This Day in History: On July 28, 1914 — 100 years ago — World War I, or “The Great War” as it was often known prior to WWII, broke out in Europe.
Although the often-cited catalyst for the war — assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist — took place a month earlier on June 28, it was not until July 28 that Austria-Hungary actually declared war on Serbia, thus beginning the formal conflict.
Aerial view of ruins in Europe (from MS-293)
Over the next several years, Wright State University Special Collections & Archives will join many other archives, museums, and cultural institutions around the world in commemorating the centennial of WWI in various ways, including sharing items and stories from our collections here on our blog, Facebook, and Twitter (@WrightStArchive) under #WWI100.
We will also be adding new World War I materials to our digital collections on CORE Scholar. The Dayton-Wright Airplane Company Photos (MS-152) are already online; and 91st Observation Squadron Photos (MS-293) and a selection of materials from the Fred Marshall Papers (MS-53) are in progress.
Soldiers at Camp Sherman, 1918 (from MS-100)
As part of our World War I commemoration efforts, we are seeking new donations of World War I manuscript materials. In particular, we are looking for historical materials that document WWI and have a connection to either the Miami Valley or to aviation history (or both).
If you are interested in World War I in Dayton, you might enjoy these additional resources:
- WSU Special Collections & Archives World War I collections listing
- Additional Out of the Box blog posts tagged World War I
- Wright State University CELIA Project A Long, Long Way: Echoes of the Great War in Dayton
- Commemorating the Great War in Dayton blog by WSU History Professor Dr. Paul Lockhart