UNIT 2World War I

Causes of World War I

1. Alliances

Britain, France and Russia VS. Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.

France and Germany were in conflict before, so they looked for other countries to be their allies. Alliances are formed when countries band together against a common threat.

France, Russia and Britain were the Triple Entente or The Allies.

Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy were the Triple Alliance or The Central Powers but Italy joined the Allies later.

The alliances were dangerous because they increased fear and suspicions among rival nations, and a war between two countries would likely involve many more.

2. Nationalism

Nationalism is a feeling of deep loyalty towards people and homeland.

Europe nationalism in the nineteenth century was a powerful force.

Examples would be the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and France’s desire to regain Alsace and Lorraine from Germany.

3. Imperialism

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, imperialism increased because the nations of Europe became more industrialized.

European countries wanted to gain control of lands away from home and build huge empires which would be a source of raw materials, cheap or free labor, new markets and military strength.

Imperialism led to quarrels among the great powers of Europe in all parts of the world, and arguments over colonies and trade threatened peace.

Also Germany wanted to have an empire like Britain and France.

4. Militarism

Militarism is the belief in the power of strong armies and navies to decide issues.

Preparing for war was thought to be the only way to guarantee peace, and if a nation is strong, no enemy would dare attack it. If war did occur, the militarized nation would be ready.

This thinking led to an arms race in Europe, which was where each country produced and stockpiled battleships, artillery, and guns ammunition

Germany built a huge navy, causing Britain to become nervous and led to the Naval Race.

European countries built huge armies through conscription.

All that was needed to start a World War was a spark.

5. Assassination, The Spark

The Black Hand was a terrorist group that was composed of Serbs and Bosnians that thought Bosnia should break away From Austria-Hungary.

The Austrians were also expressing feelings of nationalism when they opposed the attempts of Bosnia to break away from their empire. Bosnian Serbs wanted to be part of Serbia.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the Archduchess Sophia were visiting Bosnia because the Archduke would someday be its Emperor.

Gavrilo Princip (a 19 year old) stepped up by the car and fired two shots killing them both.

Those who attacked the Archduke were members of a Serbian terrorist group known as the Black Hand.

This was an example of the danger of nationalism leading up to WW1.

The assassination would lead to Austria – Hungary declaring war on Serbia and put in motion the steps to world war.

Canada in WW1

When the call came out for recruiting in Canada, offices were flooded with volunteers for the war at a pay of $1.00/day. People thought that the war would end quickly.

Within 2 months, 30 000 Canadians were sent, however the war did not end until 4 years later, with the involvement of another 400 000 Canadians.

Battles on the Western Front

Ypres

Ypres is an ancient city in Belgium.

First time poison gas was ever used in battle. The men who didn’t have gas masks or who did not use a urine soaked cloth to breathe through choked, gagged, gasped, coughed and died.

The Canadians had make-shift gas masks and survived the attack.

More than 6000 Canadians died during this battle.

Battle of the Somme

On July 1, 1916 at 7:30am, the British army consisting of Canadian and Newfoundland troops went “over the top”.

Most men never made it out of the trenches and most were killed by the shower of bullets in no-man’s land.

By nightfall approximately 58,000 men were dead or wounded – the most ever in British military warfare in a single day.

Newfoundland troops were mowed down at Beaumont Hamel. Over 90% were killed or wounded.

When it came to an end, casualties for both sides reached 1.25 million; 24 000 were Canadian.

Tanks were introduced for the first time in war. It helped to break the stalemate at the end of the war

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Tv5gBa9DQs

Battle of the Somme

Vimy Ridge On April 9, 1917, Canada won its most

celebrated battle.

German forces had a good vantage point they controlled all the surrounding areas.

Many attempts were made by British and French troops but were unsuccessful.

Vimy

After months of preparations 100 000 Canadians (four divisions) launched an attack. In a few hours, they had captured the ridge.

More ground, guns, and German prisoners were taken that day than the first 2 1/2 years of war.

Four Canadians won the Victoria Cross at Vimy. Vimy Ridge

Passchendaele

In the fall of 1917, soldiers fought in Passchendaele, Belgium ( close to Ypres )

Also known as the Third Battle of Ypres.

Passchendaele was once beneath the sea.

The shelling destroyed drainage ditches and the land was waterlogged.

Soldiers were very frustrated over trying to advance through the mud.

Thousands of soldiers and horses who slipped into the mud were sucked down and drowned.

Tanks also got bogged down quickly.

16000 Canadian causalities.

The 7km of land they won was soon won back by the Germans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJZttzblHFQ

War and Technology

Tanks Were developed to solve the problem of

trench warfare Tanks could roll over barbwire and protect

troops crossing no-man’s land. British first used them against the Germans at

the Battle of the Somme

World War 1 Tank

Machine Guns and Artillery

Completely changed the way battles were fought

One soldier could kill enough enemy soldiers to break up a frontal attack

Fast-firing artillery could fire shells that exploded into fragments (shrapnel) killing or wounding soldiers anywhere near the explosion

Contributed to the development of trench warfare and stalemate

Vickers Machine GunLewis Gun

Airplanes Used in the early part of the war for

reconnaissance (spying) Eventually the timing of the machine gun was

modified to fire between the rotating propeller This allowed planes to fire on ground troops

and take part in aerial “dogfights” Dogfight History Channel

WW1 Plane

Submarines (U-boats) Effective and deadly weapon Germany used submarines to blockade Britain

from receiving food and war supplies. Difficult to detect and destroy During the war U-boats sank thousands of

merchant and civilian ships as well as navy ships

German U-boat

The War in the Air

In 1914 when war broke out, the airplane was a new and unproven invention.

Canada had no air force of its own.

Billy Bishop

Billy Bishop was a young pilot from Ontario, Canada.

He became a Canadian hero during WWI because of his shooting and flying abilities.

As a boy he practiced shooting at moving targets in the woods.

His first day behind the front line, he knocked down a plane

In one five-day period, he destroyed 13 planes.

Billy Bishop

Billy Bishop

The War at Sea

German submarines prowled the seas since the beginning of the war.

Germans sank 200 British ships by 1914 (including passenger ships).

The sinking of the Lusitania (a passenger ship), which had American passengers on board when it went down angered the U.S..

Lusitania

Submarines (or U-Boats as they were often called) were Germany’s most deadly weapons at sea.

Germany was sinking British and other boats at an average of 160 ships per month.

Germany navy introduced a policy of “unrestricted submarine warfare.” This meant that German U-Boats would sink any Allied ships that approached Britain.

Responsible for U.S. entering the War

First four months of the policy, Germany sank over 1000 Allied ships.

Britain had to find a way to solve this problem or it would be starved into surrendering.

Canada’s main contribution to the war at sea was to provide sailors and ships for the Royal Navy.

Eventually the use of the convoy system and technological advancements turned the tide in the allies favor.

Effects of War on Everyday Life

Canadians at home supported the troops overseas in many ways.

Posters, and government campaigns suggested that no sacrifice should be spared to ensure the victory of Europe.

People planted victory gardens (to

produce as much food as possible).

Canadians were sending large amounts of food to fighting forces overseas.

At home people were trying to waste nothing and reduce own food consumption.

Students were often dismissed from school early to help farm workers with the harvest.

Groups of woman meet to organize fundraisers and roll bandages for the troops.

Each community held card games, dances and variety shows.

Profits were used to send soap, writing paper, pencils and candy to the troops.

The Economics of War

1918, war was costing Canada over one million dollars a day.

Victory bonds were also used to help pay for the cost of war.

After the war the bonds could be cashed for a profit.

Private and commercial investors loaned over one billion to the government

Children bought stamps at 25 cents

Canadian government introduced income tax during the world war I to help finance the war.

Industrial production went to dramatic new heights.

Airplane, shell and ship factories sprang up across the country.

1918 - 300,000 Canadians were employed.

One third of the shells fired by the armies of the British Empire were made in Canada.

WWI changed the lives of Canadian women.

At the beginning of the war, hundreds of Canadian women volunteered to work overseas as nurses or ambulance drivers.

They worked in banks, on police forces and in civil services jobs. They also drove buses and street cars.

Women worked in ammunition factories and in other war industries while the men were away at war.

This meant that the number of women working rose very high.

There were very few men left so women on farms brought in the harvests and they also got help from city women.

Since women were doing so much for the war effort, they wanted a share in making decisions about the country.

One of Canada’s great social reformers and Suffragists was Nellie McClung.

Suffragists campaigned enthusiastically for women’s suffrage (the right to vote).

Women were given the right to vote in the Province of Manitoba in 1916

Within a few months, Saskatchewan , Alberta,

British Columbia, and Ontario had granted Women’s Suffrage.

In the election of December 1917, the Wartime Elections Act granted the vote to the mothers, sisters etc. of men who were fighting overseas.

By the time the war ended, the right to vote had been extended to almost all women in Canada over the age of 21.

The Dominion Elections Act gave women the right to run for election in parliament in 1920.

Native women and most native men were not allowed to vote.

Conscription Issue and the Election of 1917

At the beginning of the war, people were very patriotic and wanted to help in any way that they could. As a result, Canada was flooded with volunteers willing to enlist in the army.

As the war progressed, people became less enthusiastic about helping, and the number of volunteers decreased.

In 1917, Prime Minister Robert Borden visited Canadian soldiers at the front and was shocked by what he heard.

Canadian Volunteer enlistments were not keeping up with the number of men killed or wounded in battle.

Military officials desperately needed more soldiers and they asked Borden to send more Canadian troops to Europe.

When Borden returned home he asked the parliament to pass a Conscription Bill.

Conscription means that all able bodied men would be required to join the army.

Canadians were forced to join.

With an election coming in December 1917, the government passed two bills:

The Military Voters Act( Vote to soldiers and nurses overseas) and the Wartime Elections Act.

The Military Voters Act allowed soldiers overseas to vote in elections at home in Canada.

The Wartime Elections Act gave females living in Canada who were relatives of soldiers fighting in Europe the right to vote.

A Union Government was formed by Conservatives and Liberals that believed in Conscription.

The election was brutal

Laurier and his followers were accused of letting down the soldiers at the front.

Borden and the Union Government won the election, although they got only three seats in Quebec out of 65.

The split that had been feared for so long seemed to have happened – riots occurred in Montreal and Quebec City; the French and English Canadians were entirely torn apart.

In November, 1918, at the end of the war, Canada was a divided nation.

Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty demanded that Germany:Accept total blame for the warGive up its weapons and ships Reduce size of militaryGive back all the land it conqueredMake reparations ( pay for damages )Give up part of its country.

World War 1 Summary