• John A. Macdonald died in 1891

• Conservative party struggled to find a replacement

• 1896 Liberal leader, Wilfred Laurier, became first French-Canadian prime minister

• Served 15 years

• At the turn of the century, Canadians were divided about how it should be run

• English speaking Canadians were imperialist, believed there should be close ties to Great Britain

• French speaking Canadians were nationalist, believed Canadians should have more control over their own country.

• Lost the election of 1911 and Conservative party leader, Robert Borden became prime minister

Canada and World War I: The Beginning

1914 - Canadian Population 7.8 million

Tensions in Europe • The major powers in Europe

had been preparing for war for years.

• Key factors in the build-up to war included: – Arms races to build bigger and

more powerful armies and navies;

– Growing disputes over trade and land;

– Dissatisfaction with the balance of power in Europe;

– Resentment from the legacy of past grievances.

Countries Intertwined• Complicated military alliances and treaties

between the European powers divided much of Europe.

• This meant that if one country or power went to war, the others would likely go to war too.

Assassination Sparks War

• The assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914 set off a chain of events that led to war in early August 1914.

Assassination Sparks War

• The assassination was traced to a Serbian extremist group that wanted to increase Serbian power in the Balkans by breaking up the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Trigger of World War I - Assassination

Snowball Effect…

• The Austro-Hungarian Empire attacked Serbia in response.

• Germany supported Austria-Hungary, while Russia sided with its traditional ally, Serbia.

• When Russia mobilized its military forces at the end of July, Germany sought to avoid a two-front war by a quick invasion of France, Russia's main ally.

• German troops moved on France by invading Belgium, a country that had been neutral for nearly one hundred years, on 3 August. Britain, fulfilling its obligations to support Belgian neutrality, declared war the next day.

Two Opposing sides Emerged…

The Central PowersGermany, Austria-Hungary, and

The Ottoman Empire (Turkey)

The Triple Entente or AlliesFrance, Russia, and Great Britain

Canada’s Response

What is wrong in this slide?

Think of the time period…

When Britain went to war on the 4 of August, all colonies and dominions of the British Empire, like Canada and Newfoundland,

were automatically at war.

• In its early months, Canadians rushed to enlist for reasons of patriotism, adventurism, opposition to German aggression, or personal ties to Great Britain.

• Thousands showed up at their local recruiting stations eager to "do their bit," many of them with strong emotional ties to Great Britain.

Early Canadian Recruitment

Attestation Activity Think, pair, share

1. What stood out to you when completing this form?

2. What questions were included on the sheet that you found interesting/odd?

3. Do you see any questions that may be missing?

4. Does any of the wording used on the application stand out to you? That you found interesting?

5. What did recruiters deem important based on the questions asked on the sheet?

Complete the form and answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper….

Early Recruits Denied…• Not all potential recruits were welcomed.

• In 1914, strict medical exams required a potential soldier to be at least five feet, three inches tall, and between 18 and 45 years old. Good eyesight, arched feet, and healthy teeth were essential.

• They denied the applications of most black and Asian Canadian volunteers.