world war i the great war. 174 623 canadian soldiers were wounded during the first world war
TRANSCRIPT
World War IThe Great War
174 623 Canadian soldiers were wounded during the First
World War.
Canada and the First World War
• An assassination in Sarajevo in June 1914 went almost unnoticed in Canada. Few Canadians expected that it would lead to war; fewer still anticipated the sacrifices Canada would be called to make.
Causes of World War I
The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand Alliances in Europe Nationalism Imperialism Militarism Ultimatum
Assassination in Sarajevo, Bosnia
On Sunday, June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, was shot and killed by a Serbian nationalist during a visit to Sarajevo in Bosnia.
Alliances in Europe
Alliances are formed when countries band together against a common threat
Triple Entente
France
Britain
Russia
Triple Alliance
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Italy (when the WWI started Italy joined the Triple Entente)
Nationalism
Nationalism is a feeling of deep loyalty to one’s people and homeland
In 19th century Europe, nationalism was a powerful force
By the early 20th century, extreme nationalism was causing problems
Some people were ready to go to war to promote the interests of their homelands
Imperialism
European countries were interested in gaining control of lands away from their home country
The lands and colonies were a source of raw materials and money
They also gave the home country glory and military strength
Imperialism
France, Britain, and Russia had colonies throughout Europe and the world
The largest empire was controlled by Britain
The British Empire included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Burma, South Africa, the East and West Indies, and islands in the Pacific
Imperialism
Germany also wanted colonies By the time Germany began to build an
empire, all that remained were territories of lesser value
Imperialism led to frequent disputes among the great powers of Europe
Arguments over colonies and trade ($) threatened peace
Militarism
Militarism is the belief in the power of strong armies and navies to decide issues
The only way to guarantee peace was to prepare for war
Based on the idea that if a nation is strong, no enemy would dare attack it
Militarism
This kind of thinking led to an arms race in Europe
Each country produced steel battleships, cannons, and explosives
The size of armies and navies determined who would be the most powerful nation in Europe
Britain became nervous when Germany started building a huge navy
Canada’s Role in WWI
Canada was one of the smallest allied countries by population with 8 million
Contributed 600,661 soldiers 61,663 military personnel died In some small communities entire
generations of young men were lost
The War Measures Act
The Canadian government passed the War Measures Act after the war started
It gave the federal government full power to arrest people suspected of being subversives (enemies)
Internment camp in Amherst, NS for suspected German and Austrian sympathizers
The Road to Nationhood
Canada entered the war as a self-governing colony of Great Britain
In 1917, the British government agreed to give Canada the power to make their own decisions regarding their own foreign affairs
Before 1917, Great Britain made these decisions
World 1919
Europe 1919
World War IThe Great War
Those who were on the battlefield on November 11, 1918, described what they experienced this way:
World War IThe Great War
"The guns were roaring, then suddenly there was an eerie silence and four years of blood shed had come to an end." These four years cost the lives of more than 60,000 young Canadians.
World War IThe Great War
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918, saw the end of what was supposed to be "the war to end all wars." The First World War lasted from 1914 to 1918, and it was the most brutal war the world had ever seen.