what happens in his country after the Communists take over. He's still got his Red pride because he fought in World War Two. I don't think he realizes he would probably have been sent to the Gullag if he'd survived the war. Poor guy.
It's sad to see such a beautiful country in so much peril. I've seen France before this war. It was beautiful, the countryside was beautiful, everything was so pretty. You can hear a regular booming sound on the horizon. The battles are not that very far off.
World War One (or, as to these people and all the way up to World War Two call it, "The Great War") was a war that took several years in the making. Actually, to be specific, it took from 1871 to 1914 to begin. Tensions were on the rise between France and Germany, after a war between them called the Franco-Prussian War. France had to sign a treaty they did NOT like, which entailed things like giving up parts of France to Germany and letting the then King Wilhelm 1 of Prussia be crowned Kaiser of a unified German state- in France's own Hall of Mirrors in Versailles palace. Needless to say, the French were not happy about that.
The day that really got World War One under way  was the day that the Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated by a Serbian named Gavrilo Princip, a man who was part of a secret society called Black Hand, whose purpose was to break up parts of Austria-Hungary Southern Slav providence and join them with Yugoslavia. (present day Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia and Kosovo.)
It started an upheaval all right- it started a war. The emperor of Austria-Hungary, Franz Joseph, declared war on Serbia for the killing. Eager to get in on the action and because they had a treaty with Serbia, Russia announces full mobilization of their army to defend Serbia. Germany, also eager to gain new territory, declared war on Russia. While they were at it, they declared war on France, then on Belgium and did a quick invasion so they could get into France quicker. As a result, England, angered that the Germans invaded Belgium, declared war on Germany. Right after that, Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia. Guess how fast this all took place?
Nine days. In nine days, a good chunk of Europe had declared war on each other. Everyone was chomping at the bit to get into the fight. America didn't join the efforts until 1917, after a telegram from the German Reich's Foreign Secretary was discovered by the British and contained promises to Mexico that if they joined the war, they could have parts of America to themselves. Yeah, America wasn't going to stand for that, so they joined the Great War.
That's where we are today. We're watching the troops land from their American ships. I feel sorry for these guys. They have no idea what kind of war they're going to be facing. One of the most brutal wars in history. These guys are going to spend months in muddy, wet trenches. They're going to be exposed to horrible diseases, which many of them will die from. Both sides of this war are facing horrible conditions and wounds. It's sad. It's very sad to see people killing other people over these things.
I should go now. Marin and Dominik could probably use some help. On a good note, I'm glad to know that this war will end in a year, on November 11th, 1918. War is so horrible. Even when it's fought for the right reasons-- like World War Two, to stop the Nazi onslaught-- it's still horrible.
I hope that in the future, we don't have to face something like this again.
Gotta go. Something's got everyone stirred up near the medical tents. Better go find out what's going on and make sure Marin isn't in the middle of some disaster.

Today in History: I couldn't find anything in history for today in 1917, so I jumped a year and went to 1918. Today on April first, the British, Australian and Canadians troops had successfully executed a counter attack and had taken back some territory the Germans had occupied. The area was called Moreuil Wood, and this battle was one of many that began the successful advancement of the allied troops.


Little Known Fact: Since Marin teased you all with that painting of Joey, the War Horse, which all of you horse lovers know about, did you know that the painting of Joey wasn't actually created until production of the movie began a couple years ago? Everyone thought the painting was real because the author of War Horse, Michael Morpurgo, begins his book describing a small dusty painting in a real place, the Iddesleigh town hall in Devon, England. Visitors to England who had read the book were convinced it was real, so they'd go to Iddesleigh asking to see the painting of Joey done by Captain Nichols. The film artist who did the sketches of Joey that appeared in the film, Alexandra Bannister, was asked by Michael to do a painting of Joey like he'd described to satisfy tourists and help sooth the locals of Iddesleigh who were getting very agitated that everyone kept asking to see the painting of Joey. So now you know that Joey the War Horse never actually existed, but we sure got a good story from the author, didn't we?