World War I began in August 1914—the United States did not enter the conflict until April 1917. During those nearly three years of neutrality, a small number of Americans did experience the horrors of the war zones of Europe. Some ran for their lives as refugees while others, like journalists and doctors, headed toward the fighting. Missionaries in Persia (Iran) and the Ottoman Empire became witnesses to both the Armenian genocide and the persecution of Assyrian Christians. This history focuses on the war from the perspective of ordinary people who found themselves in the midst of what was then the most destructive and bloody war in history.

Researcher Mark Strecker writes about current and historical events on his website, Mark Strecker’s Historical Perspective (markstrecker.com). He lives in Norwalk, Ohio.

Mark Strecker
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 203
Bibliographic Info: 41 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7602-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3451-7
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments viii
A Note on Geographic Names ix
Preface 1
Prologue: The Assassination 3
1. American Refugees 23
2. The Invasion of Belgium 49
3. Into the War Zone 76
4. The February Revolution 89
5. The Ottoman Empire 105
6. The Great Crime 126
7. Persia 143
Chapter Notes 157
Bibliography 179
Index 185