War in Europe Flashcards
Canada served overseas as part of the overall….
Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)
In 1915 on the Western Front, who led the Canadian Corps
Julian Byng, a British general
Who led the Canadian Corps in 1917?
Canadian Lieutenant-General Arthur Currie
What is a Stalemate
A chess move- occurs when neither player has enough offensive power left to obtain victory
How did the stalemate between Germany and France occur?
Germany invaded France by going through Belgium, but was stopped in the Battle of the Marne (led to a two-front war) and because Germany, the British and French could not advance, they dug trenches.
What is trench warfare?
The standard war tactic because tanks and airplanes were not fully developed.
They dig trenches and fire at each other.
What is no man’s land
A narrow strip of land between the trenches. When officers order an advance, this meant entering no man’s land (highly dangerous)
How did machine guns play a big role in the war?
Machine guns were so powerful which is why the stalemate occurred because it was so dangerous to enter no man’s land due to the guns
What was trench life like?
Very difficult- weather, epidemics, diseases, conditions all affected the living conditions.
What are Battles of Attrition?
Traditionally, the idea is that one army overwhelms the other but due to the trenches and stalemate, the reality was they were just trying to wear the other army down to outlast.
Why did Battles of Attrition occur?
Because defensive weapons were way better than attacking weapons.
What is total war?
Everything within a nation is for war (Ex. all the production, finance, etc. are all dedicated to war efforts)
What is the home front?
Responsible for production, enlisting troops, finance and organization. Soon became just as important as the battlefront.
What were some reasons for conscription?
Casualties, as well as needing to support the home front.
What were some impacts of the war on nations?
Industries were retooled to mass-produce war materials instead of domestic/consumer goods, new finance methods were introduced (war bonds- loaning money, income taxes), everyone (women, children, teachers) began to play important roles
