WW1 Unit Test - Grade 10 History

Nationalism

- Europeans felt intense loyalty towards their country and/or culture

- Believed in protecting national interests at the expense of others

Alliances

- Form of protection that backfired

- European nations made agreements to support one another in the event of an attack

- Triple entente hoped to reduce the threat of war but it had the opposite effect

Imperialism

- Industrial nations were scrambling to build over-sea empires

Militarism

- European countries kept large standing armies

- There was a naval arms race between Germany and Britain

- Countries were ready to use their armies if negotiations to solve problems failed

Triple Entente

A military alliance between Great Britain, France, and Russia

Triple Alliance

An alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy

Schlieffen Plan

Germany intended to bypass France's defences by going through neutral Belgium.

Why the Schlieffen Plan failed

• Schlieffen wrongly assumed Britain wouldn't object to the invasion of neutral Belgium

• Changes were made to the plan after Schlieffen died in 1913

• German troops were attacked before they expected to be by the French, British and Canadians

•  Instead of defeating France, Germans were trapped on the Western Front

Western Front

The region of Northern France where the forces of the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente battled each other.

Halifax Explosion

December 6, 1917, Mont Blanc ship (carrying 3000 tonnes of explosives) collided with Imo ship in the harbour and exploded, killing 2000 people and wounding 9000.

Conscription

Forced military service

No Man's Land

Territory between rival trenches, very dangerous

Ypres

April 1915 - Belgium:

• French & Canadian soldiers experienced gas warfare for the first time

• Canadian line never broke

• 6000 Canadians were killed, wounded and captured

• (Flanders Field poem written by John McCrae after 2nd Ypres battle)

Somme

July 1916 - France:

•  Soldiers were ordered to charge German machine guns in broad daylight

•  The Entente gained 8 km of mud

• 24 000 men killed

Vimy Ridge

April 1917 - France

• Germans occupied the ridge

• The French gained some of the ridge, but 6 months later Germany retook it

• The Entente constructed tunnels to move troops secretly forward

• Troops performed night raids and had lots of practice

• Used "leap-frogging" technique

• Troops captured the ridge: incredible victory

• Brought world recognition to Canadians & a strong sense of patriotism

• 10 600 Canadians killed/wounded

• 150 000 total casualties

Passchendaele

October 1917 - Belgium:

• Soldiers and equipment had to move over wooden trench mats in horrible conditions and in range of German guns

• Lower casualties, better planning and techniques

• 8000 Canadian casualties

• 1/2 a million for Germany and Britain combined

Who was against conscription?

French-Canadians:

• Many married early and had big families they needed to support

• The army had no French speaking brigades

• Farmers and Labour unionists:

• Slow to join because they believed food and materials they produced at home were important to the war efforts.

Who supported Conscription?

Many English Canadians supported it because they wanted to support the British Empire.

Women's participation

During WW1 Women:

• Worked in factories (munition)

• Worked as nurses

• Farming

• Knitting socks & rolling bandages

When did women first get to vote?

(1917) Women who were close relatives of military men could vote in federal elections. By extending the vote, the government meant to entice voters who were more likely to support conscription.

The Treaty of Versailles

1919 - Peace treaty at the end of WW1

- Established Canada as a new nation (No longer part of the British Empire)

The Treaty of Versailles Covered...?

Outlined:

- War Guilt: Germany had to accept responsibility for causing the war. This was the basis (or excuse) for reparations.

- Respirations: Initially, large free deliveries of coal, ships, livestock. As well as cash payments.

- Military Limitations: Armed forces and armaments to be severely limited. German navy and commercial fleet surrendered to Britain.

- Territorial Issues for Germany: Loss of all colonies, Some territory put under French Occupation, with coal going to France. Much of East Prussia and eastern Germany to Poland. Alsace and Lorraine returned to France.

Was the treaty of Versailles effective?

No it wasn't effective. Germany refused to accept the war guilt and respiration section other parts of the treaty and the Allies disagreed on how best treat Germany. Also, WW2 happened 20 years later.

Vimy Ridge Successes:

- All four Canadian divisions fought on the same battlefield

- They used carefully practiced and planned techniques

- Canadians captured the ridge and claimed victory for France and Britain.