Canada in WWI Our role in The Great War
The Origins of WWI Important events in history usually have underlying and immediate causes: Underlying: factors that go back over time and combine to create a tense situation Immediate: a spark that brings all the factors to a head and triggers the main event
Causes of WWI Underlying: a combination of Nationalism Arms race Military alliances Economic rivalry (Imperialism) *Use NAME to remember the causes
1. Nationalism Fierce pride in one s country Usually a good thing but can be bad if it leads to wanting to hurt others and create hostility Most European countries such as Britain, France & Germany were very nationalistic.
2. Arms Race Military competition or build-up of arms between countries Each country expanded their armies and navies to try to be bigger than the others Britain had the biggest navy. Germany started to build more ships
so During the 1900s, for every warship Germany built, G.B. built 2!
3. Military Alliances Agreement between countries: if one goes to war, the other(s) will join and help their ally Two alliances were formed:
Triple Alliance Germany Austria- Hungary Italy
Triple Entente France Russia Britain
This meant if one country went to war, ALL of Europe would be at war! Including ALL of Britain s Empire!
4. Economic Rivalry Competition between countries to gain more wealth Most countries got wealthier by taking over other, weaker countries, this is called......imperialism! This causes a problem if two countries want to take over the same place!
Both Russia and Austria-Hungary wanted to take over places in the Balkans This could lead to all out war because of the alliance system! Austria-Hungary annexed Serbia s neighbor, Bosnia!
But Serbia wanted Austria-Hungary to leave Bosnia because many Serbs lived there And Serbia had a close alliance with Russia Uh, oh...
SARAJEVO JUNE 1914 Against good advice, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to the Austria throne) arrived in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
He was there with his wife Sophia. BUT! The Black Hand was also there an Anti- Austrian TERRORIST GROUP from Serbia. They were both assassinated
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia Serbia s close ally Russia backed Serbia, and declared war on Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary got ready for war, Germany declared war on Russia Germany declared war on France and then Britain declared war on Germany! Because of the alliance system, ALL of Europe was suddenly at war! See fig 3.1.c on page 65...
The Schlieffen Plan Schlieffen Plan German plan of attack for WWI Called for quick invasion of France through Belgium Then turn around and fight Russia Russia should take 2 months to mobilize (get your troops and weapons, etc. Ready for war)
But, Russia took only 2 weeks to mobilize Britain jumped in to help France So, Germany had to fight a war on 2 fronts (and split her resources) PLAN FAIL!!!!! The idea of the plan was to avoid war on 2 fronts! This led to a war of attrition both sides tried to wear down the enemy until they would run out of supplies
Canada in the war When Britain declared war, Canada and other members of the British Empire were automatically in the war too. Newfoundland too!
Initially, there was much support for the war in Canada among English Canadians and French-Canadians Everyone believed that the war would be a short, exciting adventure! Thousands of young men volunteered.
After the first two months, more than 30,000 Canadian soldiers had crossed the Atlantic. The war began in September... Many believed it would be over before Christmas!!!
Canada in 1914 A very young nation (only 47 years old) Our total population was approx 8 million Mainly agricultural country with increased urbanization & industry We were in the midst of a two-year economic downturn with many young men unemployed in 1914 following the end of the western real estate boom
Canada s Military Limited military experience (1885 North-West Rebellion, 1899-1903 South African War) Limited military forces (Approx 3000 soldiers & little military equipment) Lack of trained officers 2 ships with 350 men (Britain had assumed responsibility for and defended the sea approaches to Canada) Canada & World War I 24
Canada: The Outbreak of War Britain controlled Canada s foreign affairs / defense including our decision to go to war Britain s entry into the First World War against Germany legally brought Canada into the conflict as well In addition to Canada, other dominions of the British Empire immediately entered the war to support Britain 25
Canada s Response to War The announcement of war brought great excitement & celebration across our country A great adventure & an escape from daily routines & unemployment Thousands of young men rushed to recruiting offices Unlike the professional armies of Europe, our army was a volunteer army initially comprised of over 70% British born recruits They eagerly volunteered hoping for a free trip to visit relatives or areas they lived in prior to their arrival in Canada
Sam Hughes He was the Canadian minister of militia in 1914 responsible for raising Canada s new army Nationalistic / patriotic, but very controversial He scrapped the training grounds at Petawawa, Ont. & moved it to Valcartier, Quebec Gave military contracts to political supporters
Sam Hughes He infuriated French Canada Placed a Baptist minister in charge of recruiting in Quebec All instructions were provided in English Placed all French recruits into English speaking regiments
Sam Hughes He promoted inferior Canadian-made equipment produced by political cronies who were more interested in profit than quality Boots turned to mush in heavy rains MacAdam Spade (Canadian Army bought 25, 000 @ $1.25 each. All were sold for scrap) Ross Rifle (Canadian replacement for the British Lee Enfield, it was a great target weapon used by snipers but it jammed easily when fired rapidly)
Canada 1914: Patriotic Response Within weeks approx. 30,000 men had joined & were assembled at Valcartier Camp near Quebec City for organization & military training Within two months the First Contingent, Canadian Expeditionary Force was going to Europe Before front line duty, they were sent to train for a few months on the Salisbury Plain in England Canada & World War I 30
Newfoundland s Response to War Our colony was unprepared for war & lacked both military material & supplies for the new recruits Newfoundland Patriotic Association (NPA) was formed to deal with organizing the war effort & raising troops for overseas fighting The government at the time promised the British a initial force of 500 men these would become known to history as the First Five Hundred The volunteers were immediately assembly at Pleasantville (St. John s / Quidi Vidi Lake) for training 31
Newfoundland @ War Donations of all types (tents, uniforms, weapons) poured in to supply the recruits Because there was a shortage of khaki material traditionally used by soldiers as leg wrappings (puttees), our soldiers were forced to use a navy blue material. This is origin of the Blue Puttees referencing the 1 st five hundred to head overseas in the Great War
Overseas Training These First 500 left St. John s in October 1914 Like many other recruits from the Empire, they headed to Britain & Scotland for training before entering front-line service The following slides will provide some insight into the activities of our soldiers during this time 33
A New Kind of Warfare The war on the Western Front was a new kind of warfare. What distinguished this war from previous ones? Trench Warfare Dominated by artillery Cavalry became outdated Dominated by infantry Industrialized Warfare
Trench Warfare Both sides began to construct deep trenches protected by machine guns & barbed wire. Lines of trenches soon stretched from the English Channel to Switzerland Opposing forces were only separated by 25m in some areas. Trench warfare dominated the Western Front battlefields of WWI.
Trench Organization Front-line : This was the firing-and-attack trench (closest to the enemy) Support : This trench contained men & supplies that could immediately assist those on the front line Reserve : This trench contained men and supplies that were available in emergencies should the first trenches be overrun. Communication : Connected the various trenches & allowed movement of messages, supplies, & men among the trenches
No Man s Land The space between the allied & enemy front line trenches Characterized with destroyed military equipment & vegetation, mud-soaked craters, rotting corpses, & barbed wire Night-time trench raids were common Snipers were a constant
First World War Trenches The front line trench was supported by much stronger reserve trenches and linked by communication trenches. German trenches were usually stronger and better constructed than allied trenches. As the Germans invaded Belgium and France they quickly captured the higher ground and built their trenches in those areas.
First World War Trenches Many of their dugouts and machine gun posts were reinforced with wood or concrete which provided a stronger defence against artillery bombardment. The British and Allied trenches were often filled with water and mud because they were constructed in the low-lying areas.
Cross section of a trench
2. Artillery It was the key weapon of WWI which caused more casualties than any other weapon Fear most by the soldiers Shrapnel shells
2. Artillery The area around Ypres, Belgium experienced the devastating effects of artillery bombardments The Menin Gate stands there today as a reminder of the men who have no known grave (over 55,000 British & Empire dead) has over 70,000
3. Cavalry Traditionally, Cavalry forces provided speed & mobility to armies Cavalry Charge The emergence of artillery, barbed wire, machine guns, & trench warfare in WWI, however, rendered cavalry virtually useless
Animals were too vulnerable for frontal assaults & were mainly concentrated on transportation or supply duties Tanks became the new cavalry as the war progressed 3. Cavalry
4. Infantry Foot soldier who formed the backbone of the army Infantry Charge replaced the Cavalry Charge
Carried a variety of equipment into battle 4. Infantry
The attacking side s artillery bombarded the frontline trenches of the enemy in the days / weeks prior to the attack. As soon as the barrage lifted (stopped), attacking troops would go over the top of their trenches to attack.
The defenders then attempted to hold their positions & destroy the attacking forces with machine gun fire & other weapons available If enemy trenches were captured, they had to be held against strong enemy counter-attack.a very difficult task
The machine gun was devastatingly effective defending a trench against the infantry charge. Firing 8 10 bullets / sec, this weapon made frontal assaults on trenches very costly The theory was that if enough soldiers charged then no matter how many were killed or wounded on the way, there would still be enough men alive to capture the machine guns in the enemy trenches. July 1 st, 1916 Battle of the Somme
5. New Weapons As countries militarized & prepared for war, new technologies appeared which introduced the world to the dark side of the Industrial Revolution All of the following first appeared during WWI as you will view in Modern Marvels World War One Tech on the following slides Machine Guns, Tanks, Airplanes, Submarines, Poisonous Gas