World War 1 Notes

Militarism- Countries (especially the naval might of England and Germany) build up their
armies to surpass other countries.

Alliances
European powers has divided into two groups
1. Triple Entente → Britain, France and Russia
2. Triple Alliance → Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy

Imperialism
● Practice of growing your nation by establishing colonies(Canada was a colony of Britain)
● Asia and Africa were both major targets of European expansion(because of their rich
resources)
● countries create colonies by invading or controlling other nations (i.e. Canada, New
Zealand, India were all colonies of Britain). Conflicts arose over control of Asia and
Africa.
● Canada- After Britain joins the battle Canada follows them out of colonial loyalty (see
Imperialism).

Nationalism
● Strong pride in one’s own country
● People thinking their country is the best. Makes people hate/dislike other countries. This
fueled a competition between empires.
● Strong connection to one’s own nation often resulting in exclusion of other
● Often leads to racism, xenophobia and violence.
● Nationalist countries usually develop more defined cultures than non-nationalistic ones.
● America → nationalistic whereas canada isn’t very

Spark that could ignite the war…

● Occured in sarajevo bosnia
● Austria-hungary controlled bosnia
The Spark
The tension created by the M.A.I.N creates hostility between counties.

A group of Serbian Nationalists called “Black Hand '' assassinated the Austria-Hungarian heir,
Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Austria blamed Serbia and made a list of demands before
invading.

This invasion drags Russia and France (see Alliances) into the battle.

Assasination
● The assassination of Austrian heir Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo
 ● Heir to austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife sophie visits Sarajevo:
25 June 1914
● Black hand was the assassin group
● Austria balanced serbia for assasination

Canada prepare to “defend the empire”

● When Britain entered the war, their colonies offered military assistance
● WW1 started on August 4th 1914 at midnight

Canada Prepares to “Defend the Empire”

There were 4 major front - search them up

Western front- between france and belgium
Eastern front- between russia and Austria-Hungary

Germany had been preparing for war

The schlieffen plan

Defeat france quick then turn to the eastern front and plan major offensive on russia
ATTACK ON FRANCE:
M

Success of plan depended on:

Ni belgian resistance
French attack along border
Slower organization of russia

The failure of schlieffen plan - mr alfsop history clips video

Germany's plan to win WW1…. by history house production youtube vid

Germany tried to go through belgium to attack n go into ____ three troops one on ___ border
and another one ____ border then the one thru russia

Canada Defense
● Canada supported britain in war effort
● Pm ROBERT BORDER APPOINTED SAM HUGHES AS MINISTER OF MILITIA
○ Duty- establish, organize and train canadian contingent to support british forces
● A training base was established in valcartier

Canadian and war measures act

● Canadian Government passed the war measure act which allowed government to:
 1. Censor all forms of communication(Writings, maps, photos, publication) → trade
rights for security if sending letter they can control what get said n intercept ot
then send it and has access to anth of u without asking
2. Arrest, detain, exclude and deport persons
3. Control canadaun waters and movement of vessels
4. Control the transport of person and things by air, land, water
5. Control trade production and manufacturing
6. Also made plans to support soldiers family by $30 per month

Trench Warfare Extended Notes

Life in the trenches during the First World War took many forms, and varied widely from sector
to sector and from front to front.

Undoubtedly, it was entirely unexpected for those eager thousands who signed up for war in
August 1914.

A War of Movement?

Indeed, the Great War - a phrase coined even before it had begun - was expected to be a
relatively short affair and, as with most wars, one of great movement. The First World War was
typified however by its lack of movement, the years of stalemate exemplified on the Western
Front from autumn 1914 until spring 1918.

Not that there wasn't movement at all on the Western Front during 1914-18; the war began
dramatically with sweeping advances by the Germans through Belgium and France en route for
Paris. However stalemate - and trench warfare soon set in - and the expected war of movement
wasn't restored until towards the close of the war, although the line rippled as successes were
achieved at a local level.

Daily Death in the Trenches

Death was a constant companion to those serving in the line, even when no raid or attack was
launched or defended against. In busy sectors the constant shellfire directed by the enemy
brought random death, whether their victims were lounging in a trench or lying in a dugout
(many men were buried as a consequence of such large shell-bursts).

Similarly, novices were cautioned against their natural inclination to peer over the parapet of the
trench into No Man's Land.

Many men died on their first day in the trenches as a consequence of a precisely aimed sniper's
bullet.
It has been estimated that up to one third of Allied casualties on the Western Front were actually
sustained in the trenches. Aside from enemy injuries, disease wrought a heavy toll.

Rat Infestation

Rats in their millions infested trenches. There were two main types, the brown and the black
rat. Both were despised but the brown rat was especially feared. Gorging themselves on
human remains (grotesquely disfiguring them by eating their eyes and liver) they could grow to
the size of a cat.

Men, exasperated and afraid of these rats (which would even scamper across their faces in the
dark), would attempt to rid the trenches of them by various methods: gunfire, with the bayonet,
and even by clubbing them to death.

It was futile however: a single rat couple could produce up to 900 offspring in a year, spreading
infection and contaminating food. The rat problem remained for the duration of the war
(although many veteran soldiers swore that rats sensed impending heavy enemy shellfire and
consequently disappeared from view).

Frogs, Lice and Worse

Rats were by no means the only source of infection and nuisance. Lice were a never-ending
problem, breeding in the seams of filthy clothing and causing men to itch unceasingly.

Even when clothing was periodically washed and deloused, lice eggs invariably remained
hidden in the seams; within a few hours of the clothes being re-worn the body heat generated
would cause the eggs to hatch.

Lice caused Trench Fever, a particularly painful disease that began suddenly with severe pain
followed by high fever. Recovery - away from the trenches - took up to twelve weeks. Lice were
not actually identified as the culprit of Trench Fever until 1918.

Frogs by the score were found in shell holes covered in water; they were also found in the base
of trenches. Slugs and horned beetles crowded the sides of the trench.

Many men chose to shave their heads entirely to avoid another prevalent scourge: nits.

Trench Foot was another medical condition peculiar to trench life. It was a fungal infection of
the feet caused by cold, wet and unsanitary trench conditions. It could turn gangrenous and
result in amputation. Trench Foot was more of a problem at the start of trench warfare; as
conditions improved in 1915 it rapidly faded, although a trickle of cases continued throughout
the war.

The Trench Cycle

Typically, a battalion would be expected to serve a spell in the front line. This would be followed
by a stint spent in support, and then in reserve lines. A period of rest would follow - generally
short in duration - before the whole cycle of trench duty would start afresh.

In reality the cycle was determined by the necessities of the situation. Even while at rest men
might find themselves tasked with duties that placed them in the line of fire.

Others would spend far longer in the front line than usual, usually in the more 'busy' sectors.

As an example - and the numbers varied widely - a man might expect in a year to spend some
70 days in the front line, with another 30 in nearby support trenches. A further 120 might be
spent in reserve. Only 70 days might be spent at rest. The amount of leave varied, with
perhaps two weeks being granted during the year.

Stand To and the Morning Hate

The daily routine of life in the trenches began with the morning 'stand to'. An hour before dawn
everyone was roused from slumber by the company orderly officer and sergeant and ordered to
climb up on the fire step to guard against a dawn raid by the enemy, bayonets fixed.

This policy of stand to was adopted by both sides, and despite the knowledge that each side
prepared itself for raids or attacks timed at dawn, many were actually carried out at this time.

Accompanying stand to, as the light grew, was the daily ritual often termed the 'morning hate'.

Both sides would often relieve the tension of the early hours with machine gun fire, shelling and
small arms fire, directed into the mist to their front: this made doubly sure of safety at dawn.

Rum, Rifles and the Breakfast Truce

With stand to over, in some areas rum might then be issued to the men. They would then
attend to the cleaning of their rifle equipment, which was followed by its inspection by officers.

Breakfast would next be served. In essentially every area of the line at some time or other each
side would adopt an unofficial truce while breakfast was served and eaten. This truce often
extended to the wagons which delivered such sustenance.

Truces such as these seldom lasted long; invariably a senior officer would hear of its existence
and quickly stamp it out. Nevertheless it persisted throughout the war, and was more prevalent
in quieter sectors of the line.

Inspection and Chores

With breakfast over the men would be inspected by either the company or platoon commander.
Once this had been completed NCOs would assign daily chores to each man (except those who
had been excused duty for a variety of reasons).
Example - and necessary - daily chores included the refilling of sandbags, the repair of the
duckboards on the floor of the trench and the draining of trenches.

Particularly following heavy rainfall, trenches could quickly accumulate muddy water, making life
ever more miserable for its occupants as the walls of the trench rapidly became misshapen and
were prone to collapse.

Pumping equipment was available for the draining of trenches; men would also be assigned to
the repair of the trench itself (click here to view brief film footage of British troops pumping water
from trenches in 1914). Still others would be assigned to the preparation of latrines.

Daily Boredom

Given that each side's front line was constantly under watch by snipers and look-outs during
daylight, movement was logically restricted until night fell. Thus, once men had concluded their
assigned tasks they were free to attend to more personal matters, such as the reading and
writing of letters home.

Meals were also prepared. Sleep was snatched wherever possible - although it was seldom
that men were allowed sufficient time to grab more than a few minutes rest before they were
detailed to another task.

Dusk: Stand To, Supply and Maintenance

With the onset of dusk the morning ritual of stand to was repeated, again to guard against a
surprise attack launched as light fell.

This over, the trenches became a hive of activity. Supply and maintenance activities could be
undertaken, although danger invariably accompanied these as the enemy would be alert for
such movement. Men would be sent to the rear lines to fetch rations and water (click here to
view film footage of British soldiers receiving rations in 1914).

Other men would be assigned sentry duty on the fire step. Generally men would be expected to
provide sentry duty for up to two hours. Any longer and there was a real risk of men falling
asleep on duty - for which the penalty was death by firing squad.

Patrolling No Man's Land

Patrols would often be sent out into No Mans Land. Some men would be tasked with repairing
or adding barbed wire to the front line. Others however would go out to assigned listening
posts, hoping to pick up valuable information from the enemy lines.

Sometimes enemy patrols would meet in No Man's Land. They were then faced with the option
of hurrying on their separate ways or else engaging in hand to hand fighting.
They could not afford to use their handguns while patrolling in No Man's Land, for fear of the
machine gun fire it would inevitably attract, deadly to all members of the patrol.

Relieving Men at the Front

Men were relieved front-line duty at night-time too. Relieving units would wind their weary way
through numerous lines of communications trenches, weighed down with equipment and trench
stores (such as shovels, picks, corrugated iron, duckboards, etc.). The process of relieving a
line could take several frustrating hours.

...And the Smell

Finally, no overview of trench life can avoid the aspect that instantly struck visitors to the lines:
the appalling reek given off by numerous conflicting sources.

Rotting carcasses lay around in their thousands. For example, approximately 200,000 men
were killed on the Somme battlefields, many of which lay in shallow graves.

Overflowing latrines would similarly give off a most offensive stench.

Men who had not been afforded the luxury of a bath in weeks or months would offer the
pervading odour of dried sweat. The feet were generally accepted to give off the worst odour.

Trenches would also smell of creosol or chloride of lime, used to stave off the constant threat of
disease and infection.

Add to this the smell of cordite, the lingering odour of poison gas, rotting sandbags, stagnant
mud, cigarette smoke and cooking food... yet men grew used to it, while it thoroughly overcame
first-time visitors to the front.
German Trenches
● On higher ground so no one can look into it and not on lower ground so rain doesn't fall
down there
Allied trenches
● Most of the area that the allies were forced to build their trenches was rarely few feet
above sea level
● As soon as soldiers began to dig down
● Rain was always a problem for trenches
Artillery
● Long range weapons
● Massive artillery guns such as german big bertha could fire one ton shells more than ten
miles.
● Space in middle of two trenches is called no mans land
○ In order to get thru no man's land artillery were used

Parapets- sandbags on top of trenches

Blighty-self inflicted injury soldiers would do to themselves so they can stop fighting

The Battle of Ypres of 1915

When: April 1915
Where: the first Canadian
Who:

- Five battles in ypres

SECOND BATTLE
- Ypres became codrum of violence
- Germans for first time released poisonous chlorine gas (160) (set off at 5pm)
- Chlorine gas turns to acid when meets oxygen and so it burned the lungs, eyes skins of
the soldeirs.
- Burns lungs
- Blisters skin
- Eats away flesh
- This forced the french out to the high groynds where thye were mowed down by
germans
- Allies (especially canadians) patched up the gap left behind, but suffered heavy
casualties
- Shrapnel, MacAdam Shoval (useless)
- Urinating on a napkin and covering your mouth helped avoid chlorine gas due to the
ammonia in it
- Done out of pride, hnece not too statigic.
- The Ypres became the deadliest battle field for the rest of world war one.
22 April 1915
- German released 5730 clyinders of gas
24 april 1915
- Germans target acandians
- Canadians used urine soaked rags to cover mouth and nose
- This help the reputation of Canada

The BATTEL OF TGE SOMME

- july - NOv
- Was plaanned joingt to french-bratish offensive led by Gen. Douglas
- Failed becuae germans had higher gr0und
- July 1 1916: 10000 soldeird went in broad daylight in no mans land
- This battle had the heaviest casualioes of 58 000 killed wounded and missing
- Cnadians allies advanced six miels
- 623907 allies suffered
- 6600000 germans and 24029 cnadians
- Canada got the reputation for their courage.
 - Winsten Chruchill was the prime minister of the german and swas incharge of the battle
- Germans called this the “das Blutbad” or the blood bath.

VIMY RIDGE WAS KEY TO GERMAN DEFENSE

IT DEFENDED IMPORTANT INDUSTRIAL SITES
PLATOONS TACTICS
MACHINE GUNS
ARTILLERY
REHEARSING BEFORE APR 9th was 1917
Canadians were so efficient that they were able to attack Germans before they were ready
The captures of vimy rudge was the greatest victories
Arras France (Canadian National Victory Park)

Passchendaele aka 3rd Ypyres

- Ppl drowning in the no mans land
- Fall of 1917
- Led by Douglas haimost bitter disasters for Canadians (sea of mud)
- Shelling destroyed draining systems
- Almost 15 000 Canadians (body counts)
- The offensive gained 7 km of mud
- Germans eventually won back the land

THE DECISIVE YEARS

- US was not involved yet
- regarded this conflict as another European argument
- Irrelevant to Americans
- Population was divided over which side to take
- USA got involved and…
1. Public opinion
2. Sinking of Lusitania
- 123 Americans died
- Happen 1915
- Germans didn’t mean to attack ship
Current News
- Iranian air missile took down Ukrainian airlines plane
- 63 Canadians died
-
3. The Zimmerman Telegram
- Alfred Zimmerman was the German ambassador you the USA
- Sent a telegram to Mexico
- If Mexico attacked the USA for lost land
- This kept the USA occupied and keep them out of what was going on in Europe
- Germans were violating world established laws w U boats
 - Americans intercepted telegrams sent to Mexico
- USA entered war
LAST HUNDERDE DAYS
- Germany was usher troops to France troops before Americans get to western shores
- Period was called last hundred fays most fatal most deaths
- Initial attack was successful
- 500 000 Americans soldiers poured into Europe
- November 1918, german attack failed
- Germany agreed to cease fire at 11 am November 11 1918
- By the end of the. War 2 000000 American servicemen in France
- Made trip to MONS

TROUBKE IN RUSSIA
- Russian army was poorly trained and armed. Corrupt people making money
- Czar Nicholas was a weak leader
- Lenin was founding father of communism
- Lenin promise me to take Russia out of war, give good and land in o the poor
- November 1917, Lenin overthrew czars government and declared Russia a communist
state
- Negotiated peace either Germany

POSTWAR YEARS
- the idea was opposed by Britain and USA
- After war canada demanded a seat at peace conference bcuz of Canadian soldiers’
contribution
- Canada did get one
- USA was scared Canada would take Britains side
- Britain thought giving Canada a seat would make other nations want a seat as well

MOajor term sof the treaty of versailles

- Rearming
- Inepencded was granted
- Polish corridor
- Germany muts give colonies
- War guilt clause germany was held resposible for all loss and damages
- Reparations
- Allies decide commisions
- Allied Occupation
- Alace and lorraine
- Coal mine use by France
Propaganda Poster Tips
- Sign up / Recruiting posters → men need to sign up for the Arm Forces
- Duty
- Honor
- God
- Fear for loved ones
- Need for Revenge
- GIve money / Victory bonds
- Buy into the war and get that back later.
- Give more money / Patriotic fund
- Men were the breadwinners
- Families need help with money
- Conserve and Produce
- Canadians has to conserve os and material
- Produce more supplies for the “mother country”
- Support the Government
- The consebayive government of Sir Robert Borden, prime minister…
NATionISlm amd ParTIOTIsm

The Role of Govt jn Wartimr

- regular roles also coordinate and finance war effort
- War measures act. August 1914. Kinda forced or controlled over many areas of life in
Canada
- Production of goods: weapons, corn, food grains…
- They could intern and arrested whoever they want (Germans, Austrians, Hungarians,
Turks)
- Gov’t dictates to farmers and factory’s owners what to produce for war

EFFECTS ON EVERYDAY LIFE

- sacrifice, contribute to victory (DO YOUR BIT)
- Produce as much food as possible (VICTORY GRADENS)

WOMEN DURING WAR

- Become essential component
- Organized fundraisers knitted socks
- 35000 women work in munitions factories 1917
- Drove buses and streetcars, worked in back, in police forces, civil service jobs, farms
- Women with husbands overseas became head
- Responsibilities are feeding clothing house their fams
- Due to participation for ward women should have equal share in political decision making
- Suffrage: getting the right to vote
- 1918. We costing govt over 1 million dollars
 - How to finance the war
- Income tax was introduced
- Victory bonds: citizens loan money to the government
- Private and commercial investors

NEW INDUSTRIES
- over 300000 Canadians employed in war plants airplanes shells ship production
- Sparks the establishment of new industry
which part of treat had to do w nationalism
yo adress thsi they split austria hungary sort czech slovakia was created and poles was created

Less of a need for those items

A lot of compnies go ourt of businnes bc their war products arent needed anynore

When the war ended, several problems might have arose when the war ended. Some include,
several companies who specified in making war products/weapons would have gone out of
business, since there is a less of a need for those items. The population would have also
decreased greatly due to the amount of casualties, so there would be less of a demand for food.
The drastic change in the canadian economic sales growth declined due to the fact that ww1
was one of the largest sources of income. This may have also created an increase in the food
and material prices for Canadians in order to maintain a steady income.