FIRST NEWS - UNIT 5

          

                                             POSSIBLE END OF WAR 

The so-called Armistice of Compiegne seeks an end to the war on the western front that has already lasted four years and has left millions dead

 Many categorize it as World War I that has already lasted four years and has left millions deads. Luckily this document signed yesterday 11 November, at 5:12 p.m. and put into force at 11:00 p.m. seeks an end to the conflict. The signature of the document was carried out with the utmost secrecy in a train car stopped in the French forest of Compiégne, north of Paris. Members of the French and British government, representing the Allied side, are known to have imposed their terms of surrender on Germany, the great loser of the war. On November 8, it was already negotiated. The agreement included the demilitarization of Germany and compensation for damages caused during the war was contrary to the armistice. So on 9 November, the emperor abdicated the throne and left for Holland, where he went into exile. The new German authorities were ready to ask for peace and they did so on 10 November. This was unthinkable for the Germans just a few months ago as they had launched the Spring Offensive with which they sought to take over Paris. However, the British and French withstood their advance and within a few months the Germans lost their numerical advantage. To the point that the German general in command, Erich Ludendorff, moved his superiors that the war was lost. From our humble point of view, the best teaching we can get is that the insatiable ambition of the back of the head has been a good friend. And on the other hand, live the Peace!!!!! 

THE EXPLORER NEWS - UNIT 5

29 / JUNE / 1914

ONE STEP CLOSER TO 

THE GREATER SERBIA

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sofia Chotek, have been murdered on their anniversary day.

Yesterday morning, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, Sofia Chotek were assassinated by a Serbian gunman in Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina).

They were in Saravejo to celebrate their fourteenth marriage anniversary.
It was a very important day as well for the Serbians living in Sarajevo, as the 28th June is the day of the national patron saint in Serbia, so some of them thought that their visit on their national day was an offense and it meant the perfect day for an outrage and the possibility of achieving the dream of the Greater Serbia, an empire including the most of the slavic countries in the Balkans.

It has been discovered that a very important secret society, known as "Black Hand", was created in order to achieve the annexion of Bosnia-Herzegovina (as it was conquered by Austria-Hungary) to "the Greater Serbia" through brutal terrorist assaults on important Austro-Hungarian personalities. Among their possible victims, the archduke was the most vulnerable, so they recruited seven young Serbs living in Bosnia (so it seemed like they were Bosnians and that Serbia had nothing to do with the murder) to carry out the assault.

Franz Ferdinand had been invited by the Bosnian governor to the summer military exercises in Sarajevo. Although the head of the Sarajevo police believed that there was a real danger of an attack and asked for security measures to be tightened up, security for the visit left much to be desired. Young terrorists would never have a better opportunity.

Franz Ferdinand and his wife arrived in Tarcin on June 25th. At 9 a.m. on June 28th, after the end of the manoeuvres, the retinue went by train to Sarajevo. At 10 a.m. they were expected at the Town Hall for a reception and various events. Later they would go to lunch with General Potoirek. The crowd was waiting along the route to greet the imperial couple. Among the people were the seven terrorists. The first of them was a young man named Mehmedbasic and a few steps away was his companion Cabrinovic.

As the retinue passed, Cabrinovic threw his bomb at the Archduke's vehicle. Franz Ferdinand noticed the object flying in his direction and raised his arm to keep it away from his wife. The bomb exploded on the ground, injuring a dozen people. Meanwhile, the terrorist had ingested the cyanide he was carrying and thrown himself into the river. The poison had no effect and the Miljacka River was not deep enough to drown. A few minutes later, Cabrinovic was arrested. The other terrorists didn't act. 

When the vehicles arrived at the Town Hall, the Archduke was furious but he refused to change the plans for the day, asking only that his agenda be altered to include a visit to the hospital. Before leaving, Governor Potoirek addressed the Archduke, assuring him that he could continue his journey with complete peace of mind, as security measures and controls had been tightened throughout the city.

 Terrorist Gavrilo Princip

The vehicles should go to the hospital following the Appel Avenue, without entering the narrow streets of the old city. This change of plans would serve as a security measure, as no one would wait for them in this avenue. But none of the drivers was informed of this change.

Meanwhile, the terrorist were located at different points of the route. One of them, Gavrilo Princip, went to the Street “Franciso José” to buy in a store. Just in that moment, ignoring the change of the route, the driver of the first car turned to enter Francisco José Street, according to the instructions he had received that morning. General Potoirek realized the error and shouted at him to rectify. The driver, surprised by the general's screams, braked to backtrack. This way the car stopped a few steps from Princip, who, as soon as he realized what was happening, pulled his gun out of his pocket and shot twice, hurting the archduke in the jugular and his wife in the abdomen. Meanwhile, the terrorist tried to kill himself but one of the spectators grabbed his arm and impeded him.

Now, due to the great tension between Serbia and Austria this is our question: Will this led to a war? We will keep you informed...

The Messenger - Unit V

President Wilson's 14 Points

The Allies negotiations show the chance of a League of Nations

26/01/1919  New York

It’s been some months since the end of the Great War in Europe, in which the United States fought against the Central Powers. It's now when the Allied Powers, the United States, Italy, France and Britain, have begun to meet in order to establish the peace terms for the defeated countries.

President Woodrow Wilson

In the latter leg of the war, President Woodro Wilson announced fourteen proposals that would help bring the impact of the war away. In his speech, Wilson set out a model that could bring security to all countries and that was meant to evacuate countries occupied during the war, but some points have not been to everyone's liking when they were presented in Europe.

In Germany the existence of these measures was part of the reason why they called for armistice and peace, thus ending the war. However, many of the fundamental ideas haven’t convinced the Entente Powers. The freedom proposals did not entirely satisfy colonialist governments, which have other countries conquered, and it seems that the Allies want to impose greater punishments on Germany. But there’s one of the points that has been attracting the attention of several countries for a while.

In the fourteenth and final point, a community of peaceful nations is proposed to serve to reach agreements between countries. The idea was born more than a century ago in Germany and, although it was relevant at the time, it’s begun to stand out more since the beginning of the war. It was an idea that had already taken on importance in France, which proposed annual meetings and an international army, but it was in Britain that it had the most impact, reaching the point of creating the League of Nations Union, which promotes international justice, in October last year.

At least in the beginning of the agreement, this is the most relevant idea in Europe, although in the United States it has not to fit in, Senator William Borah finds it a "treacherous idea that should be buried in hell". Even former President Theodoore Roosevelt published an article in which he addressed all of Wilson's points, but especially the last, of a loud, empty and meaningless discourse.

For our part, we can only wait for the situation to progress and the problems that have arisen to be solved, stay strong!

The signing of Peace in the Hall of Mirrors, Versailles

HISTORICAL JOURNALISTS-UNIT 5

Saturday, 26th December 1914

BRITISH AND GERMAN SOLDIERS PHOTOGRAPHED TOGETHER!

BOTH OF THEM BECOME FRIENDS IN THE MIDST OF WAR

As you readers can see in the photo, the Germans and the British, after months and months fighting in The Great War, decided to take a break together and enjoy it because it's Christmas.

Something like this had never happened before, it is unbelievable, in the middle of this war and the opposing sides become friends!

Readers, take advantage of the fact that we are at Christmas, because this unites us all, a clear example of what just happened two days ago and I will detail now.

It all started when the Germans, tired of being in the trenches and bored, decided to start decorating them with Christmas decorations, the day before Eve .To continue the celebration, they sang Christmas carols all together, especially Stille Nacht (Silent Night).

On the other side, the British side, had received  the "Christmas cans" that Mary , the pricess royal from the United Kingdom gave them, containing a pack of cigarettes, a Christmas card and a photo of the princess. When they started listening to the Christmas carols the Germans were singing, they wanted to answer from the trenches with the same Christmas carols in English.

Both sides continued the exchange by shouting Christmas greetings to each other. Soon there were already calls to visitors in No Man's Land, where little gifts were exchanged: whiskey, cigarettes, chocolate, etc.

There, in No Man's Land, the two sides decided to play a soccer game so that Christmas was marked by goals and not by blood. The Germans beat the British who were 3 to 2.

At the end of all these acts of union and solidarity, the opponents returned to their positions and it was not long before they returned to the fight: today, they are ready for combat.

Be strong and chin up till all is over!

MENSAJE DE ÁNIMO Y PARTICIPACIÓN EN CONCURSO

Buenas tardes reporteros y reporteras!!! Espero que estéis bien de salud y también vuestras familias!!! Hay que mirar el lado bueno: este confinamiento os va a permitir seguir elaborando noticias históricas desde vuestras casas!! Ya estoy esperando ansioso vuestros reportajes sobre la I Guerra Mundial, seguro que serán muy interesantes!! Ánimo!!

Quiero contaros, además, que he apuntado nuestro proyecto a un concurso de buenas prácticas educativas que podéis consultar aquí: ENLACE A LA PÁGINA DEL CONCURSO

A ver si tenemos suerte!! Un saludo!!