Causes of WWI and WWII Leaders

Robert Borden, the leader of the Conservative party, was the Prime Minister of Canada during World War I.

William Lyon Mackenzie King, the leader of the Liberal party, was the Prime Minister of Canada during World War II.

The rapid increase in military size and weapons development among European powers during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

A system of agreements between nations, where they promise to help each other in case of war.

The desire of European nations to expand their control over other territories, especially in Asia and Africa.

A strong belief that one's own country or ethnic group is superior to others. This often leads to competition and conflict.

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist, on June 28, 1914.

A type of warfare where soldiers dug trenches to protect themselves from enemy fire, creating a 'no-man's land' between opposing sides.

Trench warfare was a brutal and devastating form of combat where troops fought from dug-in positions. It involved close-quarters fighting, machine gun fire, and constant artillery bombardment, creating horrific conditions for soldiers.

Gas warfare was a terrifying new weapon used in WWI. Poisonous gases like chlorine and mustard gas were released into enemy trenches, causing suffocation and lung damage.

The Second Battle of Ypres was the first major battle where Canada used its troops in significant numbers. It was a German offensive where they used gas warfare for the first time

The Battle of Vimy Ridge, is considered Canada's most important battle in WWI. Canadian soldiers used a new tactic, the creeping barrage, to successfully break through German lines, showing Canada's military prowess.

The Battle of Passchendaele was a brutal and muddy battle fought in western Belgium. The battlefield was severely flooded by artillery fire and heavy rains, leading to many casualties.

During WWI, women took on jobs traditionally done by men, such as farming, factory work, and driving trucks. This showed a significant shift as women stepped into the workforce.

Returning Canadian soldiers faced many difficulties after WWI. This included mental health struggles, economic uncertainty, and a lack of government support, making readjustment to civilian life challenging.

The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 was a significant labor protest in Canada. Over 30,000 workers went on strike demanding better working conditions, pay, and bargaining rights. It was a key moment in Canadian labor history.

The Persons Case, fought in 1929, was a legal battle that challenged the definition of a ‘person’ under Canadian law to include women.

The Famous Five were a group of influential women who fought for women's rights in Canada, particularly the Persons Case. They were Emily Murphy, Henrietta Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, and Irene Parlby.

Bootlegging was the illegal production, sale, and smuggling of alcoholic beverages during Prohibition, a period when alcohol was banned in Canada.

The Great Depression was a worldwide economic crisis that began in 1929 with the Stock Market Crash. It brought massive unemployment, poverty, and social unrest to many countries, including Canada.

A policy of giving in to an aggressor's demands in order to avoid war.

A military tactic used by Germany in World War II that emphasized speed, surprise, and powerful armor to quickly overrun defenses.

A Canadian-led raid on the port city of Dieppe, France, in 1942.

The US project to develop the nuclear bomb during World War II.

The first atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945.

The second atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945.

The organized and coordinated landing of Allied forces on the coast of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944.

The conference held in Yalta, Crimea, in February 1945, where the Allied leaders discussed the post-war organization of Europe.

The official surrender of Germany to the Allied powers on May 8, 1945, marking the end of World War II in Europe.

The official surrender of Japan to the Allied powers on August 15, 1945, marking the end of World War II.

The economic downturn that affected Canada in the 1930s, characterized by high unemployment, poverty, and social unrest.

The camps established by the Canadian government during the Great Depression to provide work and shelter for unemployed men.

The severe drought that devastated the Great Plains of North America during the 1930s.

The dependency of the Canadian economy on natural resources such as wheat, lumber, and minerals.

The significant reliance of the Canadian economy on the United States, particularly for trade.

Nazi-established labor camps used to exploit Jews and other ethnicities for forced labor. Conditions were horrific, with inadequate food, exposure, and frequent disease outbreaks.

The systematic, state-sponsored killing of over 6 million Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II, representing over 65% of the Jewish population.

Prejudice and hatred directed towards Jews, often based on false beliefs or stereotypes.

The systematic and legalized discrimination against Jews implemented by the Nazi regime starting in 1935. This included laws stripping Jews of citizenship and rights.

Restricted areas in Nazi-occupied territories where Jews were confined. These areas were overcrowded, disease-ridden, and lacked basic necessities.

The largest Jewish ghetto, located in Warsaw, Poland, containing over 500,000 Jews cramped into a small space.

The Nazi plan to systematically kill all Jews in Europe. It involved Einsatzgruppen, mobile killing squads, and extermination camps.

Special camps established by Nazis solely for the purpose of killing Jews. They used gas chambers with Zyklon B to exterminate large groups.

Mobile killing units that followed German troops and summarily executed Jews in Nazi-occupied territories.

The largest extermination camp in Europe, located in Auschwitz, Poland. Over 1.1 million people, primarily Jews, were killed here.

A peace-making organization established after World War II to prevent future conflicts and promote international cooperation. It replaced the League of Nations.

The fear of the spread of communism in the Western world after World War II. This fear led to various political and military actions.

A political ideology that advocates for equal distribution of resources and property ownership by the government. It aims to create a classless society.

An economic system characterized by private ownership of property, free markets, and limited government intervention. It encourages individual initiative and free trade.

A political system where power is vested in the people, who elect representatives to govern. It typically combines with a capitalist economic system.

The Marshall Plan was a massive financial aid program launched by the United States after World War II to help rebuild war-torn Western European countries and Japan. It involved billions of dollars in aid to bolster economies and deter the spread of communism.

The dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 marked a devastating turning point in World War II. The United States used these weapons to force Japan's surrender, resulting in an estimated 220,000 deaths.

NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a military alliance formed in 1949 by Western nations to counter the Soviet Union and its allies. It aims to protect its members from attack and promote collective defense.

The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance formed in 1955 by the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellite states. It was a direct response to NATO and aimed to maintain Soviet influence in the region.

After World War II, Germany was divided into two nations: East Germany, controlled by the Soviet Union, and West Germany, controlled by the Western Allies. This division reflected the political and ideological differences between the communist East and capitalist West.

The Berlin Wall, built by East Germany in 1961, separated East and West Berlin. It was a physical symbol of the Cold War division and prevented East Berliners from fleeing to the West.

The 1960s counterculture was a youth rebellion characterized by a rejection of traditional values and a embrace of liberalism. It challenged social norms and emphasized peace, love, and individual freedom.

The Baby Boomers were the generation born after World War II, experiencing a period of prosperity and peace. They grew up with different values than their parents, leading to social and cultural shifts.

Anti-Semitism is prejudice, discrimination, or hostility directed at Jewish people. It was widespread in Europe before and during World War II, contributing to the Holocaust.

Ghettos were restricted areas within cities where Jews were forced to live by the Nazis. They were overcrowded and deprived, isolating Jews from the rest of society.

Concentration camps were places where the Nazis imprisoned and persecuted Jews and other groups. They were designed to exploit and eventually kill prisoners through forced labor, starvation, and disease.

Einsatzgruppen were mobile killing squads deployed by the Nazis during World War II. They were responsible for mass executions of Jews and other civilians in occupied territories.

The Final Solution was the Nazi plan to systematically exterminate all Jews in Europe. This involved the establishment of extermination camps, where Jews were gassed and their bodies burned.

The period in October 1962 when the US discovered Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuba, creating a global standoff and bringing the world closer than ever to nuclear war.

The 1972 hockey series between the USSR and Canada, showcasing the best of hockey in the world, but also serving as a symbol of the political rivalry between communism and democracy.

The term used to describe the overwhelming popularity and charisma of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, who was beloved by the Canadian public for his leadership and vision.

The event on November 24, 1929, when the New York Stock Exchange crashed, marking the beginning of the Great Depression. Thousands of investors lost fortunes, triggering a domino effect of economic hardship globally.

A Canadian-made supersonic jet interceptor designed to defend against Soviet bombers. Though considered highly advanced, it was abruptly cancelled in 1959 due to the US arguing that fighters were becoming obsolete in the age of missiles.

The period following World War II when birth rates in North America and Europe skyrocketed due to delayed marriages and a burst of postwar optimism. This generation, known as 'Baby Boomers', is still significant today.

A peacekeeping force established by the UN to prevent further violence and conflict in the region, significantly influenced by Canadian initiative.

The 1956 crisis when the UK and France threatened to invade Egypt after the Suez Canal was nationalized. Canada, rather than backing its former colonizer, advocated for a peacekeeping solution through the UN.

Lester B. Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for his role in establishing the UN peacekeeping force during the Suez Crisis, a pivotal moment in Canada's role as a global peacemaker.

The process of Canada gaining its own constitution in 1982, freeing itself from needing British approval for changes, a significant milestone in Canadian self-governance.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, enshrined in the Constitution, guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms to all Canadians, protecting individual liberties.

The Prime Minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968, known for his pivotal role in the Suez Crisis and for leading Canada toward a more active role in international affairs.

Pierre Elliot Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and 1980 to 1984, was a charismatic leader who modernized Canadian politics and society.

The process where capitalist systems naturally create a strong middle class with fewer extremely wealthy or impoverished individuals.

A period of social and political upheaval during which the traditional values of society were challenged, especially by young people.

A group of young people in the 1960s who rejected mainstream society, embraced alternative lifestyles, and advocated for peace, love, and social justice.

A Quebec independence movement that used violence and terrorism to achieve its goal of Quebec sovereignty.

A political crisis in Quebec in 1970, marked by the kidnappings of a British diplomat and a Quebec politician by FLQ members.

The division of Korea after World War II into a communist North and a US-backed South.

A conflict between North Korea and South Korea, supported by their respective allies, that began in 1950.

A system of agreements between nations, where they promise to help each other in case of war.

The period following World War I, characterized by economic prosperity, social change, and cultural experimentation.

A form of political propaganda used by the Nazi regime, featuring imagery, symbols, and slogans that promoted their ideology.

The state of heightened tensions and military buildup between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

The period following World War II, characterized by intense competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, which involved nuclear arms races and various proxy conflicts.

The development of nuclear weapons by both the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, leading to a constant fear of nuclear war.

The ability of a nation to defend itself and its interests against threats or attack.

The belief that one's country or ethnic group is superior to others, which often leads to competition and conflict.

The involvement of a nation in military conflicts in other countries, often to protect its interests or allies.

The most destructive war in recent history, resulting in an estimated 6 million deaths.

A conflict that involved the major powers of the world, resulting in an estimated 50-85 million deaths.

The systematic killing of six million Jews by the Nazi regime during World War II.

The economic crisis that swept across the world following the crash of the stock market in 1929.

A period of significant economic growth and prosperity following World War II, particularly in North America and Western Europe.

A plan initiated by the US to provide economic aid to Western European countries after World War II.

A period of significant social and cultural change, focused on challenging gender inequality and achieving equal rights for women.

A movement that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, addressing a broader range of inequalities faced by women, including reproductive rights, workplace discrimination, and violence against women.

The process of a nation gaining full political independence from a colonial power.

The significant influence or dominance of one nation over another, often involving economic, political, and cultural aspects.

The concept of nations sharing common interests and cooperating to achieve mutual goals.

A situation where a nation is subject to the control and influence of a more powerful nation, despite having some degree of autonomy.

The cultural, economic, and political aspects of a nation, shaping its identity and interactions with the world.