Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie are shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. The killings sparked a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War I by early August. On June 28, 1919, five years to the day after Franz Ferdinand’s death, Germany and the Allied Powers signed the Treaty of Versailles, officially marking the end of World War I.
The archduke traveled to Sarajevo in June 1914 to inspect the imperial armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, annexed by Austria-Hungary in 1908. The annexation had angered Serbian nationalists, who believed the territories should be part of Serbia. A group of young nationalists hatched a plot to kill the archduke during his visit to Sarajevo, and after some missteps, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip was able to shoot the royal couple at point-blank range, while they traveled in their official procession, killing both almost instantly.
The assassination set off a rapid chain of events, as Austria-Hungary immediately blamed the Serbian government for the attack. As large and powerful Russia supported Serbia, Austria asked for assurances that Germany would step in on its side against Russia and its allies, including France and possibly Great Britain. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the fragile peace between Europe’s great powers collapsed, beginning the devastating conflict now known as the First World War.
After more than four years of bloodshed, the Great War ended on November 11, 1918, after Germany, the last of the Central Powers, surrendered to the Allies. At the peace conference in Paris in 1919, Allied leaders would state their desire to build a post-war world that was safe from future wars of such enormous scale. The Versailles Treaty, signed on June 28, 1919, tragically failed to achieve this objective. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson’s grand dreams of an international peace-keeping organization faltered when put into practice as the League of Nations. Even worse, the harsh terms imposed on Germany, the war’s biggest loser, led to widespread resentment of the treaty and its authors in that country—a resentment that would culminate in the outbreak of the Second World War two decades later.
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Early attempt at ‘population control of useless eaters’. Didn’t very well have “Airborne for the Elderly”, and Killer Clot/anti-fertility shots” for the rest of Us, now did they. ’Spanish Flu’ another story.
Also, good start on the ‘bush league’ dynasty…Parrying an artillery round with a knife of some sort. Totally believable. For a minute, apparently, to many…
Believed in reincarnation for a minute…Every wasp in the house was actually a lawyer in my mind’s eye…Use to greet my mommy, sister, wife…Good (whatever)! How is my favorite little Blue Gill today? Bite on anything. First fish for many children. When i use to use live bait…bigger the Blue Gill, bigger the bass.
‘Poor House farm’ is a catch and release lake outside Martinsburg WV. Was ‘working’ a minimum of 6 10’s. My (before she was) wife use to drive the 4.5 hours to spend the weekend. Got her a little Zebco 33 combo. “Something keeps attacking my fishy’s near shore”…💡
Was fishing alone one Sunday morning when the (camping there) local Boy scout finally got up. Without the Boss being there, reduced to catching my own bait, ‘selectivity’ lost. Fairly large, even by my ever increasing ‘Optimum’ size standard. Was just hooking it behind the dorsal, when i heard a voice behind me. ‘Scoutmaster’ saying…”Too big” to his attentive troop.
Not my first rodeo. There. Underhand ‘plop’, 10′ feet from shore, no more than 10 yds parallel. Soon as the slip bobber stood up…Wham! KNEW immediately that it was the biggest one to date. There.
Once i was sure it was solidly hooked, time slowed down, time to glance around…At the very least, the scoutmaster had a gaping maw. Been kinda a smart ass. All my life…’Strap me in! Someone pour water on the reel!, Laughing like a kamela.
He huffed off like a petulant child…finally admonishing his troop from a distance…”Come on! more important stuff to do”! A few stuck around, (glad to know that there are up and coming) quickly let 2 of ‘em feel the heft before i gently released it back into it’s home, even then saying a prayer of thanks for the experience. ‘Easy’ 9#, maybe 10.
Additionally, “made friends” with a Great Blue Herron. Got to the point that within minutes of my arrival there, it would land very close, and clamber up onto the shore. Give me the eye, like..”where is my breakfast?” Wife even has a picture featuring the 2 of us. She didn’t believe me. Either.
Now where was i?…Oh Yeah!…’Bush League’…
“….But for a brief period, the war treated Prescott Bush rather well.
In June, 1918, just as his father took over responsibility for relations of the government with the private arms producers, Prescott went to Europe with the U.S. Army. His unit did not come near any fire until September. But on August 8, 1918, the following item appeared on the front page of Bush’s home-town newspaper:
High Military Honors Conferred on Capt. Bush
For Notable Gallantry, When Leading Allied Commanders Were Endangered, Local Man is Awarded French, English and U.S. Crosses.
International Honors, perhaps unprecedented in the life of an American soldier, have been conferred upon Captain Prescott Sheldon Bush, son of Mr. and Mrs. S.P. Bush of Columbus.
Upon young Bush … were conferred: Cross of the Legion of Honor, … Victoria Cross, … Distinguished Service Cross….
Conferring of the three decorations upon one man at one time implies recognition of a deed of rare valor and probably of great military importance as well.
From word which has reached Columbus during the last few days, it appears as if the achievement of Captain Bush well measures up to these requirements.
The incident occurred on the western front about the time the Germans were launching their great offensive of July 15…. The history of the remarkable victory scored later by the allies might have been written in another vein, but for the heroic and quick action of Captain Bush.
The … three allied leaders, Gen. [Ferdinand] Foch, Sir Douglas Haig and Gen. [John J.] Pershing … were making an inspection of American positions. Gen. Pershing had sent for Captain Bush to guide them about one sector…. Suddenly Captain Bush noticed a shell coming directly for them. He shouted a warning, suddenly drew his bolo knife, stuck it up as he would a ball bat, and parried the blow, causing the shell to glance off to the right….
Within 24 hours young Bush was notified … [that] the three allied commanders had recommended him for practically the highest honors within their gift…. Captain Bush is 23 years old, a graduate of Yale in the class of 1917. He was one of Yale’s best- known athletes … was leader of the glee club … and in his senior year was elected to the famous Skull and Bones Society…”
WTF are you babbling about??
As you can see from the above map, Austria lost a SHITLOAD of territory!!
NO country should be broken up just because they lost a fucken war. Just ask Ukraine. I look forward to the day when Austria will be Great Again by reclaiming her ancestral lands. And, yeah, I will personally demand reparations!
Notice all the new countries that suddenly popped up; Poles, Lithuania, and Yugos … the Unholy Trinity Of Poopy Countries. And who in the hell drew that unnatural boundary of Czechland … a retard with a broken Etch-a-sketch? And why did the Germans hardly lose any land?
The whole thing stinks to high heaven.
That’s one way to get the big “party” started, eh.