# History Unit 1 ### By Andrew Chen Unit 1 focuses in on the different causes and battles in World War 1. This note will have many different sections all of which will be tested. ## Causes of World War 1 ### Militarism * an arms race was occurring between the British and the Germans * dreadnoughts were being built up by both the British and Germans * spending on the military increased 300% in the main European countries between 1870 and 1914 ### Alliances * the **Triple Entente** formed between _Britain_, _Russia_, and _France_ * the **Triple Alliance** formed between _Germany_, _Austria-Hungary_, and _Italy_ ### Imperialism * industrialized countries needed **markets** for their goods in the form of colonies * Germany believed that overseas colonies would be a **sign of great power** to the rest of Europe * Austria-Hungary also wished to expand its empire through conquering Serbia and the rest of the Balkan states. It recently annexed Bosnia angering Russia and Serbia. ### Nationalism * Russia was defeated by Japan in the Russo-Japanese War and wanted to **prove she was still powerful** * Italy was newly unified and wanted to **declare its power** in Europe * the Austrian empire was made up of **many different nationalities** who all wanted to separate from Austria. ### The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand * Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian empire was assassinated **in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip** on June 28th, 1914 * This was orchestrated by the **Black Hand**, an organization from Serbia * An ultimatum was sent to Serbia from the Austro-Hungarian empire with the following demands: 1. Stop all hatred against Austro-Hungary 2. Punish all of those involved in the assassination 3. **Allow Austro-Hungarian police to destroy the Black Hand** (this was not acceptable) * After this ultimatium was rejected, **Russia mobilized** to protect Serbia. **Germany** responded by **declaring war on Russia** to protect Austria-Hungary. They then **declared war on France**, Russia's ally. * In the invasion against France, Germans **go through neutral Belgium**, triggering Britain (Canada included) to **join the war on the side of France and Russia**. World War 1 was now in full swing. ## Canada's Entry into World War 1 ### Initial Reaction * Borden's government passed the **War Measures Act** giving the government the powers of * censorship * price and wage controls * pass laws without parliament * arrests, detentions, and deportations without trial ### Sam Hughes * appointed by Borden to recruit and train new troops * he set up **Valcartier Camp** in a few weeks near Quebec City which was built to house soldiers before they headed to Europe * he helped Ontario to industrialize * he had four main contreversies through his tenure 1. **Shovel shield** - a tool that was ineffective at being a shovel or shield and was eventually sold for scrap 2. **Ross rifle** - a rifle that was ineffective and jammed in mud 3. **Munitions production** was of low quality leading to accusations of corruption 4. **Religious bigotry** against the French, leading to lower enlistment ### Minorities in World War 1 #### Japanese and Chinese Canadians * strong desire for a vote and acceptance in the country #### No.2 Construction Battalion * informal segregation of Black Canadians made it difficult to join the army * this non-combatant battalion was formed as the first black battalion in Canadian history #### First Nations, Metis, and Inuit * joined for * a regular wage * adventure * friends and family had enlisted * travel the world * honor the relationship set in the War of 1812 between the Indigenous and the Crown * chance to be a warrior * the Indian act made it so that those who fought in World War 1 and lived off the reserves could vote and were expected to pay taxes * many FNMI became snipers or scouts ### Misc. Terms * **Social Darwinism** provided scientific explanation and social justification for inequality and exploitation * **Imperialism** caused belief in white superiority and that the British principles of government were the superior ones ## Battles and Strategies of World War 1 ### Schlieffen Plan * put into effect to try to **avoid a two-front war** * to avoid a war with France and Russia simultaneously, Germany would send **90% of its troops towards French territory** thru the Low countries, quickly defeating France * they believed that the **Russians could not mobilize** and attack Germany's Eastern border fast enough, and that the entire army would be back from defeating France fast enough to defend against Russia | Expectations | Reality| | :-------------: |:-------------:| | Russia would take 6 weeks to mobilize | Russia mobilized in just 10 days | | France would be defeated in 6 weeks | The war lasted 4 years| | Belgium would not resist | The Germans were held up by the Belgian Army | | Britain would not be involved| They joined right away upon hearing of the Belgian invasion | ### Trench Warfare #### How did Trench Warfare come to be? * after the Schlieffen Plan failed, the Germans implemented trench warfare to stop the British and French armies * **a war of attrition;** both sides tried to wear down the other * military leaders tried to end trench warfare by attempting a breakthrough, but to no avail #### Features of Trench Warfare * many commanders of the British forces employed the usage of **over-the-top**, a strategy that involved rushing at the enemy trenches * **duck boards** were wood boards nailed together to form a bridge over mud * **no-man's land** was the area between the opposing trenches * **mud, lice, and rats** were everywhere in the trenches * rats contaminated food * lice caused trench fever * mud caused trench foot, an ailment that rendered the foot numb, swelling, and smelly * barbed wire was a defensive construct used to stop infantry * **shell shock** was a nervous disorder resulting from exposure to artillery bombardment #### Other Military Technologies * artillery * fired different types of shells including ones that contained shrapnel and explosives * chemical warfare * **chlorine gas** caused the lungs to fill with pus, leaving the victim to drown * airplanes * allowed reconnaissance flights * guns eventually became a presence on these flights, with the Germans developing a device that allowed a gun to fire without hitting a propeller * tanks * counter to machine guns, but often got stuck in the mud * u-boats * submarines used to prevent countries to reach supplies ### Battles of World War 1 #### Second Battle of Ypres * **first usage of chlorine gas** in World War 1 * no ground was gained or lost * _In Flanders Fields_ was written during this battle * this was the **first battle in which Canadians participated** #### Battle of the Somme * designed to relieve the French offensive at Verdun * joint British and French offensive * **massive amounts of losses** on both sides * little land (about 8km) was gained by the Allies * introduction of the **tank** as a counter to machine guns #### Battle of Vimy Ridge * carefully planned attack that was rehearsed beforehand with infantry given maps and specific tasks * engineers dug tunnels to minimize areas where soldiers could be killed * **first successful usage of the creeping barrage** where soldiers would advance behind a wave of artillery * this battle was lead by **Julian Byng** of Britain and **Arthur Currie** of Canada * Byng was originally the leader of the Canadian corps but after Vimy Ridge, **Currie was given full reins of the Canadian corps** #### Passchendaele * only 6km of land was gained, with many casualties * military victory for the British, but **massive morale loss for Britain** * Haig was convinced that the Battle of Passchendaele would push a German army close to collapse to fall * the bombardment by the British destroyed the drainage system which was combined with **heavy rain and resulted in mud everywhere** #### Canada's Hundred Days * Allied capture of Mons, spearheaded by the Canadians * Breach of the Hindenberg line * involved the breach of the Canal du Nord by Currie, a plan that was extremely daring but given the seal of approval by **General Douglas Haig** of the British Army * Canadian troops were truly marked as elite here * Canadian corps launched a series of attacks that broke German lines #### Hindenberg Line * German defensive position built between 1916 and 1917 * parts of it were held until the end of the war * **many parts captured** during the Battle of Arras including Vimy Ridge ### Turning Points #### Russian Departure from the War * in February of 1917, Russia leaves the war as Nicholas II is overthrown * the **treaty of Brest-Litvosk** in March 1918 gives a large amount of land to Germany and Russia is able to leave the war * **Lenin's communist revolution** begins in full swing #### Americans Joining the War * Germans employed a strategy called **unrestricted submarine warfare** after it had been blockaded by Britain * through this strategy, they would destroy the **Lusitania** which was a British ship carrying American passengers * this would prompt **American entry into the war** on the side of Britain and its allies ### The Home Front #### Conscription * where all men of age 20-45 and good health are forced to go fight in war * Borden uses the **War Measures Act** to pass two other acts * the **Wartime Elections Act** gives votes to women and takes away votes from Ukrainians and Germans (deemed aliens) * the **Military Voters Act** gave votes soldiers overseas in any riding while taking the vote away from conscientious objectors and pacifists * Borden wants conscription to pass so that Canada can win the war faster and gain a voice in post-war politics * farmers wanted to stay in Canada and produce food instead of fighting * Borden temporarily granted this request, but later reversed the decision * status First Nations peoples were exempt from serving as they were not citizens of Canada * they could still be called to non-combatant roles in Canada * French-Canadians were reluctant to serve as they were viewed as below the English-speaking troops #### Propaganda and Paying for the War * the government paid for the war through a variety of methods * taxes on business * personal income tax * victory bonds which would only be paid out if Canada won the war * they used propaganda heavily to promote **Victory bonds** #### Women and their Role in Society * women were a major part of workforce for the first time in World War 1 * they had lower wages * the unions didn't want them * fired for returning soldiers after the war * bad hygiene standards * women that were related to soldiers or who were nurses were given the right to vote in 1917 through the Wartime Election Act * all women were given the right in 1918 with the passing of the Federal Women's Franchise Act ### After the War #### Peace * the **Paris Peace Conference** in 1919 was held to discuss terms of peace * gathering of 32 nations, including Canada * Canada could not vote but had 2 seats * the big three people calling shots were * **Georges Clemenceau** of France * wanted to ensure protection of the French * **David Lloyd George** of Britain * increase British holdings in terms of colonies * **Woodrow Wilson** of the USA * wanted his fourteen points to be passed * Germany had to make many concessions after World War 1 * restricted army size * war reparations through the **War Guilt Clause** * lost territory in many areas of the world * forbade union with Austria * forbade troops in the Rhineland * the port of Danzig became a "free city" as Poland was given access to the sea * Sudetenland was given to Czechslovakia even though it was a German majority region * The **Fourteen Points** by Wilson were the basis of the Treaty of Versailles, however **much of it was left out** as others viewed it as **idealistic** * unsatisfactory peace, as the **Germans had agreed to the Fourteen Points, a much less harsh peace** #### The Economy * the economy after World War 1 was not very healthy * **unemployment** caused by the closing of munitions factories * **huge debts** that would take years to pay off * Germany had the brunt of the economic costs, as the **War Guilt Clause** forced them to **continue paying reparations** until 1984 * the German economy became extremely unstable, leading to **hyperinflation** by 1922 * **quality of life** in Canada after the war was **poor** * **unemployment rose** as the war ended * food and fuel were more expensive and in short supply * **wages were low, and prices were high** * the veterans were not treated well when they came back * expected to go back to their civilian responsibilities with **very limited support** from the government * many of them could not go back due to **shell shock or PTSD** * many workers wanted to have a **partnership of unions in the form of the One Big Union** * this union would have **enormous bargaining power** with employers, making it **easier to achieve their demands** * Canadian workers were unsatisfied and began to **demand three things** * recognition of their unions * 8 hour workdays * improved wages * these were not given by employers, and thus lead to the Winnipeg General Strike #### Winnipeg General Strike * members of Winnipeg's building-trade union went on strike * they were soon joined by many different workers from different industries * **this became a general strike**, one that involved every non-essential worker * the strike disrupted daily life in Winnipeg and was strongly opposed by the **Citizen's Commission of 1000** * made up of business owners, politicians, and bankers * they spread propaganda that this was a Communist revolution and hired **scabs** to replace workers * On June 21st, 1919, **Bloody Saturday** occurred where RNWMP officers on horseback charged into a protest * the **army occupied the city**, and workers **went back to their jobs** * the Winnipeg general strike did lead to **positive changes later on** with laws recognizing the rights of workers and strike organizers becoming politicians * **J.S Woodsworth**, an organizer, became a founding member of the NDP #### Spanish Flu * **influenza** epidemic caused by a strain called H1N1 * no historical data showing where it started * killed **young healthy adults** * started in March 1918 and ended in June 1920 * called Spanish Flu as the **Spanish press were the first to report on it** * all the other countries affected involved in World War 1 had censored the event * 20 to 100 million killed * the flu caused an overreaction in the immune system leading to death