Notes

HISTORY REVIEW
World War One
WHAT WERE THE MAIN CAUSES OF WORLD WAR 1?
• Militarism: Opinions or actions of people who believe that a country should use military forces to gain power.
(“Arms Race”) (Countries were building bigger armies and weapons)
• Alliance: A union between people/groups, countries and etc. A relationship in which people agree to work together. Would watch out for each other no matter what.
Triple Entente: Brittan, France, Russia ”Secret agreements”
Triple Alliance: Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary
• Imperialism: The policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries. Taking over land and claiming it’s yours.
 An example is how Germany demanded that it should have share of the colonies that had already been settled, this demand did not sit well with other empires.

• Nationalism: Devotion and loyalty to one’s own country. (Patriotism)
 Kaiser Wilhelm II, the German leader had done a good job ensuring that the people of Germany were very proud of their country, to the point that they would do anything which caused problems for the neighbours.
THE RESULT:
Europe, before World War I, was a time bomb waiting to go off. Countries hated each other, had large armies and were willing to fight. It was just a matter of time until something caused the whole place to blow up.
WHAT SPARKED THE WAR?
• Arcndukefranz Ferdinand (he was next in line to be Austria-Hungary throne)
• Was assassinated by the Black Hand (TRIPLE ENTENTE) terrorist group because Serbia wanted independence back from AH.
• He was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip (19 years old) who takes two shots.
• A.D.FF shot in the neck and wife shot in the stomach. JUNE 1908
• After that happened Austria Hungary had demands which included: (July 23RD 1914)
 Whip out Serbian terrorist groups
 Ban on all anti AH propaganda
 A formal investigation into the assassination by the AH government or military action.
• JULY 24TH 1914: Serbia asks Russia to confirm alliance and after Russia mobilizes (gets ready to fight) its army.
• JULY 25TH: AH declares war on Serbia.
• August 1st: Germany declares war on Russia.
• August 3rd: Germany invades Belgium to get to France. ( Calling it the “Schlieffen Plan”)
• August 4th: Great Britain declares war on Germany. (3,110 Canadian solders)
• August 6th: AH declares war on Russia. (Germany also declares war on France)
• August 12th: France and Great Britain declares war on AH.
DESCRIBE THE CONDITIONS OF TRENCH WARFARE?
Solders were ordered to dig trenches that would provide them with protection. (Usually about 6 or 7 feet) Germany got the best place to build there trench it was high which made the allies live in horrible conditions. It would rain and snow most of the time so they were all usually wet and tired. The allies (France) had to make trenches that were few feet under sea level and when they would dig they would find water. All the soldiers had to deal with Rats, Lice, Dysentery, and trench foot and occasional fires. Dead bodies would attract rats, lice would leave bite marks all over the body causing scratching which was called Trench fever.( Fatal if the body dehydrates) Inflammation of lining of the large intestines causes stomach pains and diarrhea. (Dysentery) Also many soldiers got trench foot because they would stand in water for days and their feet would go numb and the skin would turn red or blue. After the war many experience shell shock (post dissymmetric stress)
DESCRIBE THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES USED:
• Flame throwers
• Machine guns
• Submarines
• Tanks
• Poison gas-Chlorine gas (First used my Germany)
• Air warfare: the aircraft underwent many improvements during World War I.
• Radio
HALIFAX HARBOUR EXPLOSION:
French ship  MONT-BLANC: Which was loaded with explosives and was going to France.
Norwegian ship  IMO: Bound for NYC to pick up ammunition and relief supplies for Belgium.
DECEMBER 6, 1917
• The IMO ship was coming into Halifax
• The MB ship was trying to leave Halifax.
This resulted in a collision between ships that made a fire. The Mont-Blanc was going toward Halifax on fire and when it reached there it killed 2,000 people and injured 9,000.
*The blast from the explosion is still the second largest man-made explosion, following only the detonation of the nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII.*
WARTIME ELECTIONS ACT:
• The Wartime Elections Act gave Canadian Women the right to vote, for the first time, in Federal elections.
• As well however, anyone who became Canadian after 1902, from either Germany or the Ukraine, lost their rights to vote
• Any woman, over the age of 18 who owned property, and had a male relative serving in the Great War (i.e. Husband, Son, Brother, and possibly father) could vote.
Why? As the war dragged on, the government began to realize that conscription may become necessary to ensure that we had enough soldiers to fight. Figuring that woman with a male relative already fighting in the war would support conscription, the government extended them the franchise. The government also felt that “enemy aliens” should not be allowed to vote, namely because they couldn’t be trusted.
• The Wartime Election Act was passed in Ottawa on September 20th, 1917.
CONSCRIPTION CRISIS:
• Conscription (meaning forced military service) was introduced in the House of Commons on May 18th, as part of the Military Service Act.
• The act forced all able bodied men to fight in Europe. Very few exemptions were allowed.
• Prime Minister Robert Borden had promised all Canadians (including French Canadians) that there would be no mandatory military service at the start of the war.
• As the war dragged on, more soldiers were required to continue fighting, but the horror stories from the battlefields were scaring potential soldiers.
• Jobs on the home front were very abundant, and going into the army to make money was no longer considered a good idea.
• The Military Service Act was passed on July 24th, 1917.
• After that many riot in Quebec happened against the conscription but police would legally have the right to arrest them.
THE BATTLE OF YPRES:
• April 24th 1915
• Fought on the village of St. Julien
• The first use of chlorine gas by the Germans.
• Canadians came out as the heroes. In 1915, the second Battle of Ypres established the reputation of the Canadians as a fighting force. The 1st Canadian Division had just arrived on the Western Front when they won recognition by holding their ground against a new weapon of modern warfare - chlorine gas.
• It was during the Second Battle of Ypres that Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae M.D. of Guelph, Ontario, Canada wrote the memorable poem In Flanders Fields in the voice of those who perished in the war. Read especially on Remembrance Day and Memorial Day
• It was the first time a former colonial force (Canadians) pushed back a major European power (Germans) on European soil, which occurred in the battle of St. Julien-Kitcheners' Wood, one of four battles that took place.

THE END OF WORLD WAR I:
• Woodrow Wilson (president) introduces 14 points which is another way to say peace wihout victory.
• January 1918 proposed to end war.
Some of the point included:
• No more secret agreements between countries
• Reduction is weapons and armies
• Allow for free trade and freedom of the seas.
• Allow for re-division of territories
• Creation of a “League of nations” to allow independent nations to discuss problems.
How things changed?
• After the surrender of Russia, there was no more eastern front.
• Germany was able to direct most of its resources to fight on the western front.
• The Germans create a new plan, called the spring offensive.
• The spring offensive fails to meet its targets
• Germany could not supply its troops fast enough, as they moved into the Western Europe.
The allies’ responded:
• The entente held off the German attack by concentrating their resources on specific important areas.
• The United States had joined the war in the spring of 1917, and were now fighting on the western front.
• Knowing that the German army was having trouble supplying soldiers, the entente went on the offense.
Canadas 100 days- AUGUST NOV 1918
• First battle- Battle of amines- Canadians moved 20km in there days
• Broke the Hindenburg line (German defensive line)
• Last battle- Canadians drove the Germans out of france, and into Belgium on NOV 10th 1918
• Canada’s reputation as a result of the 10 days was amazing, we captures more territory, equipment and prisoners than the Americans who had 6 times larger force.
• Responsible for the winning. Solidified our place in the peace conference.
The Armistice:
• On NOVEMBER 11th 1918 at 5:00 am an armistice was signed ending the actual fighting and it was effective at 11:00am.
• George price was the last British soldier to die.
The Treaty of Versailles:
• Peace conference JANUARY 1919 (in Paris)
• Germany was NOT invited, rather told it would have to accept the treaty.
Who wanted what?
• Britain publicly supported revenge
• Privately did not want another war, and was worried about the spread of communism from another war.
• France wanted to weaken Germany, so this couldn’t happen again. Also wanted Germany to pay for all the damages caused.
• The United States wanted to rebuild all of Europe, and push his fourteen points.
• In the end the fourteen points were ignored and US didn’t even come to the treaty.
MAJOR TERMS:
1. Germany must accept all responsibility for causing all the loss and damages that the allies and their citizens have suffered. (This is known as the war guilt clause)
2. The allied government require Germany to pay for all the wartime damages to the civilian population and the property of allied powers. (Known as the war reparations)
THE HALIBUT TREATY:
• (1923) fishing stocks in pacific Norwegian, were in decline from over fishing.
• Canada and US negotiate a treaty without BR help.
• British demands to be allowed to approve treaty and Canada threatens to create own embassy if it does so Britain backs down.
The Chanak Affair:
○ GB asks Canada to send troops to protect BR assets from Turkish Army.
○ newly elected WL Mackenzie King decides to ask Parliament for authorization to send troops, instead of automatically. ○ Crisis resolves before troops required.
Statute of Westminster:
○ Canada has become a grown up country.
○ gave any Commonwealth country the right to be fully independent, if they wanted.
○ Canada and Newfoundland were not ready for full power.
Canada: Left power for Supreme Court decisions with the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council until 1949.
● Left power for constitutional matters with Britain until 1982.
Newfoundland: Chose to remain a total part of Britain until 1949.