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1914-1919WORLD WAR I
THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919
Historic footage with narration of the events leading up to World War 1, aka The Great War. Events taking place in Europe and life in America during that era, and footage of the battles.

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Video Images Grid Descriptive Log
01:00:03 3.06 thumbnail
Tilt down on pre World War 1 era crowd, people waving their hats and handkerchiefs
01:00:05 5.49 thumbnail
Montage pre World War 1 (aka The Great War) European parades. German soldiers in orchestra playing instruments while riding horses; German parades with soldiers marching, onlookers. Narrator unseen talking about the peace time in Imperial Germany, however, European neighbors were skeptical.
01:00:56 56.22 thumbnail
King George V and Queen Mary of England getting off train, soldiers standing at attention as they disembark. At the train station, lots of folk gathered, Queen Mary kissing her aunt, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The King's first cousin, The Kaiser. Everyone kissing and shaking hands.
01:01:30 90.25 thumbnail
King George V with the Kaiser getting into waiting royal carriage
01:01:37 97.69 thumbnail
Royal carriage going down wide street, crowd of people lined up along side and waving as carriage goes by.
01:01:45 105.91 thumbnail
Boat, circa early 1900's, coming through harbor area, sailors seen saluting as they go by. European dignitaries, (probably Wilhelm II ) wearing uniforms with lots of medals, getting off small boat climbing up onto dock area.

Narrator unseen explains how the Kaiser and Czar are related, with the Czar from the triple Entente (Russia, France, Great Britain) and Kaiser from the triple alliance (Germany Austria Hungary Italy) but they are on opposite sides
01:02:02 122.06 thumbnail
Dignitaries walking together, saluting at soldiers lined up on sidelines
01:02:18 138.08 thumbnail
Various shots of the pomp and circumstance around the arrival of the Kaiser and Czar. Man with weird fringy hat (the Kaiser or Czar), soldiers lined up at attention, train rolling into station and another official gets off and is greeted by man in tall white fringy hat.
01:02:52 172.61 thumbnail
King Albert of the Belgians with the Kaiser in royal carriage.
01:03:11 191.35 thumbnail
Newspaper boy selling newspapers in a crowd of people
01:03:15 195.78 thumbnail
Headlines of a various newspapers from around the world including USA on June 28, 1914. Narrator unseen tells the news - heir to the throne of the Austro Hungarian empire assassinated at Sarajevo in the Balkans.
01:03:27 207.76 thumbnail
Austrian-Hungary air force flag flying, blowing in the wind
Narrator unseen asks, Is an ArchDuke worth a war?
01:03:28 208.89 thumbnail
Dignitaries riding in several open air vintage automobiles (circa early 1900's), many onlookers
01:03:38 218.89 thumbnail
Foreign dignitaries walking together through gardens, walking up stairs of building.
01:04:11 251.15 thumbnail
Pan fleet of German naval war ships in the water ready to go to war. Unseen narrator states Germany's fleet and expanding sea power is a challenge to the naval supremacy of Great Britain and a big threat to France and rival England.
01:04:29 269.44 thumbnail
Cannons on warship pointed out to sea. Sailor on board ship waving directional flags.
01:04:35 275.12 thumbnail
Submarines at sea, circa 1914. Getting ready for war.
01:04:45 285.31 thumbnail
Huge cannons on board ships. Sailors loading artilary into cannons getting ready for warfare. Cannons firing, lots of smoke.
01:05:02 302.89 thumbnail
CU cloud of billowing gray smoke filling the air (and the frame)
01:05:08 307.97 thumbnail
Var. Newspaper headlines from around the world, "Austria Declares War on Serbia", "Czar Back Servia", "Kaiser Decrees a State pf War"
01:05:16 316.55 thumbnail
CU the word, WAR
01:05:24 324.33 thumbnail
Footage of large armies of soldiers marching on foot, on horseback and in carriages through cities and countryside, from various countries everywhere.
Huge crowds of onlookers on sidelines and on balconies waving
01:06:15 375.47 thumbnail
Soldiers stopping as women put flowers in their lapels and hand out beverages
01:06:36 396.83 thumbnail
Beautiful shot of a young woman standing amidst a cloud of smoke at the train station.
01:06:37 397.83 thumbnail
Soldiers climbing on board trains. CU wheels of train on track, billowing white smoke.
01:06:48 408.26 thumbnail
More soldiers marching toward war, cu's on horses hooves and wheels of carriages. Partial cannon poised in corner of frame against cloudy sky. The war begins.
01:07:04 424.4 thumbnail
Footage of var war scenes - cannons firing, buildings blowing up, soldiers in the field loading cannons, explosions.
01:07:21 441.37 thumbnail
Soldiers huddled in a trench behind sandbags , soldiers in ditches. More shots of cannons going off, explosions. Unseen narrator states the Belgians delay the Germans but cannot stop them.
01:07:45 465.83 thumbnail
Soldiers carrying man on stretcher out of trenches
01:07:58 478.7 thumbnail
Scenes of bombed out buildings and villages. German soldier kicking little dog, forlorn woman sitting in the rubble of bombed out building. Unseen narrator talking about the German Army is like a force of nature, calling them an Avalanche. Footage of terrible destruction .
01:08:25 505.54 thumbnail
CU stern looking faces of the German army as they march toward camera
01:08:30 510.39 thumbnail
Marching feet, shadows of marching soldier's feet, wheels of carriages turning
01:08:44 524.59 thumbnail
British flag blowing in the wind against smokey skies
01:08:46 526.12 thumbnail
Fleet of British warships, tilt down on British Army troops marching as onlookers wave them on.
01:08:56 536.97 thumbnail
Footage of British soldiers boarding ships to the British tune "It's a Long Way to Tipperary". on the way to war. Ships leaving dock loaded with British soldiers.
01:09:44 584.93 thumbnail
The French head to war. Fade open to scene in Paris where a fleet of small French taxi cabs and every means of transportation is used to take soldiers to the front lines., soldiers riding on the roofs of the vehicles. Women onlookers crying and waving them off on the sidelines.
01:10:28 628.18 thumbnail
CU elderly hands folded holding rosary beads.
01:10:28 628.86 thumbnail
Montage of cu's on the lined faces of serious and concerned elderly folk (worries and distressed for their boys going to war)
01:10:43 643.97 thumbnail
Montage of groups of village people, women, men and children, pushing wagons, walking on foot, some in cars, on horseback and carriages all headed in support of seeing their boys off to war.
01:11:22 682.5 thumbnail
Meanwhile, life in America early 1900's. In suburbia USA, a nicely dressed woman in long dark skirt and hat mailing a letter, man sitting in a rocking chair on his porch and reading the newspaper - American flag hanging down, vintage convertible automobile (early 1900's) filled with folk coming out of driveway of suburban home.
01:11:38 698.48 thumbnail
Little boys peeking into the back of a horse drawn covered wagon parked out front of a nice home, man carrying large jug heading toward the house. B. David written on side of wagon
01:11:40 700.44 thumbnail
Little boy holding the hand of mom and eating an ice cream cone, walking past retail shops in town.
01:11:46 706.65 thumbnail
Street car with large sign "Belgian Relief Rally..."
01:11:51 711.3 thumbnail
Newspapers on news stand racks - z'in on headline of the Daily Eagle reads, "American Remains Neutral...Germany Resents United States' Aid to Allies..."
01:11:57 717.32 thumbnail
Hustle bustle on the streets of New York City, circa May 1, 1915, many peds, traffic, vintage street cars and automobiles driving down the cobblestone streets
01:12:26 746.55 thumbnail
Historic footage of the passenger ship, the Lusitania. "Lusitania" written across side of ship, crowd of passengers on balconies of ship waving white handkerchiefs as it pulls away from harbor, steam blowing from ship, workers letting loose the giant ropes, onlookers waving as ship pulls away.
Narrator unseen states that despite the war, the passenger ships are sailing as much as usual.
01:13:03 783.47 thumbnail
Montage of footage of the great steamship Lusitania with its impressive smokestacks as it pulls off from harbor on a cloudy day, flock of seagulls in the sky, captain at the helm, waves in the sea, kids on board playing games, people hanging out on board, mingling, reading,
01:13:41 821.45 thumbnail
Sailor looking through a periscope on a (German) submarine, the view of the ocean from the periscope, the site of the Lusitania through the periscope
01:13:51 831.51 thumbnail
Torpedo (launched by the submarine) moving fast through the ocean
01:13:58 838.18 thumbnail
Explosion of smoke fills the frame.
01:14:00 840.54 thumbnail
Montage of shots after torpedo hits Lusitania: CU the wide eyed look of panic on a man's face, folk running falling over each other, water gushing in, porters knocking on doors, cu hand working telegraph machine, smoke filling the decks, people running in a panic as boat fills with water.
01:14:21 861.74 thumbnail
Person jumping off small dinghy, flying through the air
01:14:22 862.41 thumbnail
Tilt down on Dinghy boats filled with people.
Narrator unseen tells that more than 1,200 men, women and children drowned that day, which included 124 Americans.
01:14:33 873.72 thumbnail
Remnants of the Lusitania floating in the ocean.
01:14:39 879.24 thumbnail
Fade out
01:14:40 880.65 thumbnail
Elderly woman sitting reading the newspaper, headlines read: "Sub Sinks Lusitania"
01:14:47 887.31 thumbnail
Artists working on making a dummy of Kaiser Wilhelm, the German Emperor, and painting posters of drawings of the Lusitania sinking and "1195 Dead". Unseen narration about how Wilhelm is now the a target and object of indignation and ruthless autocracy.
01:14:58 898.78 thumbnail
American protestors, marching the streets at night carrying American flags and posters.
01:15:07 907.83 thumbnail
Sign on outside of church, "Lusitania Memorial Service"
01:15:14 914.6 thumbnail
Group of organized passive folk, the American Peace Society, marching down city street carrying posters, ie "Peace at Any Price", "No Arms for War!", peace float with 'angels' blowing horns, men looking down from window.
01:15:32 932.75 thumbnail
Kids carrying large banner in parade, "Why Carry Guns" - circa early 1900;s
01:15:45 945.62 thumbnail
Ext shots the Capitol Building in Washington DC
01:15:53 953.79 thumbnail
President Woodrow Wilson standing at window looking out. Standing by old time telephone.
01:16:10 970.52 thumbnail
Pan large gathering, many folk jammed in and fanning themselves, American flags hanging all around. President Wilson talking to crowd from podium
01:16:36 996.92 thumbnail
Ex-President, Theodore Roosevelt, at podium outdoors speaking to large crowd. Unseen narrator explaining Teddy wants Action!
01:17:00 1020.82 thumbnail
Fashionable women of the era walking in parade carrying large banner "Wake up America - T.R." Onlookers on sidewalk waving.
01:17:08 1028.56 thumbnail
War posters, "Words Won't win Battles Prepare Now!"; the Kaiser's army 3,000,000 The U.S. Army 120,000 and similar others.
01:17:28 1048.52 thumbnail
graphic still - The Presidential Seal.
01:17:31 1051.02 thumbnail
President Woodrow Wilson at desk reading through paperwork
01:17:48 1068.35 thumbnail
Edward M. House (aka Colonel House), American Diplomat and Advisor to President Wilson
01:17:50 1070.11 thumbnail
Secretary of State Robert Lansing at his desk and talking on the phone.
01:17:55 1075.52 thumbnail
Secretary of War, Newton D. Baker at his desk and talking on the phone and signing paperwork
01:18:03 1083.53 thumbnail
Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, looking at a globe of the world
01:18:20 1100.28 thumbnail
Vintage automobiles in the streets of Washington DC, headed toward the Capitol building in the bkgd.
01:18:29 1109.27 thumbnail
Var shots, pan inside the United States Capitol of a Joint Session of Congress in the House Chamber, filled to capacity with folk. President Wilson to request a declaration of war against Germany.
01:18:54 1134.83 thumbnail
President Woodrow Wilson signing papers.
According to unseen narrator, "...the world must be made safe for Democracy"
01:19:02 1142.81 thumbnail
Newspaper headlines - the 4 a.m., April 1917, War Extra - "U.S. Declares War"
01:19:06 1146.17 thumbnail
Slow pan up tall building with gigantic American flag hanging at least five stories high. People hanging out of high rise windows waving American flags.
01:19:19 1159.3 thumbnail
pan across crowd frantically waving American flags
Unseen narrator states, "America goes to war wide eyed and eager" and quotes Woodrow Wilson, "my message was a message of death for young men, how strange it seems to applaud that."
01:19:24 1164.94 thumbnail
President Wilson being blindfolded then places his hand in a large jar filled with thousands of tiny piece of paper and pulls one out. (could be the first name picked out for the Army draft)

Unseen narration states 10 million people registered for the draft.
01:19:47 1187.25 thumbnail
Crowd looking on and cheering as man posts serial numbers numbers to large Draft News Bulletin board
01:19:58 1198.87 thumbnail
Men wearing business suits file out of building and line up on the street many holding American flags and suitcases, women looking on and shaking hands with the men. Huge parade of gentlemen, all wearing business suits, marching down city streets on their way to war and happily!!
01:20:11 1211.79 thumbnail
Teddy Roosevelt and other dignitaries along the sidelines watching as thousands of men march away to war.
01:20:25 1225.86 thumbnail
American soldiers preparing for war, marching in formation, learning how to fight using their fists and their weapons, training exercises out in the field
01:20:44 1244.97 thumbnail
Poster reads: Beat back the HUN with Liberty Bonds
01:20:55 1255.12 thumbnail
Aerial pan a literal sea of people, waving flags
01:20:59 1259.91 thumbnail
Clips of silent film stars Marie Dressler, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks - out in public and enthusiastically promoting the war and war bonds and riling up the crowd of onlookers
01:21:31 1291.62 thumbnail
Charlie Chaplin dancing around crazily outdoors with with Marie Dressler to a live orchestra. Shots of the orchestra playing the popular tune, "Pretty Baby".
01:22:03 1323.43 thumbnail
The send off: Women with pitchers of water filling the cups of soldiers. Soldiers carrying large backpacks, soldiers hanging off the masts of a tall ship and waving.
01:22:36 1356.62 thumbnail
Billowing steam blowing out of smokestacks on ship. Var shots of the thousands of soldiers crowded onboard, waving from the top of the ship including from the top of the smokestacks and out the windows. Incredible amount of soldiers on one ship.
01:23:08 1388.4 thumbnail
Battleships headed out to sea on foggy day, American flags flying. Pan the ocean POV on board ship.
01:23:30 1410.58 thumbnail
Young sailors wearing white sailor hats, sign on deck for "C Deck".
Great footage of soldiers on deck passing time playing dice games, gunny sack races, boxing, and dancing with each other
01:24:16 1456.5 thumbnail
First U.S. troops arrive in France. Thousands of American soldiers disembarking ships.
01:24:30 1470.68 thumbnail
French sign "Hommes 36-40 Chevaux (Enlong)8
01:24:33 1473.33 thumbnail
Steam engine train, billowing white smoke from engine, long line of box cars filled with soldiers
01:24:43 1483.71 thumbnail
Tilt down on American soldier parade, thousands of onlookers - marching to "Over There"
01:24:54 1494.52 thumbnail
American General John Jay "Black Jack" Pershing, commander of American troops arriving in France amidst large crowd.
01:25:01 1501.94 thumbnail
Soldiers marching in France carrying rifles.
01:25:08 1508.64 thumbnail
WS of wide street in Paris. Large open truck carrying soldiers touring the sites of Paris, the Arc d'Triompe, folk walking in a park, a crowded newsstand, peds on crowded Paris street, soldiers eating and drinking coffee in outdoor cafes being served by pretty Parisian women.
01:25:52 1552.84 thumbnail
Man playing piano at outdoor cafe, women and soldiers gathered 'round, couples dancing outside, enjoying themselves...
01:26:01 1561.4 thumbnail
Fade away - ravished fields of war, burned out fields in France, mud everywhere, broken down barbed wire.
01:26:28 1588.95 thumbnail
Silhouettes of soldiers hanging the hats and rifles of dead soldiers on the bare branches of trees, soldiers carrying man on stretcher through the bombed out fields, soldier carrying dead soldier on his back through the trenches, field of injured men on stretchers.
01:26:48 1608.96 thumbnail
Var shots of soldier's resilience, helping the wounded, relaxing together having a smoke, carrying the injured on stretchers and by foot.
Shots of nurses and doctors in make shift military hospital feeding and helping injured soldiers.
01:27:26 1646.22 thumbnail
Soldiers, single file, walking through narrow trenches, carrying supplies in, sand bags stacked up, walking through mud and rain.
01:29:14 1754.7 thumbnail
Fade to dark
01:29:25 1765.83 thumbnail
German high command outdoors. Shots of Field Marshall Paul Von Hindenburg speaking to other dignitaries, getting into waiting carriage.
01:30:01 1801.12 thumbnail
Troops in trucks, marching on foot and in horse pulled wagons through fields
01:30:48 1848.17 thumbnail
Von Hindenburg and his Chief of Staff Ludendorff looking at maps, strategizing on how to defeat the allies.
01:31:09 1869.21 thumbnail
German soldier guard trying to stay warm covered in blanket, rainy wet conditions, boots walking through mud, other German soldiers out in the rain, in trenches, cleaning their guns, getting prepared for battle.
01:32:20 1940.33 thumbnail
Tilt down on German soldiers standing in trenches, guns pointed out and ready for battle
01:32:35 1955.43 thumbnail
The Great Offensive of the Great War begins, March 21, 1918. Historic battle footage, shots of cannons firing, huge explosions of black smoke and rocks, soldiers hiding in trenches, explosion close to trenches and men being covered in thick black smoke and dirt, soldier laying dead in field, men climbing out of trenches and running across fields. Great battle footage.
01:35:08 2108.5 thumbnail
Continuing footage of battle, brave soldiers fighting, huge explosions as soldiers running bravely through the fields, jumping into the trenches for cover, cu's of the artillary including the machine guns and weaponry they used.
01:36:49 2209 thumbnail
Fade to dark
01:36:50 2210.54 thumbnail
Americans arriving in Europe. Army vehicles, motorcycles with side cars, horse drawn wagons and soldiers marching through small European village. Group of wWomen standing in doorway as they drive by
01:37:37 2256.98 thumbnail
Vintage bi-planes in the air. Frightened soldiers taking cover as they fly overhead and drop bombs exploding in villages.
01:37:56 2276.7 thumbnail
WS bi-planes flying in formation. Great footage CU's of planes flying pov from airplane. CU new rapid fire machine guns on the airplanes. CU's pilots and planes flying upside down. Warfare from the sky.
01:38:46 2326.28 thumbnail
Vintage biplane nosediving down from the sky leaving a trail of smoke heading for crash landing
01:39:04 2344 thumbnail
Silhouettes of soldiers against the night, on horseback and marching toward battle, walking along in the narrow trenches headed toward the next battle.
01:39:34 2374.13 thumbnail
Soldiers in a trench receiving message from telegraph device within the trench.
One soldier with earphones the other taking notes. Soldier talking on telephone communication device in the trench.
01:39:39 2379.39 thumbnail
Montage of var shots, soldiers loading and shooting cannon, huge explosions of black smoke, rock and dirt interspersed with shots of pensive looking soldiers, hands clinging tightly to leather strap, in trenches looking scared
01:40:08 2408.21 thumbnail
July 1918, American soldiers climbing out of trenches, running across field, loading cannons, more explosions, cu's of bullets moving through machine guns, explosions, and battle scenes
01:44:39 2679.25 thumbnail
Shots of the aftermath of war, graphic shots of soldiers lying dead - wrapped within barbed wire, in trenches, face down on fields. Soldiers carrying the dead on stretchers.
01:45:04 2704.7 thumbnail
Pan group of soldiers in the field mourning the dead, holding their hats, heads bowed, saying prayers
01:45:19 2719.18 thumbnail
Montage of shots of soldiers heading home walking through the small villages, large groups of them gathered waiting to leave, the faces of the men, some bandaged, looking beat and tired.
01:46:06 2766.42 thumbnail
Newspaper headlines "ARMISTICE!" "WAR ENDS"
01:46:26 2786.11 thumbnail
Happy soldiers smiling, laughting, dancing together, waving their hats as American flag blows in the wind.
01:46:45 2805.95 thumbnail
American flag blowing in the wind with soldiers' hat flying high in the air
01:46:51 2811.45 thumbnail
Montage of the crowds of celebratory people, parades, people waving flags and their hats as soldiers come home riding on double decker buses and large ships.
01:47:52 2872.69 thumbnail
New York skyline POV from aboard moving ship.
01:48:11 2891.08 thumbnail
Montage of footage as American soldiers arrive home. Ship moving into harbor with literally thousands of soldiers on board waving their hats, crowds of folk waving American flags, soldiers coming off gangplanks including men on stretchers, huge parades, heroes welcome! etc.
01:50:10 3010.29 thumbnail
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