Chapter 2 History

Question 1

Militarism in Europe

Answer 1

• Beginning of 1900’s → Britain established largest army and navy in world.
• Germany built military to match Britain’s navy, so Britain increased navy and built HMS Dreadnought, largest and fastest battleship.
• Germany built more ships and own dreadnoughts, forcing France, grudges w/ Germany, to arm itself.

Question 2

Pan - Slavism and Resources

Answer 2

• Great powers fought over resources in Britain.
• Russia tried to win Balkans by promoting Pan-Slavism (i.e. uniting Slavics of Balkans).
• Russians hoped would allow access to region’s warm water ports when Russia’s ports were frozen.
• Austria-Hungary opposed Pan-Slavism, as several of its nations were Slavic and in Balkans, fearing loss of control of Slavics

Question 3

Alliances and the Ottoman Empire

Answer 3

• Ottoman Empire controlled Balkans, southeastern Europe and northern Africa for +500 years, but crumbled in 1900’s as it lost hold of Balkans.
• Early 1900’s → All great powers in Europe in alliances.
• Alliances increased chance of war by making allies of one country fight when facing war.

Question 4

Great Powers and Colonialism

Answer 4

• Great Powers embraced nationalism to colonized nations for mother country.
• Colonized nations held nationalism for own culture.
• Some countries in Balkans newly formed, others regained independence.
• Austro-Hungarian Empire controlled Slavic nations that wanted independence.

Question 5

Bosnia and Serbia

Answer 5

• Bosnia was highly contested, as Serbia wanted to include it.
• Bosnian Serbs formed Black Hand, willing to fight to unite Slavic individuals to form “Greater Serbia”, which Austria-Hungary strongly opposed.

Question 6

Events before WW1 and Canada

Answer 6

• Germany then violated neutrality of Belgium to attack France, to which Britain declared war against Germany.
• Canada went to war as part of the British Empire.
• Numerous Canadians wanted fight for Britain.
• PM Borden offered 25,000 troops, but +30,000 signed up, many faced financial hardship.

Question 7

Groups Excluded in War

Answer 7

• Women encouraged to stay out of war, but worked as nurses and ambulance drivers.
• Canadian forces didn’t initially accept Aboriginals and reluctant to take African and Japanese Canadians, all of whom rarely promoted.

Question 8

Canadian Financing for WW1

Answer 8

• Canada borrowed money from Britain before US. Canadians didn’t want taxes, some believing war would lead collapse of economy.
• War supply demand exploded, particularly artillery shells.
• Sam Hughes created Shell committee for overseeing manufacture of many artillery shells.
• Ministry of Militia suffered war profiteering, leading troops to receive fewer, poorer artillery shells.

Question 9

War Measures Act

Answer 9

• War Measures Act passed by PM Borden in 1914, giving government larger authority like control of manufacturing, agriculture, censorship, detention without charges, deportation and more.
• German, Austro-Hungarian immigrant-owned businesses attacked and immigrants held in internment camps.

Question 10

Failure of the Schlieffen Plan

Answer 10

• Germany pulls soldiers from west to east to reinforce fight against Russia.
• Allowed Allies to stop German advance through Battle of the Marne (Sept 1914).
• Both sides dug trenches (along Somme river and Belgium in Germany and across English Channel to Swiss Border for Allies)
• Soldiers weren’t moving beyond them by Christmas of 1914 (known as “No Man’s Land”).

Question 11

New Tech of WW1

Answer 11

• By 1914, new tech like machine guns, massive artillery, airplanes aided in war
• Many commanders didn’t understand new tech required different tactics
• Many used “war of attrition” tactic on exhausting enemy’s manpower and resources before one’s are exhausted.

Question 12

Air Warfare

Answer 12

• New in WW1
• At first, planes used for reconnaissance (and manned alone)
• Airplanes later armed with machine guns and bombs, including dogfights
• Ace - pilot shooting more than 5 planes
• Billy Bishop: British Empire Ace (72 kills)
• First Canadian pilot to be awarded Victorian Cross

Question 13

Naval Warfare

Answer 13

• 1910 - Laurier allowed construction of Canadian ships
• Ships would be given to Britain at the outbreak of war
• Canada’s merchant marines supplied Britain during war with wheat and ammunition
• U-Boats German submarines indiscriminately ships in Atlantic, including stopping supplies from being sent to Britain

Question 14

Conscription in Canada

Answer 14

• Borden promised no conscription at start of war
• 1917 - introduced Military Service Act, making enlistment mandatory.
• Exemptions on religion, moral grounds, essential jobs, clergymen or disability
• Divides nation, particularly Quebec - lowest rate of volunteers came from Quebec
• Quebecois essential farmers and did not feel allegiance to Britain

Question 15

Response to U - Boats

Answer 15

• Allies developed convoy system to counter submarines by travelling together
• Allies developed submarine locating technology
• Indiscriminately sinking ships helped bring America into WW1

Question 16

Exemptions to Conscription

Answer 16

• Lack of French Speaking positions and removal of French Language rights made Quebecois reluctant to enlist
• Quebec Nationalist Henri Bourassa was prominent writer, believing Canada’s economy and independence would be at risk
• Laborers (ex: farmers) didn’t want to lose jobs to fight (despite exemption for farmers, it was rescinded in 1918)
• “Soldiers of the Soil” established for farms, in which tours of duty took 3 months

Question 17

Election of 1917

Answer 17

• Borden asked Laurier to form coalition government, but declined being against conscription
• Many Liberal MPs joined Borden to form Liberal Party
• Borden passed Wartime Elections act and Military Voters Act

Question 18

“Khalki Election”

Answer 18

• Union Party gains majority in 1917, and Laurier’s Liberals lost support outside Quebec for anti-conscription stance
• French Canadians angered, riot in the Easter of 1918, 4 demonstrators dead
• Conscription called up 401K soldiers, of which 125k enlisted and 25k went to France.

Question 19

Before the End of WW1

Answer 19

• Tom Nicholas II of Russia forced to renounce throne in 1917
• Russian Revolution led to parce w/ Germany
• USA joins war on April 2, 1917
• Treaty of Brest - Litovsk is signed with Russians in March 3, 1918, freeing up German troops

Question 20

The Start of WW1

Answer 20

• 1914 → Austria-Hungary sent prince Archduke Franz Ferdinand to Bosnia capital Sarajevo.
• Black Hand member Gavrilo Princip assassinated him and wife, believing Empire was invader.
• Russia mobilized troops to protect Siberia, to which Germany mobilized, before Britain placed navy on alert and France mobilized.

Question 21

The CEF in WW1

Answer 21

• Canada’s army increased from 3,000 to 32,000 troops, were deployed after training 4 months.
• Army named Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). CEF fought as autonomous unit for Britain when arriving in England.
• British commanders originally thought CEF would’ve integrated with experienced, larger British.

Question 22

The Schlieffen Plan

Answer 22

• Germany creates Schlieffen Plan to stage war with Russia and France.
• Germans thought Russia wouldn’t mobilize troops in time and that Britain would remain neutral.
• Russia began mobilizing troops before Germany declared war.
• Germany invaded France and violated promise to not invade Belgium, making Britain join war.

Question 23

Conditions in Trenches

Answer 23

• Trenches were cold/damp in winter and flooded in rains of northern France + Belgium, stinking cesspools w/ rats.
• Soldiers held weeks in trenches w/out washing, spreading disease.
• Soldiers were infested w/ lice, developed trench foot causing feet to swell + blacken.
• Many wounded died in no man’s land from lack of rescue, others suffered mental exhaustion

Question 24

Machine Guns in No-Man’s Land

Answer 24

• Attacking enemy meant being ordered “over the top’’ to fight in no man’s land.
• Hundreds of thousands died from machine guns and was primary cause of stalemate on Western Front.
• Armoured tanks used for protection, could break through barbed wire, making trench obsolete by 1918.

Question 25

Wartime Elections Act and Military Voters Act

Answer 25

• Military Voters Act allowed overseas men and women to vote
• Wartime Elections Act allowed women related to servicemen to vote
• Disallowed immigrants from enemy countries and conscientious objectors to vote
• Attempts to sway election gave nickname “Khalki Election”

Question 26

End of WW1

Answer 26

• Germans launched offensive before Americans could arrive, pushing allies 75 km from France
• Retook important sites like Ypres and Somme and Passchendaele
• Counter-offensive initiated after arrival of Americans. Canadians then broke through Arras, Cambrai and Valenciennes
• Germans couldn’t be resupplied with troops or supplies. Armistice was called 11:00 AM on Nov. 11, 1918.