 |
| A Visit to Aurora and Lawrenceburg, Indiana |
Dearborn County World War I War Memorial
By Ginger Drenning, August 23, 2009
Inscription.
Honor Roll
In Grateful remembrance of the boys of Dearborn County who gave their lives in the World War 1917 - 1918.
Erected by the Citizens of Dearborn County, Indiana
Walter Ahrens • Henry Fred Amm • Elmer Andrews • Hobart S. Bailey • Harry Bales • Louis A. Bartels • Raymond F. Beard • Floyd Becker • Charles H. Bildner • John V. Bildner • John R. Boyd • Bernard H. Burke • Harvey J. Clarke • Millard Dennerline • Edwin F. Engelking • Edwin M. Fox • William J. Haske • Dewey H. Hauck • Otto G. Hammerle • George Henry Johnson • Ervin H. Laaker • David H. McCallister • Thomas Miles • Michael George Miller • Julius J. Miller • Stanley Northcutt • Charles E. Orsborn • Albinus L. Ratz • William Keith Ross • Harvey H. Rusche • Charles Lloyd Singer • Howard Slayback • Halstead F. Scott • Henry F. Scharf • Frederick C. Steele • Russell Winkley • Earl White • Roy Lee White
Erected by Citizens of Dearborn County.
Location. 39° 5.46' N, 84° 50.989' W. Marker is in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, in Dearborn County.
Marker is on West High Street west of Mary Street, on the right when traveling west.
Located on the right pillar as you enter the front door (West Wide View - - World War I War Memorial Marker Photo
High Street) to the Dearborn County Courthouse in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
Marker is at or near this postal address: 215 West High Street, Lawrenceburg IN 47025, United States of America.
Brief History by the Author
World War I (July 28, 1914 - November 11, 1918)
Known for many years as the Great War, World War I commenced when a Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip, assassinated the Austro-Hungarian heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The assassination occurred while the Archduke and his wife rode through the streets of Sarajevo, Bosnia in an open car. The assassination set off a chain of events that led to a protracted, disastrous war that lasted four long years. An estimated nine million soldiers died in the conflict, with another twenty million wounded. Historians estimate that over seven million civilians died in the conflict. Slavic Nationalism within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, entangling alliances and many other factors created what had been to that date the most destructive war in European history.
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Known by many names, the most common being Austria-Hungary, the Empire came into existence on March 30, 1867. The Empire consisted of a union between Austria, Hungary and the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. It was an uneasy union; with the Slavic peoples of Serbia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Croatia each having their own national government and a nationalist movement that demanded complete independence. By 1914, ethnic tensions had risen to a fever pitch. The Emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph I, feared that the nationalism would rip his empire apart.
Entangling Alliances
The "Balance of Power" in Europe included two main alliances. These were the Triple Entente (Allies) and the Central Powers. The Allies consisted of England, France and Russian Empire. Germany and Austria-Hungary comprised the Central Powers. The Ottoman Empire would join the alliance after the war began.
War Begins
The Austria-Hungary government decided that it would end the nationalist movement after the assassination. After receiving assurances from Germany that it would support them, they delivered an ultimatum to the Serbian government. The Serbs accepted nine of the ten demands, but vacillated on the tenth. In retaliation, Austria-Hungary declared war on July 28, 1914. The Russian Empire supported the Serbs and mobilized its troops. Germany began a two front offensive, invading France through Belgium and Luxembourg, leading Great Britain to declare war against Germany in support of its allies. Germany then invaded Russia. By late summer, the consortium of nations at war grew.
United States Neutral
The United States maintained a policy of neutrality, but its inclinations were towards the Allies. Germany had declared a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, a policy that included torpedoing passenger ships it suspected of carrying munitions from the United States to Great Britain. The United State demanded a halt to this, a demand to which eventually Germany acceded. The resumption of this policy and the interception of the Zimmerman Telegram changed all of this.
Zimmerman Telegram
The Germans suspected that the United States would eventually enter the war on the side of the Allies. German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann sent a telegram to the Mexican government, inviting them to join the alliance and declare war against the United States in January 1917. British intelligence intercepted the telegram, deciphered it and gave it to United States officials. An irate United States declared war against Germany on April 6, 1917. The United States was at war.
The United States in World War I
The war effort developed quickly. By summer 1917, the United States sent over ten thousand troops a day to Europe. In all, the nation would draft almost three million men for the war. The United States would suffer 116,516 casualties during the war, 53,402 in combat by the time the combatants signed an armistice on November 11, 1918.
Find more information and view archival photos of World War I at this link.
Comments
Post a Comment