Category: World War 1

Growing up, Walt Disney had a passion for drawing. He pursued this as he matured, turning sketching into not just a career, but the biggest animation studio in the world. Disney had other passions, too, and one of those was serving his country in times of war. Unfortunately, he was either too young or too old to enlist during World War I and II, meaning he had to find other ways to contribute to the war effort.

Walt Disney’s early life

Walt Disney, 1930. (Photo Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images)

Walter “Walt” Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. In 1906, his family moved to Marceline, Missouri, where he spent his younger years developing his initial interest in art. While in Missouri, he received a commission to draw the horse of a retired neighborhood doctor, sparking his knack for drawing.

Disney’s father, Elias, had purchased a subscription to the Appeal to Reason newspaper, which the youngster used to practice his skills; he’d copy the front-page illustrations. Branching out and experimenting with different art mediums, Disney also tried his hand at watercolors and crayons.

Trying to enlist while underage

Walt Disney, 1938. (Photo Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images)

Walt Disney was inspired at a young age to serve his country. His older brother, Roy, enlisted in the US Navy in June 1917, which made Disney want to join the war effort even more. “He looked so swell in that sailor uniform,” he once recalled. “So I wanted to join him.” His two other older brothers, Ray and Herbert, also joined the US Army, serving as part of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF).

In an attempt to serve in WWI, a 16-year-old Disney tried to drop out of school and enlist in the Army (some sources say Navy). Unfortunately for him, he was rejected for being underage. Next, he and a friend attempted to join the Canadian Armed Forces, but his pal, Russell Maas, was rejected due to poor eyesight and Disney didn’t want to serve without him.

Undiscouraged, the young Disney forged the date of his birth on his birth certificate, so it looked like he was of age to join the Red Cross. The organization accepted him in September 1918, and he was trained as an ambulance driver.

World War I was over before Walt Disney arrived in France

Training for the Red Cross Ambulance Corps took place at Camp Scott, a temporary encampment at an old amusement park near the University of Chicago. To learn how to repair the ambulances, if needed, and drive on rough terrain, mechanics of the Yellow Cab Company spent weeks instructing the recruits. After this, they were subjected to two weeks of military training.

When Disney was sent to France in November 1918, the armistice had already been signed. Despite this, he made the most of his time overseas, explaining to his daughter, Diana, “The things I did during those eleven months I was overseas added up to a lifetime of experience. It was such a valuable experience that I feel that if we have to send our boys into the Army we should send them even younger than we do. I know being on my own at an early age has made me more self-reliant.”

Was Walt Disney dishonorably discharged?

Walt Disney, 1954. (Photo Credit: Raymond Kleboe / Picture Post / Hulton Archive / Getty Images)

A rumor has long circulated that Walt Disney was dishonorably discharged. However, this can’t be true, as he never served in the US military. He himself explained what sparked the story.

“It was in February… they sent me with a white truck,” he later recalled. “I was the driver and I had a helper. A white truck loaded with beans and sugar to the devastated area in Soissons. Well, I went out of Paris and it started to snow. I got up part way and I burned out a bearing on the truck, close to a watchman’s shed…

Offering support during World War II

Walt Disney with US military personnel, 1942. (Photo Credit: US Army / PhotoQuest / Getty Images)

Walt Disney was too old to serve in the Second World War, but he still did what he could to support the war effort. “Tomorrow will be better for as long as America keeps alive the ideals of freedom and a better life,” he once said of the conflict. To encourage these ideals, he partnered with the US military to create short films to boost morale, both at home and overseas.

During WWII, long after Disney Studios had been established, he formed the Walt Disney Training Films Unit, committing 90 percent of his workforce to developing instructional and propaganda films. Working with Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau Jr., he created the Donald Duck short film, The Spirit of ’43, which encouraged Americans to purchase war bonds.

World War I marked a dark era of unprecedented technological advancements in warfare. One of the most notorious was the use of poisonous gas, first used during the Second Battle of Ypres. As the conflict unfolded, chemical warfare became a harrowing reality. Mustard gas, chlorine, phosgene and other poisonous agents were deployed with devastating consequences: severe burns, blindness, suffocation and death.

Black Veil Respirator. (Photo Credit: Unknown Author / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

This indiscriminate weapon’s deadly impact prompted the development of countermeasures. Initially, troops could only counter the effects by covering their mouths and noses with water- or urine-soaked rags, but these solutions only prevented problems caused by breathing in the gas. Military scientists and engineers scrambled to create something more reliable, leading to the gas mask.

Early gas mask designs were rudimentary, often consisting of cotton pads soaked in chemicals or simple cotton mouthpieces, such as the Black Veil Respirator. However, as the nature of chemical warfare evolved, so, too, did the designs and effectiveness of gas masks, with several models developed throughout the conflict, each seeking to enhance protection.

Small box respirator. (Photo Credit: Medical Services: Diseases of the War: Including the Medical Aspects of Aviation and Gas Warfare and Gas Poisoning in Tanks and Mines / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

Equipping soldiers with gas masks was only one part of their use during WWI. Training programs were introduced to educate on their importance and proper use. Pamphlets were created that outlined proper procedures, and the troops were taught to react swiftly upon hearing the alarm, donning their masks within seconds to minimize gas exposure.

Regular drills were also conducted to simulate these attacks, ensuring familiarity with the equipment.

There’s long been an urban legend surrounding Dartmouth’s Coronation Park, which states a Royal Navy submarine is buried beneath the green space. Residents of the small British town have circulated the rumor for decades and, now, it seems that the claims may be true, according to a team of researchers from the University of Winchester.

HMS E4, an E-class submarine similar to the HMS E52. (Photo Credit: Agence Roi / Gallica Digital Library / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

Coronation Park sits atop what used to be a landfill along the British coast, and first opened to the public in 1937. Through the use of ground-penetrating radar (GPR), the team from the University of Winchester were able to scan the area, to see if there actually was a Royal Navy submarine buried beneath the park.

What they found was the “vague outline of what is thought to be HMS E52.” What’s more, they also discovered evidence of a German torpedo boat destroyer, which is believed to be the SMS S24, which was given to the British following World War I.

Dartmouth, United Kingdom. (Photo Credit: Derek Harper / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0)

HMS E52 was an E-class submarine that served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. Her most famous action of the conflict was the sinking of the German U-boat UC-63 near the Goodwin Sands, in November 1917. The enemy vessel had taken out 36 Allied vessels, meaning her sinking was a win for the British. Only one German crewman survived.

In January 1921, E52 was sold for scrap to Brixham Marine & Engineering Company. After being stripped, she was taken to the River Dart, where she and other vessels were supposedly used to strengthen a riverbank and create Coronation Park.

Coronation Park, Dartmouth. (Photo Credit: Google Earth)

For decades, locals have spoken of the buried submarine in Coronation Park, but it wasn’t until recently that a name was put to the Royal Navy vessel, thanks to Lt. Tom Kemp. This sparked the team from the University of Winchester – Roffer and Dr. David Ashy, who manages the school’s Soil Laboratory – to locate the submersible.

SMS S17, a V1-class torpedo boat destroyer similar to the SMS S24. (Photo Credit: Unknown Author / Эскадренные миноносцы и миноносцы Германии 1871—1918 / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

The team is currently seeking permission to dig small bore holes to identify a piece of equipment or metal that’s unique to the HMS E52.

As the world descended into the chaos of World War I, one man’s bravery and unwavering dedication stood out. Albert Severin Roche, known as the “First Soldier of France,” served with exceptional valor and resilience during the tumultuous years of the conflict. Delve into the extraordinary life of this unsung hero and how he almost found himself executed following a brave action.

Albert Severin Roche’s entry into the French Army

Albert Severin Roche, 1918. (Photo Credit: Unknown Author / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

Albert Roche was born into a family of farmers on March 5, 1895 in Réauville, France. Little is known about his life up until he attempted to enlist in the French Army in 1913, at 18 years old. Standing at only five feet, two inches tall, the assessment board rejected him, and he was sent back to work on the family farm.

This dismissal didn’t put Roche off trying again, and, in August 1914, he ran away from home to report at the Allan training camp. Unlike the first time, the board accepted him into the Army and assigned him to the 30th Battalion of Chasseurs.

Becoming a one-man army in Aisne

German soldiers in a trench near the Aisne River Valley, 1914. (Photo Credit: Hulton Archive / Getty Images)

Albert Roche’s punishment was being sent to the frontlines on July 3, 1915 with the 27th Battalion of Chasseurs Alpins, exactly what he’d wanted in the first place. It was there that he started making a name for himself as a one-man army.

Roche’s first notable engagement was when he neutralized a German blockhouse by sneaking along the enemy trench and throwing grenades down the chimney, where soldiers sat huddled around a stove. Many of them were killed, and the remainder surrendered to the Frenchman, assuming a larger force surrounded them. He returned with eight prisoners and their captured machine guns.

Undertaking an incredible rescue mission

French infantry in Chemin des Dames, 1918. (Photo Credit: The Print Collector / Getty Images)

Albert Roche had many successes in battle, but there were also moments where he barely escaped. While on a reconnaissance mission, his lieutenant was wounded and the pair were captured. Somehow, Roche killed his interrogator for his weapon and escaped. Not only did he march back to the French lines carrying his wounded superior on his back, he was also shepherding 42 German prisoners.

However, the closest call Roche had came from the French. While fighting at Chemin des Dames, he saw his captain fall. Braving heavy fire, he crawled between the lines for six hours to reach him, after which it took him another four before his superior was safely passed off to medics.

Albert Severin Roche and the end of World War I

Albert Severin Roche. (Photo Credit: Unknown Author / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0)

By the end of World War I, Albert Roche had earned no rank, remaining a second-class soldier. That being said, he’d amassed an impressive record. At only 23 years old, he’d taken 1,180 prisoners and was wounded nine times.

Nonetheless, Roche’s exemplary service didn’t go unnoticed. He appeared before Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Ferdinand Foch, in front of a massive crowd on November 27, 1918. The Frenchman was presented as their “liberator Albert Roche. He is the first soldier of France!”

A number of ships have fallen victim to the wicked weather of the Great Lakes over the centuries. One, the loss of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, was immortalized in the classic Gordon Lightfoot song. Several were lost on Lake Superior, including two World War I-era minesweepers, Inkerman and Cerisoles. While searching for the ships, a television host, working alongside the Great Lakes Historical Society, came across something he wasn’t expecting: the wreck of a wooden tugboat.

Josh Gates, 2018. (Photo Credit: Aaron Rapoport / CORBIS / Getty Images)

Expedition Unknown host Josh Gates was kayaking through Lake Superior’s Soo Locks on the lookout for the two minesweepers when his team located the wreck of Satellite, a tugboat that sunk beneath the water’s surface in 1879.

According to a press release by the Great Lakes Historical Society, the tugboat ran into difficulties while towing four barges on June 21, 1879. “One account suggests that she suffered a mechanical problem, while another says that she struck a floating log and started taking on water,” the release reads. This caused Satellite to sink, never to be seen again – that is, until 2022.

Navarin-class minesweepers at Canadian Car & Foundry (CC&F), 1918. (Photo Credit: Unknown Author / Lake Superior / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

Built by Canadian Car and Foundry (CC&F) via a contract from the French government, Inkerman and Cerisoles were intended to clear sea mines in the English Channel and along French coast. The latter was named for the Battle of Cérisoles in the Italian War of 1542-46, while Inkerman‘s name was derived from the 1854 Crimean War battle.

During their maiden voyage on November 24, 1918, Inkerman and Cerisoles disappeared. The minesweepers, along with a third, were traveling through Lake Superior for the Atlantic Ocean when they ran into poor weather. Fighting heavy snow, large waves and high winds, the trio lost sight of each other.

While the third vessel, Sebastopol, managed to reach safety in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Inkerman and Cerisoles vanished into thin air. Neither the vessels, nor their crews of 76 French sailors and two Canadian captains, were ever found. Along with being the last warships to disappear in the Great Lakes, both minesweepers account for the largest loss of life on Lake Superior.

Newspaper clipping about Inkerman and Cerisoles, 1918. (Photo Credit: Grand Forks Herald / Newspapers.com / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

The search effort by Expedition Unknown isn’t the only one to have occurred since the original in 1918. In 2017, the National Museum of the Great Lakes conducted a month-long search near the Keweenaw Peninsula, but came up empty.

Discovery Channel’s Expedition Unknown (2015-present) investigates the world’s most enduring legends and mysteries. Among those Gates has looked into are the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, Captain Morgan’s lost gold, the infamous World War II-era gold train and Britain’s Stonehenge.

World War I witnessed the advent of mechanized warfare, with tanks, artillery and machine guns redefining the nature of combat. Amid this modernization, the role of cavalry units faced several challenges. The French cavalry, renowned for their gallantry and historical achievements, found themselves adapting to changing battlefield conditions during WWI, while simultaneously striving to remain relevant in an era dominated by trench warfare and industrialized weaponry.

Before WWI, the French cavalry boasted a storied past and were often hailed as the epitome of mounted warfare. The legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte‘s legendary horsemen still resonated within their ranks, inspiring a sense of honor and pride. Among their primary roles were reconnaissance, flanking maneuvers and engaging enemy infantry in shock charges. However, these tactics were soon tested in the brutal bloodbath that was the first large-scale conflict of the 20th century.

As the war escalated, the traditional methods of cavalry warfare clashed with the realities of modern battlefields. The emergence of trench warfare and the aforementioned widespread use of machine guns and artillery led to devastating losses for all mounted units. Open fields, once ideal for cavalry charges, became death traps, and the initial stages of the war saw several futile attempts at mounted attacks, resulting in heavy casualties and minimal gains.The above photo, taken around 1914, shows a group of French lancers prepared to follow a group of retreating German troops. Lancers are simply a subset of cavalry, named for the lances they carried into battle while on horseback. They exemplified the early use of such troops in WWI.

A team of divers have confirmed the identity of the wreck of a World War I-era German U-boat sunk off the coast of the Shetland Islands in 1917. The SM UC-55 was laying sea mines in the Scottish archipelago when she suffered issues, forcing her to rise to the surface, where she was ultimately sunk by three British Royal Navy ships.

SM UC-56, a Type UC II U-boat, 1918. (Photo Credit: National Museum of the U.S. Navy / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

The wreck was found by divers some eight miles off the coast of the Shetland Islands. While its existence had been known since 1985, thanks to sonar technology, the wreckage wasn’t confirmed to be that of UC-55 until the dive on July 21, 2023. The vessel’s identity was confirmed via Royal Navy logbooks and the extent of damage to the U-boat’s hull.

Speaking with BBC Radio Shetland, Hazel Weaver, who led the expedition aboard the former naval vessel Valhalla, said, “This has been known about for a long time, the question was: is this the wreck we thought it was? After three and half hours of divers being in the water down to 110m (361 ft), they came and confirmed yes, this is the UC-55.”

She added in an interview with McClatchy News that “lots of live torpedoes and mines” were spotted, as well as a deck gun.Type UC II U-boats, 1916. (Photo Credit: Unknown Author / Navy Photos / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

The SM UC-55 was a Type UC II minelaying U-boat that served with the Imperial German Navy during the First World War. She conducted six wartime patrols, during which she sank nine Allied vessels with sea mines and torpedoes. She also damaged several ships, including the HMS Albacore (1909).

On September 29, 1917, while laying mines in the Lerwick Channel, off the coast of the Shetland Islands, UC-55 suffered a loss of trim, which caused the U-boat to dive well below her maximum dive depth of 50 meters. The forward compartment flooded as a result, leading the batteries to fail and the vessel to fill with Chlorine gas.

While the U-boat was able to rise to the surface, her rudder failed due to the lack of power. Her captain subsequently ordered the crew to abandon ship, but not before all the codebooks and secret documents were destroyed. Charges were then set in the engine and mine rooms.

Unfortunately for the German crew, UC-55 was spotted by the British destroyers HMS Tirade and Sylvia (1897) and the armed trawler HMS Moravia. Sylvia fired a 12-pound shell, which struck the U-boat’s conning tower, killing her commander. A second hit the vessel’s hull, which caused her to take on additional water. Two depth charges sealed UC-55‘s fate, blowing her up.

Moravia closed in on the wreck and, wanting to ensure the U-boat was completely disabled, fired two additional shots and laid a third depth charge. Of her crew of 27, 10 were killed, while the other 17 were taken as prisoners of war (POWs).

Speaking with the BBC, Jacob Mackenzie, one of the divers who visited the wreck, said it was “eerie” being down there, knowing crewmen had lost their lives aboard the U-boat. “You are aware of that, although I believe about 15 of the crew did escape, the rest of the crew of course didn’t – so they are still inside and that’s very obvious when you’re looking around it.”

The British government has designated the site a war grave, meaning no further dives can occur without government permission. When approached by McClatchy News, a spokesperson for the Royal Navy said, “Those who lost their lives should be left in situ and undisturbed.”

Legendary exotic dancer Mata Hari was much more than meets the eye. With her captivating beauty, alluring performances and alleged involvement in espionage during the First World War, she was a truly complex figure. However, her life and death weren’t quite so black and white. Over 100 years after her execution, questions are still being raised as to whether she was truly a devious femme fatale or a convenient scapegoat.

Born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle

Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, prior to her going by the name Mata Hari. (Photo Credit: Unknown Author / Nationaal Archief / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

Mata Hari was born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle on August 7, 1876, in the Netherlands. She led a relatively affluent childhood, as her father ran his own shop and made additional money through the oil industry. This meant Zelle was able to attend the best schools – that is, until the age of 13, when her father went bankrupt. This put significant strain on her parents’ marriage and they eventually split. Shortly after, her mother died.

Although her father eventually remarried, the family was never the same, and Zelle was sent to live with her godfather. She tried to study to become a kindergarten teacher, but this was short-lived. The headmaster continuously flirted with her, prompting her godfather to pull her out of the institution.

Zelle soon left the home and took refuge with an uncle in the Hague.

Becoming Margaretha MacLeod

Mata Hari, then known as Margaretha MacLeod, and her former husband, Rudolph MacLeod, 1897. (Photo Credit: Unknown Author / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

Margaretha Geertruida Zelle married Dutch Colonial Army Capt. Rudolf MacLeod after seeing an advertisement he’d place in a local newspaper – he was hoping to find a wife. The two married in July 1895 in what was likely a strategic union on Zelle’s part, as MacLeod was part of the Dutch upper class and had a sizeable fortune.

Two years later, the pair moved to the the south Pacific – in particular, Malang, on the west side of Java. For four years, they lived at several military bases, and they had two children, Norman-John and Louise Jeanne.

However, the pair’s relationship was truly horrid, with the much older MacLeod abusing his wife. He was also a terrible drunk. At one point, Margaretha wrote he “came close to murdering me with the breadknife. I owe my life to a chair that fell over and which gave me time to find the door and get help.”

In 1899, things got worse when their children fell very ill and Norman-John died. The official line was that an enemy of the family poisoned them, but other sources say it was caused by a treatment for syphilis, an infection they likely caught from their parents.

The MacLeods divorced in 1902. Even though custody of Louise Jeanne was given to her mother, her father decided to not give her back after a visit. He also never paid child support, despite being ordered to do so. Louise Jeanne died of unknown causes at the age of 21.

Career as Mata Hari

Mata Hari. (Photo Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images)

In 1903, Margaretha MacLeod moved to Paris. She joined a circus as a horse rider under the name “Lady MacLeod” and posed as an artist’s model to supplement her income.

In 1904, she became an exotic dancer, under the stage name “Mata Hari,” which translates to “eye of the day” in Malay. Having taken dance classes while living in the Dutch East Indies, she was skilled at the craft. Her theatrical debut occurred on March 13, 1905 – and she was an immediate hit.

For her act, Hari – described as “promiscuous, flirtatious, and openly flaunting her body” – created an elaborate backstory about being born in a temple and taught “sacred” dances by a priestess. She’d typically strip from the waist down, posing this way for many photos, and became known for wearing a bejewelled breastplate.

Hari eventually became the mistress of French millionaire Émile Étienne Guimet, and was known to mingle with Paris’ upper class. This was aided by her fictitious backstory, which many believed to be true.

Outbreak of World War I

Mata Hari performing her act, “Dance of the Seven Veils,” 1906. (Photo Credit: Walery / Hulton Archive / Getty Images)

As the years went on, similar acts arose in Paris and Mata Hari became less popular.

By the time she performed her final show in 1915, she’d formed several relationships with extremely high-ranking officials, many of whom were with the German military. She often traveled internationally with these men, which, prior to the outbreak of World War I, was largely dismissed. However, when the conflict began, her actions were viewed as far more suspicious.

Hari returned to the Netherlands in 1914 and, as a neutral Dutch citizen, could freely move throughout Europe. To avoid the fighting occurring on the Western Front, she typically traveled between there and France via Britain and Spain.

Exotic dancer-turned-spy

Mata Hari, 1900-10. (Photo Credit: Fine Art Images / Heritage Images / Getty Images)

Mata Hari’s alleged espionage career began after she fell for Russian pilot Capt. Vadim Maslov, who was serving alongside 50,000 other countrymen on the Western Front. During a dogfight with German aircraft, he was shot down and badly injured, losing the sight in his left eye. Concerned for her beau, Hari tried visit him while he recuperated in a hospital near the frontlines, something neutral civilians weren’t typically able to do.

This is where her story gets complicated, as there are many contradictory accounts of her actions. Supposedly, Hari’s efforts to see Maslov caught the attention of French Intelligence officer Capt. Georges Ladoux, who brought her in for questioning. She assured him that her loyalties lay with France, something he’d hoped she would prove by agreeing to spy on their behalf. Hari didn’t agree until she saw the horrible condition her lover was in, and she only did so in exchange for financial compensation.

Some accounts say she’d earlier committed to passing on information to Germany after her next trip to France – details she swore were outdated. Over the next months, Hari made several trips, which increased speculation over whether she was sharing French secrets with German military officials.

These suspicions were seemingly proven when, in January 1917, the French intercepted a German message about a spy known only as “H-21.” The agent’s information was identical to Hari’s, and French Intelligence later claimed to have confirmed H-21’s identity as being the former exotic dancer.

Mata Hari’s trial and execution

Mata Hari on the day of her arrest, 1917. (Photo Credit: Unknown Author / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)

In order to test her, the Second Bureau of the French War Ministry allowed Mata Hari to learn the names of six Belgian agents – one double agent and five who were suspected of working alongside Germany and submitting fake documents. After traveling to Madrid, the Germans just so happened to execute the alleged double agent, serving as proof to the French that she was indeed collaborating with the enemy.

Hari was arrested on February 13, 1917. At her trial a week and a half later, she was accused of passing on information that had caused the deaths of 50,000 French soldiers. Despite the accusations leveled against her, neither French nor British Intelligence could provide concrete evidence that Hari was spying for Germany. Instead, they tried to prove their case by slandering her character, using her fictitious backstory as a dancer to make the claim she was a liar.

Although Hari always maintained her innocence, she was found guilty. The sentence? Execution. The Dutch government did nothing to intervene on her behalf.

On October 15, 1917, Hari was shot by a firing squad of 12 French soldiers. Her execution was witnessed by British reporter Henry Wales, who asserted she went without being bound and refused a blindfold – she even blew a kiss at the firing squad. Wales added that, even in the face of death, “she did not move a muscle.”

Ironically, Georges Ladoux was arrested only four days after her execution for the same crime. He was ultimately cleared of all charges.

Questioning Mata Hari’s crimes

Mata Hari on the day of her arrest, 1917. (Photo Credit: adoc-photos / CORBIS Historical / Getty Images)

The matter of whether Mata Hari was a spy is still heavily debated. The most popular theory is that she was simply used as a very convenient scapegoat by the French, who’d suffered significant losses in the months leading up to her arrest. The thought appears to be that it would be better to have someone to blame these failures on, and it seems likely that Hari was an easy person to target, having had well-documented relationships with German officials prior to WWI.

As early as 1930, Hari was declared innocent by the German government, although they had less to answer for than the French officials who’d ordered her execution. Documents from both MI5 and the French Army have since been released, which further support the theory she was innocent, at least of any grand espionage.

One of the dancer’s biggest advocates is the Mata Hari Foundation, which believes many of the documents were falsified to obtain a desired trial outcome; the organization has repeatedly asked the French to exonerate her of being a spy.

The Mata Hari Foundation’s stance is that “there are sufficient doubts concerning the dossier of information that was used to convict her to warrant re-opening the case. Maybe she wasn’t entirely innocent, but it seems clear she wasn’t the master-spy whose information sent thousands of soldiers to their deaths, as has been claimed.”

World War I was truly the first conflict of its kind, engulfing much of the world from 1914-18. While the majority involved became embroiled in the fighting as soon as the war began, there was one nation that waited: the United States. Initially, US President Woodrow Wilson urged Americans to remain impartial observers and, instead, focused on domestic concerns. However, as WWI progressed, the stakes became ever higher, prompting the US’ inevitable entry into the conflict.

The situation began to change as the war intensified and reports of atrocities and human suffering reached America’s shores. Public sympathy toward the Triple Entente – particularly Britain and France – grew, while disdain for Germany’s aggressive actions escalated.

There was one key event that influenced the US entry into WWI: the sinking of RMS Lusitania by a German U-boat in 1915. The attack resulted in the loss of nearly 1,200 innocent lives, including 128 Americans, and sparked outrage Stateside. This prompted Wilson to demand an end to Germany’s U-boat policy.

This worked for awhile, but, by 1917, the Imperial German Navy was, yet again, engaging in unrestricted submarine warfare. Additionally, the German military took the step of offering Mexico the prospect of reclaiming lost territory from the US if the country joined the war on the side of the Central Powers. British Intelligence intercepted and decoded what became known as the Zimmermann Telegram, revealing Germany’s sinister plot.

This revelation further galvanized the American public’s opinion against Germany and pushed the nation closer to conflict. On April 2, 1917, Wilson appeared before Congress to ask for a declaration of war against Germany, stating the world must be made safe for democracy. Congress overwhelmingly supported the decision and, four days later, the US officially entered WWI.

US military forces and resources were now committed to the Triple Entente, marking a significant turning point in the conflict’s dynamics.

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France has been vandalized. The monument, dedicated to the Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers who lost their lives during the First World War, sits at the center of the battlefield park where the Canadian Corps launched their attack during the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917.

Photo Credit: DENIS CHARLET / AFP / Getty Images

According to reports, an employee saw someone scrawling graffiti on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial at around 9:00 PM on August 15, 2023. However, they ran away before they could be apprehended.

Speaking with Global News, a source with knowledge of the incident said the graffiti consisted of environmental phrases written in French. The search continues for the individual responsible, with the Canadian government aiding French authorities in the investigation.

Speaking about the vandalism, Canadian Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor said, “I was appalled to hear of the vandalism that took place at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.” She ended her statement by condemning such actions, saying, “I strongly condemn this and all reprehensible acts of vandalism against cenotaphs, war memorials and other landmarks built to remember and honour the sacrifices made by Canadians in the name of peace.”

Taylor also added that Veterans Affairs Canada is working with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and Public Services and Procurement Canada to have the graffiti removed from the memorial “as soon as possible.”

The Vimy Foundation also released a statement on Twitter, writing, “We are deeply disheartened to learn about the recent act of vandalism at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. Such actions disrespect the memory of the 11,285 Canadians missing in France with no known grave, whose names are listed on the monument.”

The engagement occurred between April 9-12, 1917 and saw 170,000 Allied soldiers – the majority Canadian – take on between 30,000 and 45,000 Germans in what became a historic victory. The German Army held the position, and its location made it particularly difficult to capture.

After weakening the Germans’ positions along the ridge, the Canadian Expeditionary Force launched their assault – the first time the four divisions had fought together. Despite suffering heavy casualties, they came out on top, thanks to extensive planning and the use of innovative tactics and effective artillery support.For their efforts during the battle, four members of the Canadian Corps were awarded the Victoria Cross, three posthumously.

Photo Credit: Photo12 / Universal Images Group / Getty Images

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial was unveiled at the site of the battle by King Edward VII in July 1936. The ceremony was attended by over 50,000 individuals, 6,200 of whom were from Canada.

The monument aims to honor those who perished during the First World War, with the names of those “with no known grave” inscribed on it. It was designed by Canadian sculptor and architect Walter Seymour Allward, and was constructed around a battlefield known to still contain live munitions from the intense fighting that occurred.

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial was rededicated by Queen Elizabeth II in 2007, after undergoing extensive restoration, and is currently maintained by Veterans Affairs Canada.Photo Credit: PHILIPPE HUGUEN / AFP / Getty Image

There’s been a rise as of late in vandalism committed by environmental activists. Among the most notable incidents have been the defacing of museum artwork, such as John Constable’s The Hay Wain, Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Monet’s Grainstacks.