World War I: Causes and Alliances

The Two Alliances

• The Triple Alliance included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.
• The Triple Entente consisted of Great Britain, France, and Russia.

Remote Causes of the War

• Militarism: the readiness of the military, exemplified by Germany challenging Britain's navy.
• Alliances: Nations backing each other, like the Triple Entente and Triple Alliance, meant an attack on one could trigger a larger conflict.
• Imperialism: Countries taking over new lands, such as the British Empire expanding over five continents by 1900.
• Nationalism: Citizens' pride for their countries.

Spark of World War One

• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, by the Serbian terrorist group, Black Hand, specifically Gavrilo Princip.
• This occurred on June 28, 1914.

The Schlieffen Plan

• Developed by General Alfred Von Schlieffen.
• It was based on the assumptions that France would concentrate troops on the German border, Russia would be slow to mobilize and Belgium would allow German troops to pass through to attack France.
• Ultimately a failure, leading to trench warfare.

Hardships of Trench Life

• Sanitation: Trenches were unsanitary with corpses, overflowing latrines, unwashed men, cigarettes, and rotten food.
• Trench foot and trench mouth were common ailments.
• Critters: Huge rats fed off corpses, carried diseases, and multiplied rapidly.
• Lice: Soldiers were infested, leading to trench fever, characterized by fever and severe pain.
• Boredom: Soldiers were psychologically damaged.
• Shell Shock: Now known as post-traumatic stress disorder, left people unable to readjust to regular life, terrified of noises, faces, pictures, etc..

The Four Canadian Battles

Battle of Ypres

• Germans used chlorine gas.
• Canadians held the line by urinating on cloths to neutralize the gas.
• "In Flanders Fields" was written by John McCrae.
• It brought recognition for Canadian bravery
• Over 6000 casualties.

Battle of the Somme:

• Germans used machine guns, a technology armies weren't prepared for.
• The total number of casualties was 650,000 in four months.
• It was a bloodiest battle.

Battle of Vimy Ridge

• British and French were unsuccessful at taking the high ground.
• Canadians succeeded through well-planned strategy, gaining respect.
• France gifted the battlefield land to Canada.

Battle of Passchendaele

• Germans controlled the area with machine guns.
• Canadian troops attacked behind the barrage and won.
• Resulted in 310,000 allied and 260,000 German casualties.
• Canada's victory helped win a major battle, gaining pride.

The Canadian Government Being Desperate for Money:

• Victory Bonds: Citizens lent money to the government, receiving interest later and showing patriotism.
• Income Tax: Taxes levied on businesses and families making over $3000 a year.

Women’s Changing Roles:

• Previously, women's jobs were limited, and they couldn't vote.
• During the war, women took men's jobs, wore new clothing, and gained confidence.
• The Suffrage Movement pushed for the right to vote in the late 19th/early 20th century.
• Suffrage: The right to vote.
• Suffragist: Advocate for voting rights.
• They were able to vote for one election.
• Nellie McClung was part of the Suffrage Movement and the Famous Five.

The Halifax Explosion:

• On December 6, 1917, a Belgian (Imo) and French (Mont-Blanc) boat filled with explosives collided.
• The first time the war hit home.

Conscription

• It was a law introduced to force military service for men between 18 and 45.
• English Canadians favored it; French Canadians did not.
• Robert Borden passed two acts to ensure victory in the 1917 election, Wartime Elections Act and Military Voters Act.
• Wartime Elections Act: Gave the vote to wives, mothers, and sisters of soldiers overseas.
• Military Voters Act: Gave the right to vote to all Canadian soldiers.
• First time women given the vote in a federal election

The Treaty of Versailles:

• Germany was required to pay $33 billion for damages, admit responsibility for the war, reduce its military to a maximum of 100,000 soldiers, and return Alsace and Lorraine to France.
• It was signed June 28th, 1919.

The End of Empires, the Birth of Countries:

• The German, Russian, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian Empires ended after World War One.
• Four new countries formed: Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and Yugoslavia.
• World War One ended on November 11th, 1918 at 11am.