One hundred years ago, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo, the capital of the Austria-Hungary empire. This would be the shot that would begin the "war to end all wars," World War I.
Although the United States did not enter the war until 1917, the beginning of WWI is not an event to be overlooked. It is a time to remember and honor the veterans of the past that served their nation. The last living U.S. WWI soldier, Frank Buckles, passed away in 2011 at the age of 110, according to CNN. Although they may all have passed, their sacrifices must be remembered.
The U.S. was only involved in the war for a short period of time, 19 months in total. However, during that time 116,000 Americans were killed, and more than 204,000 wounded. It changed the course of history, destroying many of the Old Regime empires and reshaping Europe. The Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Monarchy broke into pieces, creating some of the smaller countries we know today. Some of the nations to emerge include Poland, Ukraine, and many of the Baltic countries.
The legacy of WWI can be felt reverberating throughout history and into the current political climate. The outcome and after-effects of this war were key factors in the rise of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, opening the door to usher in the age of World War II. For every cause, there is an effect and WWII effected almost every nation on the globe.
One example of the sweeping effects of WWI was the United States' booming economy during and after the war. With Europe dealing with the destruction and aftermath of the war and America's ability to produce goods in overdrive, the U.S. became a global economic leader, shaping the country's economy into the powerhouse we know today.
Many veterans from WWI returned to their civilian jobs in their life after service, but they never forgot what they went through. The Army Times reported on a group of veterans from company B, who vowed to get together annually to remember their fellow fallen servicemen. They saved a bottle of French wine from their time overseas and meant for the final living member of their company to drink it in honor of his comrades when the time came. Joseph Maggio would be the man to make that toast. He passed away in 1997.