World War I Review Guide

Thirty question-and-answer flashcards covering causes of WWI, Canada’s involvement, key battles and fronts, home-front issues, the end of the war, and the post-war settlement.

What four long-term factors are summarized by the acronym M.A.I.N. as causes of WWI?

Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism.

How did the alliance system create a chain reaction after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand?

Treaty obligations pulled allied countries in one after another—Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia mobilized to aid Serbia, Germany supported Austria-Hungary, France backed Russia, and Britain (and therefore Canada) entered when Germany invaded Belgium.

Why did Britain’s declaration of war automatically involve Canada in 1914?

Because Canada was still a dominion of the British Empire; when Britain declared war, Canada was at war as well.

What was the general Canadian attitude toward joining the war in August 1914?

Widespread enthusiasm and patriotic support, especially among English Canadians, who saw it as an adventure and duty to the Empire.

Name two key rifles issued to Canadian soldiers early in the war and one problem with the first.

Ross rifle (prone to jamming in muddy trenches) and the Lee-Enfield rifle (more reliable and later adopted).

What is trench warfare?

A form of static, fortified warfare in which opposing armies fight from excavated trenches protected by barbed wire and machine-guns.

Why is WWI often called a ‘war of attrition’?

Victory depended on wearing down the enemy’s manpower and resources rather than rapid territorial gains.

What is meant by ‘total war’ in the context of WWI?

Entire societies—economies, industries, and civilian populations—were mobilized to support the war effort.

What was Canada’s most celebrated battlefield victory of WWI?

The Battle of Vimy Ridge (April 9–12, 1917).

What was the strategic goal of the Gallipoli campaign?

To open a sea route to Russia by capturing the Dardanelles Strait from the Ottoman Empire.

Give two reasons the United States entered WWI in 1917.

Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare (e.g., sinking of the Lusitania) and the Zimmermann Telegram promising Mexico U.S. territory in return for joining Germany.

What was the Conscription Crisis of 1917 in Canada?

A political and social conflict over compulsory military service, causing deep divisions between English and French Canadians.

What power did the War Measures Act grant the Canadian government?

Sweeping authority to regulate the economy, censor information, and detain or deport individuals for national security.

How did WWI accelerate women’s suffrage in Canada?

Women’s vital wartime work and the Wartime Elections Act (1917) extended the federal vote to many women, leading to full suffrage in 1918.

What was the Halifax Explosion (1917)?

A massive munitions ship explosion in Halifax Harbour that killed roughly 2,000 people and was the largest man-made explosion prior to the atomic age.

Why did Russia leave WWI, and what treaty formalized its exit?

Revolution, economic collapse, and military exhaustion; the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918).

What were the ‘Hundred Days’ (Aug-Nov 1918)?

A series of Allied offensives, heavily involving Canadian troops, that broke German lines and led to the Armistice.

State the overall purpose of Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points.

To outline a just peace, prevent future wars, and promote self-determination and collective security.

Name two specific points from Wilson’s Fourteen Points.

1) Freedom of the seas in peace and war; 2) Creation of a general association of nations (which became the League of Nations).

What was self-determination as promoted at the Paris Peace Conference?

The principle that ethnic groups should have the right to form their own nations or decide their own government.

What did Article 231, the ‘war guilt clause,’ state in the Treaty of Versailles?

That Germany accepted responsibility for causing the war and its damages, forming the basis for reparations.

How did the harsh terms of Versailles contribute to WWII?

Economic hardship, territorial losses, and national humiliation in Germany fostered resentment that extremist movements, including Nazism, exploited.

List two new countries created after WWI.

Examples: Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (any two).

Approximately how many military and civilian casualties resulted from WWI?

About 37 million total casualties, including roughly 9–10 million military deaths and 7 million civilian deaths.

What was Canada’s ‘coming-of-age’ moment in WWI?

Successful leadership and battlefield performance, notably at Vimy Ridge and during the Hundred Days, earned Canada a separate seat at Versailles and greater international respect.

Define ‘battle of attrition’ using WWI as an example.

A battle strategy aimed at exhausting the enemy’s manpower and supplies; e.g., Verdun and the Somme sought to bleed the opponent white rather than seize large territory.

Why was naval supremacy critical in WWI?

To maintain blockades (Allied blockade of Germany), protect supply lines, and counter Germany’s U-boat threat in the Atlantic.

How did airplanes change over the course of WWI?

Evolved from unarmed reconnaissance craft to armed fighters and bombers, leading to the development of separate air forces.

Name one significant Canadian legislation that extended voting rights to female relatives of soldiers during WWI.

The Wartime Elections Act (1917).

Which act allowed the Canadian government to intern ‘enemy aliens’ and censor the press during WWI?

The War Measures Act (1914).