CANADA IN WWI

Europe in 1914

CANADA IN WWI1. Causes of WWI2. Canada’s Response3. War on Land / Battles in Europe4. Warfare in Air / Sea5. The War at Home6. Building PeaceThe period before WWI was the high-water mark of imperial feeling, an era when “imperialism” was not a dirty word.

- historian Daniel Francis

Part 1 - Causes of WWI

1. Europeans had forgotten what war was like

2. Militarism3. Alliance systems4. Nationalism5. Imperialism6. Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

War Was Forgotten

The last war involving a major European nation had ended in 1878, and the last war

that involved all European nations had ended in 1815

Militarism• Many European nations were militaristic. • Most of them had large standing armies,

and because of conscription (compulsory service in the armed forces), most men had some military experience.

• Because most wars in the 1800s had been short, gov’ts felt wars were a good way to settle international disputes.

Alliance System• European nations had divided themselves into

2 alliance systems• An attack against one member of an alliance

was treated as an attack against all members of that alliance

• Although this system was supposed to deter confrontation, it actually ↑ the likelihood of an international crisis

WWI Alliance SystemTriple Alliance

(also called Central Powers; formed 1884)

• Germany• Austria-Hungary• Italy – joined triple

entente in 1915

Triple Entente

(formed 1907)

• France• Russian Empire• British Empire

Nationalism• Europeans felt strong devotion to their

countries• Many believed they had legitimate

grievances with other nations• And had the right to promote their

international goals at the expense of others

Imperialism• Imperialism is when a country increases their

power and wealth by bringing additional territories under their control.

• Before World War 1, Africa and parts of Asia were points of contention amongst the European countries. This was especially true because of the raw materials these areas could provide.

• The increasing competition and desire for greater empires led to an increase in confrontation that helped push the world into World War I.

Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

• On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to the Autro-Hungarian throne) was assass. In Sarajevo, Bosnia (part of A-H Empire), by a Bosnian Serb nationalist

• Serbia was a small nation making a claim to Bosnia

• Austria blamed Serbia and presented a series of demands

• Russia, Serbia’s ally, objected and Serbia refused to comply with the demands

Not:This Archduke:

Gavrilo Princip was a student from Belgrade. Born in Bosnia, he hated Astrian rule

• In late July, Austria declared war on Serbia

• Within a week, all the members of the alliance systems were at war

World Leaders• Canada – PM Robert Borden• Great Britain – PM David Lloyd George• France – PM Georges Clemenceau• Russia – Czar Nicholas II• United States – President Woodrow Wilson• Germany – Kaiser Wilhelm II• Austria-Hungary – Emperor Franz Joseph

Chain Reaction• Break-down of diplomacy, outbreak of violence,

nations commit to going to war• July 28: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia• July 30: Russia mobilizes its army to defend Serbia• August 1: Germany declares war on Russia; France

mobilizes army• August 3: Germany declares war on France (Schlieffen Plan – attack France, via Belgium, then focus on Russia)• August 4: Germany invades Belgium on way to

France; Britain declares war on Germany

How Can I remember the causes of Wwi?

• M• A• N• I• A

Part 2 – Canada’s Response1. Role of government2. War Measures act3. Mobilizing4. The Economy

Role of Government1. Britain still controlled Canada’s foreign policy:– When Britain declared war on Germany, Canada

was included automatically.

2. War Measures Act:– A law meant to ensure “security, defence, peace,

order, and welfare of Canada” – Gave government immense control over country:

3. Business, transportation, manufacturing, trade, production, etc.4. Limit civil liberties (ex. habeas corpus suspended)5. “Enemy aliens”: recent immigrants from Germany and Austria- Hungary could be deported or imprisoned:– Carry special ID cards and report regularly to registration officers– Over 8000 held in internment camps– Mail censored– Publications in “enemy” languages banned

Enemy Aliens• When war broke out, the Cnd gov’t was faced with

what to do with the 500,000 German, Austrian, and Hungarian people who were residents, and even citizens of Canada.

• There were fears of sabotage, and suspicion of spies.• People demanded that the enemy aliens be fired from

their jobs and locked up.• The gov’t used the War Measures Act to place

restrictions on enemy aliens. They could be arrested or searched, and many were sent to internment camps in remote areas. (In reality, the majority interned were Ukrainians)

“Alien enemies" arriving at the Petawawa Internment Camp during WWI. During the war more than 8,500 immigrants from "enemy" countries were placed in internment camps across Canada.

Many labor bosses in Canada laid off immigrant workers and hired Canadian born workers in an attempt to be patriotic. For this reason,

unemployment was very high among the immigrant population of Canada during WWI. Internees were paid only 25 cents for a full day of work, building roads, building and repairing buildings, and clearing the rugged land of the Northern Canadian frontier.

Mobilizing Troops• Enlistment:– 30,000 Canadians enlisted in the first month– Reasons: British patriotism, adventure, honour,

travel, a job– Women – nurses or ambulance drivers– Minorities – at first not allowed to enlist; eventually

accepted– Training: Valcartier, Quebec training centre• Brought Canadians together, developed unity/ identity• Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)

The Economy• Sam Hughes:– Minister of Militia – Gave manufacturing contracts to friends (war profiteering)• Poor quality equipment and supplies (ex. Ross rifle,

leaky Boots, and trenchequipment)• Behind schedule– Fired in 1916

Part 3 - War on Land / Battles1. The Plans2. Marching off to War3. “Back by Christmas”4. Ypres5. Somme6. Vimy Ridge7. Passchendaele8. Canada’s 100 Days

http://www.richthofen.com/ww1sum/

The plans• Germany -The Schlieffen Plan• France – Plan XVII• Austria-Hungary – Plans B & R• Russia – Plans G, A, & 19• Britain – no plan, but keen to protect interests• Canada – joined Britain automatically• Belgium – defend German invasion• Serbia – strike against Austria-Hungary• United States – neutral until 1917

The Schlieffen Plan• Developed by Count Alfred von Schlieffen (General)• Move rapidly on France because Russia would take a

long time to mobilize – avoid a 2 front war• Mislead France and attack from north (Belgium) to fall

on Paris from the west – take 6 weeks• Then turn all armies on Russia• Gamble: Britain would not object invasion of Belgium• But they did. Germany turned south too soon, failed as

they faced France, British Empire (Canada)• Instead of short campaign, became a horrible war – 4

years of trench warfare begun.

France – Plan XVII

• Purpose was to reclaim Alsace and Lorraine from Germany – entirely offensive

• Made use of belief in mystical élan vital (a powerful fighting) within every Frenchman

• Advanced on German territory, not planning for attack through Belgium

• Also underestimating strength of German army almost let to devastation and thrown on defense

Austria-Hungary – Plans B & R(assumed war would be limited to Serbia)

Balkans• 3 armies to invade

Serbia• 3 guarding Russian

border

• Committed to Schl. Plan and sent most armies to the west to help Germany

Russia• Revised plan B• 4 to Russia, 2 to Serbia

Russia – Plans G & 19

• G – assumed German full-scaled on them –false

• Allow them to come into its borders, but win once fully mobilized – like Napoleon

• 19 – French pressed for more “O” strategy• Now assumed Germany would ‘go west’ first• Russia would advance on East Prussia

(Poland)

Britain – no plan

• Had no particular desire for war to break out and no plans for expansion

• Keen to protect interests, trading links with empire

• Once war broke out, Asquith’s admin. Came to aid of Belgium and France

Canada

• Although Canada had become a political union in 1867, Britain still controlled the foreign policy of all its dominions

• When Britain declared war on Germany, Canada, along with the rest of the BE, was automatically at war.

United States – neutral until 1917

• Determined to stay neutral• Huge leap in exports to Allies led to a vested

interest• Germany’s aggressive tactics frowned upon• Sub warfare brought US to war (Lusitania &

Sussex)• Wilson proposed plan once peace was esta. –

Fourteen Points & he pushed for League of Nations to secure ongoing peace -

Marching off to war• Most English-speaking Can were of British origin, and

supported the war out of patriotism • PM Borden offered 25,000 troops, but more than

30,000 volunteered in the first month• Most thought it would be short and home by Xmas• Adventure and heroism tempted some• Others had no job• Women were not welcome at first, but some did join

as nurses and ambulance drivers• Initially, Aboriginal people were not accepted and also

reluctant to take African-, and Japanese-Canadians

“back by christmas”• The war effort revitalized the economy• Sam Hughes, min. of militia, was in charge of

recruitment• The first Canadian Expeditionary Force set sail in Oct

1914 to train in England and off to France• The first to arrive were the Princess Patricia’s

Canadian Light Infantry in Dec 1914.• Wartime training brought Canadians together for the

first time and began to develop a national identity, a sense of being Canadian

• CEF fought as a separate unit, adding to nat. idnt.

Sam Hughes• As minister of militia he oversaw the whole operation• Men were armed with Ross rifle – designed for

precision, it jammed in mud and overheated when fired rapidly

• Signed big contracts with friends for shells, but small numbers made & poor quality – exploded before being fired, killing gun crews

• Boots fell apart in rain – made of pressed cardboard• He was dismissed in 1916, not before being knighted.

• The war in Western Europe had ground to a halt. In N. France the two sides dug into trenches and faced each other across a barren ‘no man’s land’ of barbed wire and pockmarked craters.

• One of the most brutal stalemates in history, one that cost millions of lives without advancing more than a few km in either direction.

• Back to contents page.

ypres• Modern warfare was born at Ypres, Belgium, on April

22 1915.• German army released more than 5,700 cylinders of

chlorine gas into the wind• A sickly greenish-yellow cloud wafted across no man’s

land, burning their throats and lungs• Canadian troops rushed in to stop the German

advance• The line was held again on April 24 with a second gas

attack. • More than 6,000 Can were dead, missing or wounded

German and British soldiers fraternizing in No Man's Land, Christmas 1914

• "Just you think," wrote one soldier to his family, "that while you were eating your turkey I was out talking with the very men I had been trying to kill a few hours before!"

• At Christmas 1914 and again at Christmas 1915, enemy shook hands with enemy in No Man's Land, exchanged souvenirs, even played football. The truce between the trenches extended over two-thirds of the British line. There were similar cease-fires in the French and Belgian sectors.

• The outraged staffs on both sides eventually put an end to these illegal truces. Soldiers were threatened with court-martial and even execution if they dared to do such a thing ever again.

Somme• A ‘Big Push’ was launched in July 1916 along the

Somme River – 100,000 troops were to advance across no man’s land in broad daylight into German fire – with obvious consequences

• Slaughter – 57,000 British soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing – heaviest single-day loss ever by a Brit. Army

• The 1st Newf. Reg. suffered same fate – of 790 who went over, only 68 answered roll call the next morning

• July 1, 1916 remembered as the darkest day in Newfoundland history

• “the Battle of the Somme was less a battle than it was a meat grinder” - Will Ferguson

• In 3 months of long-drawn-out warfare, the Allies lost well over half a million men

• It had become a war of attrition, where the goal was not to defeat the enemy but simply to outlast him, to kill more of his men than he did yours

http://www.richthofen.com/ww1sum/

Vimy ridge• Vimy Ridge was a key high ground in N. France• Germany had taken control of it in1914 and attacks by

the French and British to reclaim it were unsuccessful• It was Canada’s turn – preparations were careful and

meticulous• Easter Monday – April 9 , 1917, all 4 div. of the Can

Corps advanced together• In the cold, wet winds and driving snow and sleet the

Canadians took the hill – captured more guns, ground, and prisoners than any British offensive

• Called “the most perfectly organized and most successful battle of the whole war”

• It was Canada’s greatest victory, and hailed as a ‘nation-making moment’ that involved Canadians from every region

• “We went up Vimy Ridge as Albertans and Nova Scotians. We came down as Canadians”

• After that battle, Canadians were used as storm troopers, brought in to head the assault in one great battle after another

• Arthur Currie, the key strategist behind Vimy, was given command of the entire Canadian Corps – one of the greatest generals of the war

• Virtual tour of Vimy Ridge: http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=memorials/ww1mem/vimy/vtour

Arthur currie• When WWI started in 1914, Currie

was given command of the first Canadian unit to assist Britain.

• Currie could see the advantage of keeping the Canadians under Canadian leadership.

• He was a real soldier and a keen commander who planned and trained the units under him.

• Currie was put in command of four divisions and replaced British General Sir Julian Byng.

• Because of his successful leadership, he became the first appointed General of the Canadian Army.

• He took part in every major action of the Canadian forces on the Western Front.

passchendaele• Perhaps the most horrific of all (Oct 1917)• A marshland in Belgium, it became a ‘bottomless mire’

from artillery and heavy rains• Wounded soldiers drowned, and guns and supplies

disappeared into the soup of mud – waist-deep• British lost 68,000 in a month, then called Currie in• Two weeks later, Nov 6, the ridge was taken costing

almost 16,000 Canadian lives• 500,000 lives from both sides

Canadian troops carrying trench mats with wounded, with prisoners in background, during the

Battle of Passchendaele, 1917.

The german drive - 1918• Spring 1918, mounted a series of grand offensives to

break the Allied front• The plan was to separate the Allied armies and force a

decision in the west before the Americans arrived – it nearly succeeded

• Blows in the vicinity of Ypres, Soissons and Reims – reached the Marne & within 42 miles of Paris

• Build up of American troops provided needed reserves, while the German morale was shattered

Canada’s 100 days• The final 3 months of the war Aug-Nov 1918• Canadians acted as a “spearhead to victory”• Flanked by French & Auzzies, Canadians broke

German lines at Amiens – has been called the most crucial battle of the war

• Advanced 13 km in one day – stalemate of trench warfare was over, it was now a quick-running, open battle, of speed and strategy

• Led by Gen. Currie, 5,000 Germans captured in 1st day alone – Aug 8 “Black Day” for German army

• At Amiens, the tide had turned • Next important battles were won at Arras, Cambrai, &

Valenciennes

November 11• Currie shifts fronts to the famed Hindenburg Line – a

series of entrenched fortifications that had taken the Germans 2 years to build – their main line of defence

• Successive attacks broke through German defences between Aug 26 & Sept 2, though Canadians suffered 11,400 casualties – Currie ‘one of the finest feats in history’

• Capture of Cambrai by Oct 11 and continued to overcome opposition before reaching Mons in Belgium at the time of the armistice

• On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month Germany surrended and the Great war came to an end

Warfare1. Life in the Trenches2. Canadians in the Air3. Canadians at Sea

Life in the TrenchesVictory of First World War battles was measured in mere meters, and by the vast amount of bloodshed resulting from the slow, painful advance of Allied or enemy troops.

• The complex system of trenches that created the 1,030-kilometres long Western Front was set up into three distinct lines: defense (the front line), support and reserve.

• Soldiers went up the line in shifts, generally spending four to six days on the front line, then moved back to the support section spending the same amount of time there, and, finally, spending an equal amount of time on the reserve line.

• Sometimes, less than 90 metres separated you from the enemy.

• The trenches were ditches, often muddy and water-soaked, protected by metres of barbed wire necessary to encourage enemy troops into open areas where they would be prey for machine guns.

• Sandbags reinforced the trenches, and troops often used corrugated iron, wood and anything else at hand to build up their lines.

• Communications lines connected the front lines to the second and then reserve trenches behind.

• Life in the trenches was filled with almost indescribable horror.

• The lines were cesspools of rotting carcasses, both animal and human.

• Often spending days waiting for a battle to begin, soldiers were subject to trench raids by enemy camps, snipers, aerial attacks and surprise attacks by the enemy using mortars and grenades.

• While moving up the line to begin your rotation at the front, soldiers were instructed to keep their heads down, lest they become prey for an apt German sniper.

• Both sides participated in surprise raids, reconnaissance missions to steal information about upcoming attacks or maps of positions, capture prisoners and/or destroy enemy lines.

The Verdun sector of the Western Front. Millions of exploding artillery shells completely stripped the land down to bare ground. In some places, hilltops ended the war several meters lower in altitude than they were in early 1914.

Canadians in the Air• The airplane, regarded by military authorities in 1914

as little more than a novelty, became over the next four years a military necessity.

• Remarkable technical advances in aerial warfare enabled the aircraft to fulfill every expanding functions.

• In the early stages of the war aircraft were used largely for reconnaissance, to observe enemy troop movements and spot artillery, and to obtain photographs and motion pictures.

• Then came the bombers and fighters as airmen sought to destroy railroad centres and industrial targets far behind enemy lines, to destroy Zeppelin bases, and to hunt submarines at sea.

• The fighter pilot was one of the elite, one of the most daring, and his job was one of the most dangerous. What started out as a hazardous adventure developed into a science of killing.

• One third of all the fliers died in combat, among them 1,600 Canadians.

• Canadian airmen played a particularly significant and brilliant role in the air. No less than 25,000 Canadians served with the British air service as pilots, observers and mechanics, in every theatre of the war.

• The names of Canadian flyers as W.A. "Billy" Bishop, W.G. Barker, Raymond Collishaw and A.A. McLeod became household names in Canada.

Canadians at Sea• When the war began in 1914 Canada had an

embryonic naval service consisting of less than 350 men and two ships, HMCS Rainbow and HMCS Niobe.

• It was decided that Canada's war effort would be best concentrated on the army and, therefore, the protection of Canada's coasts and shipping in Canadian waters was handed over to the Royal Navy.

the outbreak of the First World War, during which, apart from two submarines, she was the sole defender of Canada 's western seaboard.

• The share of the Royal Canadian Navy in defence though small was, nevertheless, important.

• The R.C.N. assumed responsibility for such services as examining and directing shipping in Canadian ports; radio-telegraph services, vital to the Admiralty's intelligence system; operation of an auxiliary fleet which engaged in mine sweeping and patrolling operations.

• In 1916, when the threat of submarine warfare spread to North American waters, the Canadian government undertook, at the request of the British Admiralty, to build up a patrol force of thirty-six ships.

• The struggle at sea was chiefly between the British effort to strangle Germany by naval blockade; and the German attempt to cut off Britain's source of food and supply by submarine warfare.

• Vigilance of the British navy kept most of the German fleet bottled up in home ports, and at the same time British warships freed the seas of German commerce raiders.

• Deprived of the use of surface ships Germany increasingly resorted to submarine warfare to bring Britain to her knees.

• The German U-boat fleet preyed on enemy and often neutral ships, sank merchantmen on sight, and threatened the supply lines on which the survival of the Allies depended.

• Protests from the United States brought a reluctant promise in 1915 not to sink ships without warning, but this greatly reduced the effectiveness of the submarine as a weapon.

• By the end of 1916 the British blockade was beginning to be felt severely in Germany.

• The policy was initially spectacularly effective. Allied shipping losses mounted, reaching a peak in April 1917 of 869,000 tons.

• However, the submarine campaign did not achieve the expected speedy victory. New anti-submarine devices, together with the allied adoption of the convoy system, gradually overcame the submarine menace.

• On the other hand, by the middle of 1918, the effects of the British blockade were such that Germany could not continue the war for much longer.

Part 5 - The War at Home

1. Sacrifice / Rationing 2. Roles of Women / Suffrage3. Propaganda4. First Nations5. (Part 6) - Conscription

Sacrifice/rationing• To finance the war effort, cost-saving measures

needed to be implemented in Canada• Canadians were faced with food rations – to

conserve supplies. (meatless fridays)• In farming areas students were dismissed early

from school to help bring in the harvest.• Daylight savings time was introduced to save

on energy consumption.• People organized community fund raisers to

help fund the war effort.

• By 1918, the war effort was costing Canada about $2.5 million daily($38 million today).

• Canadians were urged to buy Victory Bonds – which Canadians could cash in for a profit once the war was over.

• 1917, govt introduced income tax – a measure that was supposed to be temporary – between 1-15% of income.

• A corporate tax was also introduced, charging businesses 4% of their revenues.

Raising FundsThe women in this picture are selling pharmaceutical

drugs to help support the Canadian

Patriotic Fund. The fund was established to give financial and social assistance to soldiers' families.     

Propaganda• During the war propaganda was everywhere:

films, magazines, radio, and posters, appealing to peoples sense of patriotism.

• It was used to encourage people to join the army, buy Victory Bonds, ration (consume less), and support the govt.

• It often distorted the truth; realities of war (# of casualties, portrayal of German troops)

• This fuelled prejudice on the home front.

Role of WomenRead p. 46 & 47, take notes on:•Women and the War•Suffrage Is Granted to Women

First Nations•Read p. 48 and answer Questions 1 & 2 in your textbook.

The Halifax ExplosionAnswer in your notebook:•Do you think the Halifax explosion might have made people think differently about the war? Explain.

Part 6 - Conscription

Part 6 - Building Peace1. Fourteen Points2. Treaty of Versailles

- perhaps the most important international agreement of the 20th century.

- reps from the Allied Powers met at the Paris Peace Conference in early 1919 to decide what would happen to the defeated countries.

- The goal was to create an agreement to prevent another war from occuring.

Fourteen Points• U.S. President Woodrow Wilson released a

document called the Fourteen Points• He took the document to Paris and tried to convince

the Europeans that these points could be the basis for a lasting peace.

• Main points:1. countries should work together (internationalism)2. for ethnic groups to create new countries based on

their nationalist desires (self-determination).3. How German lands should be dealt.4. Austro-Hungarian empire should cease to exist.

Treaty of Versailles (summary)1. The War Guilt Clause.2. Alsace-Lorraine returned to France.3. Poland given strip of land to create sea

access (from Germany) – Polish Corridor.4. All Central Powers was forced to surrender all

of its colonies to the League of Nations.5. German army limited to 100,000 men; navy

and air force also restricted in size.6. Germany was forced to surrender its entire

merchant fleet as compensation to the Allies for shipping losses during the war.

7. The west bank of the Rhine River Valley was to be de-militarized (border between France & Germany). Allied armies occupied the Rhineland for 15 years, but it remained German.

8. Unification between Austria & Germany was forbidden.

9. Germany was to pay money and goods to Britain, France and Belgium to repair damages from the war.

The Big Four and Others of the Peace Conference (1921).  Pictured front, left to right:   Orlando, Lloyd George, Clemenceau and Wilson; back, left to right, Aldrovandi, Hankey and Mantoux.

3 MAJOR PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THESE PROVISIONS

• The first problem resulting from the treaty was the isolation of Russia from western Europe by buffer states along its western borders this also prevented the rights of remaining national minorities.

• The second problem was that the treaty left the Germany Economy so weak that people became bitter toward the Weimar Republic and left the door open for a dictator.

• The third problem was that it eliminated the opportunity to include Germany in the planning stages of the League of Nations which later led to the League's demise.

How did WWI and the Treaty of Versailles change or re-establish a

balance of power? • Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Ottoman

Empire lost territory. • France, Japan, Great Britain, Belgium and Italy

gained territory and power. • Germany could not even re-militarize and had huge

war debt. • Changes did not ignore the causes of the war but

they did not correct them.

New Nations created:

• Yugoslavia was created from Austro-Hungary territory included Serbia and Montenegro.

• Czechoslovakia from part of German lands and part of Russian lands

• Four new nations were created: Finland, Latvia Estonia, Lithuania

The League of Nations was created by the Treaty of

Versailles• MAIN PURPOSE OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS:

Maintain peace. Members pledged not to go to war and submit disputes to arbitration by the World Court.

• WEAKNESSES: was powerless to enforce decisions or punish. the members did not take the League seriously mostly because the major nations did not join.

•

MAJOR NATIONS THAT DID NOT JOIN

• United States because of the isolationists in the US Senate who were afraid we would be involved in another war. Even though the League was proposed by President Woodrow Wilson in his Fourteen Points the United States never ratified the Treaty of Versailles and therefore never joined the League.

• USSR joined later because they were not initially invited because of their separate peace treaty with Germany. (Treaty of Brest-Litov)

• Germany was not invited at first because of their war guilt but joined later.(United States, Germany, Russia as well as others)