Part 1: Major Events/Terms

World War I Overview:

Canada’s Entry into WWI:
-​ Canada was forced to join the war when Britain declared war on Germany because
Canada and Britain were allies from before.
-​ Before the war, Canada was a part of Britain's colonies
-​ After the war, Canada gained independence from Britain
-​ On July 1st, 1867, Canada was formed as a confederation
-​ Canada’s participation in WWI, increased its sovereignty, turning it from a self-governed
dominion of the British Empire to a fully independent nation with full control over its own
policies and laws.

Major Battles:
1.​ Second Battle of the Ypres
-​ April 22 1915 - May 25 1915
-​ First use of poison gas
-​ Canadian troops, despite the gas, held their lines

2.​ Battle of the Somme

-​ July 1st, 1916 - November 18, 1916
-​ Massive casualties for every side
-​ Introduced tanks

3.​ Battle of the Vimy Ridge

-​ April 9th, 1917 - April 12th, 1917
-​ All four Canadian divisions fought as one, becoming victorious at the end
-​ A symbol of national unity

4.​ Battle of the Passchendale

-​ July 31st, 1917 - November 6th, 1917
-​ Fought through mud and heavy rain
-​ Heavy losses on each side, for little gain

5.​ Battle of the Marne

-​ September 6th, 1914 - September 12th, 1914
-​ Stopped German advances into France

6.​ Hundred Day Offensive

-​ August 8th, 1918 - November 11th, 1918
-​ Canadian-led victories helped

Home Front Events:

●​ Halifax Explosion
-​ December 6th, 1917
 -​ Two ships collided in the Halifax harbor
-​ The city was devastated due to the explosion.

●​ War Measures Act

-​ Gave Governments Emergency Power during wartime.

●​ Victory Bonds & Rationing

-​ Encouraged Canadians to support the war effort economically (rationing, growing
food, etc…)

Alliances:
●​ Triple Entente
-​ Britain
-​ France
-​ Russia
-​ Later Canada (since they were part of Britain)

●​ Triple Alliance
-​ Austria-Hungary
-​ Italy
-​ Germany

Weapons & Technology:

-​ Machine Guns
-​ Poison Gas
-​ Tanks
-​ Airplanes
-​ Submarine (U-boats)
-​ Flamethrowers
-​ Marked the beginning of modern, industrial warfare

End of War:
●​ Treaty of Versailles:
-​ Signed on June 28 1919
-​ Put in effect on January 10, 1920
-​ Ended the War
-​ Germans were punished heavily with heavy repercussions

●​ League of Nations
-​ Created to maintain peace
-​ Canada gained a more independence voice
-​ Representatives from 63 different countries were a part of it
 Part 2: Concepts
1.​ Historical Thinking Concepts:
●​ Historical Perspective:
-​ Historical Perspective means to understand past events by considering how
people at the time lived, their beliefs, values, and the context of the time it
occurred. It requires recognizing that people in the past saw the world differently
than we do in today’s generation.
●​ Cause & Consequence
-​ Cause and Consequence looks at what events to decisions led to an event that
occurred and the short-term and long-term effects that followed. It shows how
one action can create many effects. Also showed how history is shaped by a
chain of interconnected actions and outcomes.
●​ Continuity & Change
-​ Continuity and Change examines what has remained the same in history, and
what has changed over time. It helps us understand how history can shift while
some things remain constant.
●​ Historical Significance
-​ Historical Significance explains why an event, person, or idea is important to
remember. Something is significant if it had a meaningful impact on society or
shaped future events.

2.​ Treaty of Versailles - Fair or Unfair

Fair Unfair

●​ Held Germany responsible for ●​ Imposed harsh reparations and

aggression economic hardship (Especially on
●​ Aimed to rebuild Europe and promote Germany)
peace ●​ Excluded Germany from negotiations
●​ Created new nations based on ●​ Caused resentment that led to
self-determination instability and World War II.

War Guilt Clause (Article 231) - Blamed Germany for the entire war

3.​ Conscription Crisis in Canada

Right (for Conscription) Wrong (against Conscription)

●​ Replaced losses and strengthened ●​ Divided French and English

Canada’s army Canadians
●​ Shows Canada’s commitment to the ●​ Violated personal freedom
Allies ●​ Favored the wealthy who could avoid
●​ Helped achieve final victories (ex. Service
Hundred Days Offensive)
 Military Service Act (1917) - Introduced conscription
Robert Borden - Prime Minister who passed the Act
Henri Bourassa - French Canadian leader who opposed conscription

4.​ M.A.I.N causes of WWI

Term Definition How it relates to WWI

Militarism Building up armed forces and European nations built huge

glorifying war. armies and navies; arms race
created tension

Alliances Agreements between nations Small conflicts escalated into

to protect each other a global war due to alliance
commitments

Imperialism Expanding power by Competition for colonies

controlling other countries caused tension (ex. Britain vs
Germany)

Nationalism Strong pride and loyalty to National rivalries (ex. Serbia

one’s nation or culture vs Austria-Hungary) fueled
conflict

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo triggered the alliance system and
sparked WWI.

5.​ The Schlieffen Plan

What it was:
●​ Germany’s plan at the start of WWI
●​ Germany wanted to defeat France quickly by going through Belgium then turn to Russia
afterwards
●​ Goal was to avoid fainting two countries at the same time
Why it failed:
●​ Belgium resisted longer than expected
●​ Britain entered the war to help Belgium
●​ Russia prepared faster than Germany anticipated
●​ France regrouped
●​ German army slowed down and lost speed that the plan required
Impact
●​ Resulted in trench warfare and a long stalemate on the Western Front
●​ War did not end quickly like Germany hoped
●​ Established the Western Front
●​ Led to a long and difficult war
●​ Failure caused years of stalemate on the Western Front
●​ Led to millions of casualties with little movement
Part 3: Specific Key Terms/Groups

Key Terms Definition / Historical Significance

Flapper 1920’s women who challenged social norms

through fashion and independence

Suffrage Movement Women’s fight for the right to vote; led to

major political change (1916-1918)

Prohibition Alcohol ban that led to illegal trade and

organized crime

Chemical Warfare Poison Gas introduced in WWI; caused

horrific injuries and new war ethics

The Spanish Flu (1918-1919) Global pandemic after WWI that killed
millions; including Canadians

The League of Nations Postwar organization aimed at peace; gave

Canada a more independent role

The Winnipeg General Strike (1919) Massive worker protest for fair wages and
conditions; symbolized growing labour
movement

The Person’s Case (1929) Legal victory declaring women “persons”

under the Canadian law; advanced gender
equality

Prohibition Repeal (1933) Demonstrated limits of governments control

over moral behavior

The Group of Seven Canadian artists who reflected national

identity and landscapes in the 1920’s.

Battles and Their Historical Significance

●​ Second Battle of the Ypres (1915)
- First use of poison gas
- Canadian soldiers held the line under deadly conditions

●​ Battle of the Somme (1916)

-​ High Casualties
-​ First use of tanks
-​ Showed futility of trench warfare

●​ Battle of Vimy Ridge (1917)

-​ United Canadian divisions under Canadian command
-​ Symbol of national pride
 ●​ Battle of Passchendaele (1917)
-​ Brutal Conditions
-​ Heavy losses
-​ Showed soldiers endurance and futility of war

●​ Hundred Days Offensive (1918)

-​ Canadian-led assaults broke German lines
-​ Helped end the war

●​ Battle of Amiens (1918)

-​ Key Allied victory that marked the beginning of the end for Germany

Part 4: Visual Analysis/Recognition

➔​ Soldiers marching or weapons = Militarism
➔​ Flags and patriotic slogans = Nationalism
➔​ Colonies or maps = Imperialism
➔​ Handshakes between countries = Alliances