World War I: Causes and Alliances

World War I Overview

• World War I took place from 1914 to 1918
• It was called the Great War, the War to End All Wars, the War of Firsts, and the Industrial War

Causes of World War I

• Long-term causes are issues existing for years or decades that escalated into war
• Short-term causes are single events that spark conflict
• The main causes are militarism, alliance systems, imperialism, and nationalism

Militarism

• Militarism involved countries competing to build superior military forces
• Germany became a military superpower
• Mass production of weapons occurred
• The Naval crisis of 1909 was a key event

Alliance System

• The Triple Alliance consisted of the Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire
• The Triple Entente consisted of the Allies: France, Russia, Britain (with Canada), Italy (from 1915), and the USA (from 1917)
• Alliances were agreements between countries to defend each other if attacked
• Alliances created a domino effect

Imperialism

• Imperialism was driven by rulers acquiring colonies for defense and trade
• More land, resources, and people meant more money and power

Nationalism

• Nationalism was fueled by patriotic feelings
• It was the greatest form of people creating their own destiny
• Countries desired independence from empires

The Spark

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the next Austrian King, was assassinated on June 28, 1914
• A Serbian terrorist group planned the assassination
• Austria gave Serbia an ultimatum to suppress anti-Austrian activities and allow Austrian officials to participate in the investigation
• Serbia did not agree completely, leading to war

Robert Borden

• Robert Borden was Canada's Conservative Prime Minister
• He was pro-war
• He believed Canada's contribution would help gain independence from Britain

Trench Warfare

• Trenches were dug from the English Channel to Switzerland, spanning 6250 miles
• Trenches were 6-8 feet deep
• Both sides were stuck in trenches for 4 years

Military Tactics

• Before World War I, military leaders favored aggressive attacks and fast victories
• Armies moved quickly, using cavalry charges and infantry charges to overwhelm the enemy and break through
• During World War I trenches were dug as defensive positions that were hard to attack
• New weapons, like machine guns and heavy artillery, were used
• Mass-scale death occurred and old tactics failed to break through

Life in the Trenches

• Soldiers dealt with boredom by reading, writing letters, playing cards, and trying to keep clean
• Daily life involved inspections, chores, and supplies
• Basic chores and endless waiting filled time

The Trench Cycle

• A rotation system was followed
• Front line duty meant exposure to enemy fire, harsh conditions, and constant threat, with protection from sandbags and barbed wire
• Support trenches were further back, within range of artillery fire, and used to bring supplies and reinforce defenses
• Rest involved rotation to rest areas safe from direct attack, with rotations lasting weeks to months

Mustard Gas

• Mustard gas was carried by the wind
• It burned soldiers' lungs
• It was deadly in trenches where it settled at the bottom

Trench Foot

• Trench foot was a significant issue
• It was a fungal infection in feet from uncleanliness
• Trench foot could result in gangrene or amputations

Shell Shock

• Shell shock, or PTSD, resulted from fear and severe stress

Airplane Technology

• In 1914, airplanes had been invented in 1903 by the Wright Brothers
• Early war airplanes were primitive, fragile, and unarmed, similar to 1903 designs
• The average pilot lifespan was 3 weeks
• Airplanes were used for spying and observing enemy troops

Aircraft

• Spring of 1915 saw the introduction of synchronized machine guns on aircraft
• Dogfights were aerial battles at short range
• A pilot's chance of dying in combat was high, with no parachutes and 1 in 3 (33%) dying

Knights of the Air

• Pilots were public figures, seen as noble, and popular heroes

Famous Pilots

• WA "Billy" Bishop recorded 72 kills and participated in over 170 air battles
• He was the highest-scoring Canadian and member of the British Empire and was just behind the top French ace on the Allied side
• Manfred von Richthoven, the Red Baron, was an ace of aces with 80 kills and a German national hero
• Roy Brown is recognised for taking down the Red Baron and never lost a pilot in combat

Strategic Bombing

• Strategic bombing involved Zeppelins like the LZ 37
• These were German, 521 feet long, and used hydrogen

Air vs. Trenches

• Air warfare involved short lifespans, dangerous combat, no parachutes, clean conditions, food, enemy in sight, and short battles
• Trench warfare involved no beds, bad food, hidden enemies, and long battles

War at Sea

• The Battle of Jutland was a major sea battle
• The battle was inconclusive
• The German Navy never sailed out again
• Submarines and U-boats using 12 torpedos were used by both Allies and Germans

Turning Points of 1917

• 1917 was an important year
• The Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge and the Passchendaele tragedy
• The Halifax explosion (1917) saw a French cargo ship carrying explosives collide with a Norwegian ship, killing nearly 2,000 and destroying much of the city

1917 Election and Conscription Crisis

• Making citizens go to war was conscription
• Conservative Prime Minister Robert Borden, supported conscription
• Wilfred Laurier, the Liberal candidate, was against conscription
• Borden won the election
• The 1917 Wartime Elections Act gave voting rights to female relatives of soldiers to help relatives
• In 1918, all women gained the right to vote

Russian Revolution

• Russia withdrew from the war and the USA joined
• The Russian Revolution in 1917, led by the middle class
• This involved forcibly removing the existing government
• The violence led to the capture and killing of the Romanovs (Royal Family)
• Due to chaos, Russia withdrew and signed the Brest-Litovsk treaty with Germany

US Entry

• The U.S. entered the war because of Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare (USW)
• Germany attacked any vessel entering British shores, including neutral American ships
• German U-boats struck the British ship "Lusitania" in 1915, which carried ammunition and passengers
• 128 Americans died
• The Zimmerman Telegram saw Germany ask Mexico to join the war to reconquer parts of the US
• British intercepted and sent the message to the US, The US entered the war in 1917

End of War

• The Paris Peace Conference included Prime Minister Borden
• Borden insisted Canada attend independently
• Canada was allowed 2 representatives but could not vote for the final version
• Canada signed the treaty and was given a seat and vote
• Some countries disliked the idea
• The League of Nations (UN) was formed
• Woodrow Wilson was the first US president to travel out to discuss the UN (League of Nations)

Treaty of Versailles

• The Treaty was created just outside of Paris
• The treaty was signed on June 28, 1919
• 32 countries were invited, but Germany and Russia were not
• Germany was forced to sign or risk another war
• The Big Four: David Lloyd George (British Prime Minister), Georges Clemenceau (French Prime Minister), Vittorio Orlando (Italian Prime Minister), and Woodrow Wilson (US President)

Terms of Treaty

• Germany lost control of its colonies
• Alsace-Lorraine was transferred back to France
• The rich Saar coal region would be run by France
• Part of Eastern Germany was given to Poland
• Germany had to accept independence of Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland
• The German Army was restricted to 100,000 people
• There were to be no tanks or heavy guns
• There was to be no German air force
• The German Navy could only have small ships (total 36)
• The production of U-boats was to be stopped
• Germany had to pay money and goods to Great Britain, France, and Belgium to repair war damages
• Germany had to pay over 33 billion dollars in reparations
• Germany was forced to sign a statement accepting responsibility for causing the war causing blame, reparations, and military restrictions with no alliances or lost territory (BRAT)
• The League of Nations was an international organization founded due to the Paris Peace conference, this was the treaty

Battles

• The official treaty of Versailles created an early version of today's UN
• Countries would meet to discuss matters
• To prevent another war
• Canada was an independent member

Ypres

• Fought in 1915 in Ypres, Belgium, involved Canada, British, French/French Algerians VS Germans
• Chlorine gas was first used
• Chemical warfare began
• 5000 cylinders containing 160 tons of chlorine gas were used by Germans
• French Algerian forces broke with Canadians holding the line
• John McCrae, wrote In Flanders Fields

Somme

• Fought in 1916 in the Somme River Valley, France, involving Canada and the British VS Germans
• British general Douglas Haig believed a breakthrough could relieve pressure on French forces
• Allies launched a 2-week bombardment before sending in troops
• The Newfoundland Regiment and other Canadian forces crossed into No Man's Land
• Allies suffered 60,000 casualties, and the battle is known as the bloodiest

Vimy Ridge

• Fought in Spring 1917 in Vimy Ridge, France, involving Canada VS Germans
• The battle was a German stronghold key vantage point
• Canadians took over using creeping barrage tactics
• Success came on April 9, 1917

Passchendaele

• Fought in Fall/Winter 1917 in Ypres, Belgium, involving British, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand forces vs. Germans
• Goal was to break through German lines
• Heavily fortified defenses made it making advance difficult
• Heavy rains caused muddy swamps
• The battle ended in a stalemate with heavy losses

Hundred Day War

• Fought in 1918 in France and Belgium, involving Canadian forces VS Germans
• Russia withdrew allowing Germany to shift 600,000 soldiers to the Western Front
• The US recently entered the war resulting in German forces attempted a strike
• Canada launched an attack near Amiens FranceAugust 8, 1918
• WW1 ended November 11 1918

Test Outline

• Key reasons for Canada to enter war
• National mood
• Robert Borden was Prime Minister
• World War I was the Great War, the War to End All Wars, the War of Firsts, the Industrial War
• Definitions of long-term causes of WWI (MAIN)
• Alliance system
• Short-term cause
• Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
• Main WWI Battles
• Ypres, Somme, Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, Last Hundred Days
• General description, significance
• Canadian role and consequences
• 1917 Turning Points
• Halifax Explosion
• Russia leaves
• USA enters the war
• War on land, air, and sea
• Treaty of Versailles and the punishments on Germany
• Robert Borden and Canada's outcomes