Finding the Patriot: World War I and Records

• World War I (1914-1918) History
• World War I Genealogy

 "It will be recalled that the year 1914 found all the major nations of Europe flexing their military muscles.  It was inveitable that the slightest miscalculation in diplomatic relations might turn loose a churcning volcano of human destruction.  The spark in the powder keg was the assassination of the heir to the Astria-Hungarian throne by a member of the Serbian secret society.  This occurred June 28, 1914.  Austria Hungary had been looking for an excuse to take over Serbia, and therefore her troops began marching in.  This angered the (Russian) Tsar because Serbia was on his own calendar of conquest so  he declared war on Austria-Hungary.  Germany came to the defense of Austria-Hungary and declared war on Russia.  At the time France was an ally of Russia, so Germany used this as an excuse to declare war on France.  This brought England into the war as an ally of France.  Thus the machine of war began to roll" (Skousen, W., 1958, p. 106-107).

The United States were neutral during most of the war though they continued to trade with the UK and her allies much to Germany's chagrin.  Germany declared later that anyone trading with her enemies was an enemy to Germany.  With the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915, and later the Zimmerman Telegram in which Germany telegraphed Mexico to join them in a war against the United States, President Wilson asked for a war to end all wars and the United States entered the war on April 6, 1917.  The US entry into the war proved decisive and turned the tide of the war towards the English and French alliance with the war being won by 1918.

An important part of WWI documentation is the draft cards because: identified parent, place of birth and date of birth.  Many of these can be found on Ancestry though New Family Search has many listed as well.

Many Italians volunteered to serve in the war on the American side - the highest proportion of any ethnic/cultural group, so draft cards can be a gateway back across the ocean to a lot of Italian genealogy.  Note: Italians did/(always will) - write their first name last, and last name first.  When looking for Italian records check first/last name and last/first.

Explore the links above for a smorgasbord of genealogical information.