This is a letter written by an American soldier in Paris on the day the armistice was signed with Germany. The armistice was an agreement between the Allies and Germany to end fighting in Western Europe on November 11, 1918. The soldier is describing how wonderful Paris is during this time. The letter states that there was a massive parade and there were hundreds of thousands of soldiers from many different countries in attendance. The man continues to repeat how wonderful the city is by stating that, even though he would like to be home, he would much rather be in Paris at this time. He goes on to describe how the French people are filled with joy and how they keep thanking him for his service. American servicemen were credited with helping to end the war. The man then thanks God for stopping the war and prays that the soldiers who died were watching the grand celebration from Heaven.

http://www.firstworldwar.com/diaries/normington.htm

This a photograph of soldiers and their horses during World War I. Both soldiers and horses are wearing gas masks. The soldiers are also carrying their rifles, which have bayonets on the end. The soldiers are shown wearing their metallic helmets which were used for protection against head shots in the trenches. The gas masks and uniforms covered the majority of each soldier’s body in case of a chemical attack. WWI was the first war in the modern era to involve chemical warfare. Gas use was considered uncivilized prior to WWI. Historians often call WWI the chemist's war and the Germans invested heavily into the development of poison gas. It was used to break the deadlock of trench warfare. A chemical death was very slow and painful.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/untold-story-of-the-million-horses-sen...

This is a British poster that is trying to inspire young men to register to join the army during WWI. The poster depicts a middle-aged man with a mustache who is telling all who read the poster to enlist in the army. Two lines follow demanding, “Join your country’s army!, God save the King”. When Britain entered the war, the country had an urgent need for more military men because they did not have a policy of conscription. The government immediately brought out many recruitment posters. This poster is meant to touch at the reader’s sense of nationalism. The reader would feel like his contribution would help save his country and his king. Since many people had a lot of patriotism for their country this was a successful tactic, and many signed up for the army. Conscription began in 1916 when the British government passed the Military Service Act.

http://tedprints.tedankara.k12.tr/310/1/Mehmet_Emir_Goka.pdf

This is a New York Times article dated May 8, 1915. This article is reporting the sinking of the Lusitania. It gives a detailed account of the attack and suggests that there is a "Grave Crisis" ahead for the United States. The Lusitania, a British passenger ship was torpedoed by a German U-Boat and many Americans died. The German Navy had adopted a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. Prior to the attack, the US had tried to remain neutral in WWI. The sinking outraged Americans and swayed public opinion against Germany. Although the US would not enter the war for nearly two years, the sinking of the Lusitania is considered to be a major catalyst for pulling the United States into the war.

http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/WW1_LUSITANIA_sunk_german_U-boat_1915