World War I Flashcards
Sir John A Macdonald
Canada’s first prime minister immediately after Canada became a full country
Colony
A state owned/invaded by another for the purpose of increasing wealth and power
Nationalism
Political version of patriotism, a belief dedicated to benefitting one’s own nation
Imperialism
Extending a country’s power, possibly through military means
Alliances
Agreements formed between countries for mutual aid and protection
Arms/Naval Race
A “race” between multiple countries or armies to stock themselves as much as possible
Dreadnought
British navy boat
U-boat
German navy boat
Triple Entente
Alliance between France, Britain, and Russia
Triple Alliance
Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
“The Fronts”
Eastern Front along Russia
Western front in Western Europe
Franz Ferdinand
AustriaHungarian Archduke who was assassinated after taking a trip through recently-annexed Bosnia.
Gavrilo Princip
Member of the Black Hand, assassinated Franz Ferdinand
Black Hand
Serbian nationalist group who was angry at Austria-Hungary for annexing Bosnia
Blank Cheque
What Germany gave Austro-Hungary, meaning they would defend them no matter what
Ultimatum
What Austria-Hungary gave to Serbia, saying unless they allowed Austro-Hungarian troops to keep peace in Serbia, investigate Ferdinand’s assassination, and ban anti-Austro-Hungarian protests. Serbia did not allow this, so AH declared war.
Schlieffen Plan
Germany planned to go through Belgium to attack France, but due to Britain’s secret alliance with Belgium, this failed.
Sam Hughes
Canada’s minister of militia and defense during WWI
Ross Rifle VS Lee-Enfields
Lee-Enfields were the original rifles produced in Britain. They were slowly replaced by Ross Rifles, which were produced in Canada, but these gained a reputation as unstable and were quickly reverted to the Lee-Enfields
Dog Fight
Nickname for aerial fight
Flying Coffins
The nickname given to planes in WWI due to their high mortality rate. You were considered a veteran if you survived more than 3 weeks.
Billy Bishop
British pilot who was known as the best in the whole British army
Red Baron
German fighter pilot who was the best pilot of the whole war
Roy Brown
Canadian pilot who finally defeated the Red Baron
No-man’s-land
The area between enemy trenches. Extremely dangerous as it’s unsheltered
Shell Shock
Early name for PTSD
Trench Foot/Trench Mouth
Severe infections of the foot/mouth caused by moisture and poor hygiene in the trenches
Chlorine/Mustard Gas
Poison gas used in the trenches, quickly phased out after one too many troops were killed by their own gas.
Shock Troops
Troops capable of withstanding any pressure and good at offense. Canada earned a reputation as such in Ypres.
Creeping Barrage
A technique first used in Vimy Ridge where troops would follow behind a line of artillery blasts. It was primarily developed by Canadian troops.
Arthur Currie
Leader of the First Canadian Army.
Lord Byng
British officer who asked Canada to attempt Vimy Ridge after the failures of the French and British
Flash Spotting
Spotting guns based on the flashes they make in the night sky
Sound Ranging
Triangulating the position of the enemy based on the sound of their gunshots using a stopwatch.
The Lusitania
American boat carrying passengers sunk by the Germans, responsible for bringing America into the war.
Total War
Everyone in the country must do SOMETHING to contribute to the war effort
Victory Bond
Citizens can give the government money in a victory bond, and if they win the war, the citizen gets interest.I
Income tax
First used in WWI as a temporary mesaure
Conscription
Forced military enlistment set in motion by Borden. English wanted it, French did not.
Robert Borden
Canadian Prime Minister eager to pass conscription to answer British calls for it, despite having promised earlier not to.
Wilfrid Laurier
Borden’s opponent, against conscription. He was heavily supported by French-speaking Canadians
Military Service Act
Made conscription law
Military Voters Act
Male and female members of the military could vote, making this the first time in Canada’s history women could vote.
Wartime Elections Act
Anyone with a family member in the war could vote. This gerrymandering gave Borden an advantage in the election, since it meant all these women would vote for him since he supported conscription to support their husbands, fathers, and sons overseas.
War measures act
The government could pass legislation without parliament and suspend people’s rights if they deemed it necessary for keeping peace and security. Anyone living in Canada with heritage in Germany, Austro-Hungary, etc. was subject to discriminatory legislature and sent to internment camps.
Propaganda
Subjective information used to influence its audience and promote a view. Often a systematic effort to shift public opinion on an issue. In WWI it aggrandized the military and made enlisting seem like the upstanding, manly, patriotic choice.
Enemy Aliens
People living in Canada with heritage from an enemy country, like Germany. They were forced into internment camps for no good reason and their possessions were sold.
Tsar Nicolas II
The Tsar of Russia during WWI who was overthrown by the Bolsheviks and executed along with his family.
Peasants
The Russian people suffering extreme wealth inequality.
Soviet Union
What Russia became following the Russian Revolution
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty signed between the new Bolshevik government of the Soviet Union and Germany, officially ending the war between the two. Now Germany can transfer troops from the East to the West since they aren’t needed there anymore.
Armistice
Truce formed at the end of WWI marking the end of fighting but not technically the war.
Paris Peace Conference
Paris meeting in 1919 to negotiate what would be imposed on Germany as consequence of their role in WWI. Canada got a seat here (independence)
“Big Four”
The other big countries at the Paris Peace Conference. Britain, France, Germany, US.
Treaty of Versailles
THIS truly marked the end of WWI. Canada got to sign here (independence). It required Germany to cap its military, get rid of its air force, pay war reparations, and take full blame for the war (guilt clause).
Zimmerman Telegraph
Telegraph between Germany and Mexico plotting german-mexican alliance and an attack on the US. Responsible, along with the Lusitania, for bringing the US into the war.
