WW1 Flashcards
Ypres
April, 1915 Allies won
French / Canadian troops attacted by German chlorine gas (which had been banned since 1907)
Gas left soldiers blind, burned, dead
Battle = 1 month & 6 000+ canadians casualties / injured
Somme
July, 1916 Allies won
Allies carried out attack on German trenches near Somme (river in France) They Failed
Allies bombed German lines for days (didn’t destroy defense)
Battle = 5 months & 1.25 million casualties (24 000 can.)
Vimy
1914 Allies won
Germans captured Vimy Ridge (near the Somme river)
2+ years French and British tried to seize ridge
Canadian troops lead assault on Vimy (built tunnels)
10 000 casualties / injuries
Passchendaele
1917 Allies won
Arthur Curry = subject to General Haig
Canadian troops took Passchendaele
200 000+ casualties / injuries
100 jours
March 3, 1918 -
Russia / Central Powers signed Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Allowed German troops stationed in East to fight in West
1918 - Ypres, Somme, Passchendaele were lost to Germans
A new front line was established ~75km from Paris
August 1918 - 100 day campaign began - won battle at Arras, Cambria, Valenciennes and haulted Germans troop
Mobilization des Troops
French - Canadian Libral Leader Wilfred Laurier supported Britain
PM Conservative Bordon planned to provide 25 000 troops - after 1 month = 30 000 volunteers signed up*
* many thought the war would be over by christmas
(Indigenous, Africanadian, Japanese = not allowed)
Quebec & Bourassa
Quebec had low volunteer #
Quebecois = farmers had to stay on land/ no connection to Europe = lead them to believe they had nothing to do with the war
Henri Bourassa = Quebec Nationalist - oppressed conscription
Argued war weaked Canada’s economy / independence
Propagande
Film, articles, radio, posters, politics
Appealed to sense of patriotism
- Encouraged enlistment
- Buying Victory Bonds
- Use less gas / eat less meat
- Social pressure
- Minimized harsh realities
La Chaine d’Evenements
1914 -
Austria-Hungary (A-H) sent crown prince Archduke Franz Ferdinand to Sarajevo
A member of “La Main Noire” Gavrilo Princip shot and killed Ferdinand / Wife
A-H held Serbia responsible = Triple Alliance caused Germany to default and support A-H
A-H declared war on Serbia = Russia defends Serbia (promotes Panslavism)
Germany mobilized troops = France and Great Britian (G.B.) did too
G.B. enters war = Canada enters war
The Illusory Security of the Alliances (i dont want to write that in french)
Early 1900s - all major Euro powers = aligned in case of attack
Triple Alliance (T.A.) = Germany, A-H, Italy*
Triple Entente (T.E.) = France, G.B., Russia
* Italy was neutral, then entered T.E. in 1915
Les Causes de la Premier Guerre Mondial 1GM
Militarism
Imperialism gave rise to crisis = mistrust
Along with expansion of empires, the Great Powers (G.P.) developped military resources to protect / intimidate
G.P. viewed war as acceptable conflict resolution
Early 20th centure - G.B. creates biggest naval force
Germany did the same in return + # soldiers / weapons
Les Causes de la 1GM
Imperialism & Central Powers
Since 15th century - G.B., France, Germany, Italy, A-H, Russia = extending territorries by force
These countries practiced imperialism (colonies)
19th century - massive industrialization = G.P. expand territories
1800s - Africa (gold, diamond, ivory, land) colonized
Germany wanted to become a G.P. (territories ≠ good)
Germany provoked conflict between France & G.B.
Les Causes de la 1GM
Nationalism
Balkans = crazy nationalists - regaining independence after the Ottoman Empire fell
A-H controled some of those countries
Serbia wanted to control Bosnia in its borders
Some Bosnian Serbs formed “La Main Noire” who wanted to form Greater Serbia
A-H imperialists could not afford this
Les Causes de la 1GM
The Role of the Balkans
G.P. multiplied # of colonies while competing for Euro’s resources - Balkan territory attracted attention
Russia wanted a panslavic system to unite slavics from Balkans (to facilite imp/exports)
A-H saw Panslavism as threat (alrdy had Croatia & Serbia)
Sam Hughes
Responsible for arms industry - Created “La Comitee des Obus” (projectiles)
Dude was a poor administrator - products = useless
(i.e. shells explode before fired, boots fall apart)
1916 - Removed from office, yet somehow he was knighted by King George V
Minister of Militia* & Defense - in charge of training soldiers
*not an error
Canadian National Identity
Sam Hughes trained soliders at Valcartier camp
4 months - 32 000 soldiers = completed basic training - shipped to G.B.
This army = “Corps-Expeditionnaire Canadien (CEC)”
CEC fought as separate unit for most of the war
