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.