Unit 1 Canada and World War I (1914-1918). Chapter 3 War Breaks Out!

Unit 1

Canada and World War I

(1914-1918)

Chapter 3

War Breaks Out!

Canada at War!

• On 4 August 1914, Britain declared war on Germany

• Canada (and other countries of the British Empire) were automatically at war too

• Many Canadians were not expecting to go to war

• But many Canadians viewed Germany as an enemy that had to be stopped

Canada at War!

• Patriotic feelings ran high for both English Canadians (to defend Britain) and French Canadians (to defend France)

• Many thought the war would be over by the end of the year

• The British Empire was seen as a powerful world force

• No one expected it would take more than four years and the involvement of over 600 000 Canadians before the war was over

Flashpoint: Sarajevo

• The Balkans (region of southeastern Europe) had been a tense zone of conflict for years leading up to 1914

• On 28 June 1914, Archduke (and heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne) Franz Ferdinand and Archduchess Sophia were visiting Sarajevo

• Upon arriving at the governor’s palace, Gavrilo Princip stepped up to the car, fired two shots from a pistol at point blank and killed both the Archduke and the Archduchess


• The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, swallowed poison soon after but it failed to kill him

• Princip and five others were caught by the police

• They were all members of the Black Hand, a Serbian terrorist group

• Their plan was to murder the archduke and then commit suicide


• Few could have predicted the terrible effect this assassination would have on world history

• But in less than two months, the events that followed plunged Europe (and Canada) directly into World War I

Causes of World War I

• The assassination in Sarajevo may be seen as the proximal cause of World War I (the final spark that ignited the Great War)

• BUT a major historical even as complex as a world war involves many different distal causes (ultimate factors that led to the war)…

• Tensions had been increasing in Europe since the late 19th century

• Several factors led to the outbreak of World War I…


1. Nationalism• Nationalism is a feeling of deep loyalty to

one’s people and homeland• By the early 20th century, extreme

nationalism was causing problems in Europe (some people were even prepared to go to war to advance the interests of the homeland)

• Nationalistic feelings were especially intense in the small country of Serbia in the early 1900s…


1. Nationalism• Serbia bordered on the Austrian province of Bosnia• Austria-Hungary had annexed Bosnia in 1908• Many Bosnian residents of Serbian descent resented

being under Austrian control• Some Bosnian Serbs were determined to free Bosnia

from Austrian domination and unite with Serbia into one powerful nation

• As a result, the formed the terrorist organization (a group that supports violent action to gain its goals) known as the Black Hand


1. Nationalism• Austrians were also expressing strong

feelings of nationalism• They strongly opposed the attempts of Bosnia

to break away from their empire• Nationalistic feelings on both sides made the

region a powder keg waiting to explode


2. Alliances• Alliances are formed when countries join together

against a common threat, and pledge to support each other in times of war

• In 1914, Europe was divided into two hostile camps• France and Germany had been involved in conflicts for

centuries• Each side tried to find other countries to be allies in

case of future wars


2. Alliances• France formed alliances with Russia and

Britain in what was known as the Triple Entente or “Allies”

• Germany joined forces with Austria-Hungary and Italy to form the Triple Alliance or Central Powers

• BUT when the war started Italy left the Central Powers to join the Triple Entente


2. Alliances• The alliances were dangerous because they

increased fear and suspicion among rival nations

• Moreover, with these alliances, a war between two countries would inevitably involve many more


3. Imperialism• During the late 19th century and early 20th

century, imperialism was gaining momentum• As European countries became more

industrialized, they were increasingly more interested in gaining colonies and building empires

• Competition for for raw materials, markets, glory, and power from colonies was intense


3. Imperialism• European empires were expanding, and

included the following colonies around the world– France: northwest Africa and east Asia– Russia: northern Europe and Asia– Britain: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India,

Burma, Malaya, South Africa (as well as other parts of Africa), the East and West Indies, and islands in the Pacific


3. Imperialism• By the time Germany began to build an

empire, all that remained were some areas in Africa and the Pacific that were not considered very valuable

• Competition for colonies led to frequent clashes among major European powers all over the globe


4. Militarism• Militarism is the belief in the power of strong

armies and navies to decide issues• It was believed by many countries that the

only way to guarantee peace was to prepare for war (i.e. if a nation is strong, no enemy will dare attack it)

• Militarism was very closely related to nationalism (strong military = source of pride) and imperialism (strong military = easier expansion of the empire)


4. Militarism• Increasing militarism led to an arms race

(competition between rival nations to build the largest and most deadly war machine) in Europe

• Production of steel battleships, high-powered guns, and explosives escalated

• The size of armies and navies was rapidly increasing


4. Militarism• European nations were becoming more and

more suspicious and alarmed by each other’s military power– When Germany started building a huge navy, the

British became nervous– As an island nation, the Britain depended on its

giant navy to “rule the seas” and guarantee its safety

– Therefore, by building a powerful navy, Germany challenged Britain’s supremacy at sea

The Final Steps to War

• With tensions running high in Europe, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand quickly set of a chain reaction of events:

• The Austro-Hungarian government blamed Serbia for the assassination

• Austria-Hungary saw an opportunity to crush Serbian nationalism

• With the support of its ally, Germany, Austria-Hungary sent Serbia an ultimatum (a demand by one government that another government accept its terms or face war


• …chain reaction of events:• Austria-Hungary insisted that Serbia:

1. Suppress all nationalist hatred against Austria-Hungary

2. Punish all those involved in the assassination plot

3. Allow Austro-Hungarian officials into Serbia to help crush the Black Hand

• Serbia was given 48 hours to reply• Serbia agree to all the conditions except the third• Austria-Hungary took this as a refusal of its ultimatum

and declared war on Serbia on 26 July 1914


• …chain reaction of events:• Russia, considering itself an ally of Serbia, started to

mobilize its armies• France, as Russia’s ally, also mobilized its forces• Germany felt threatened by the actions of its neighbours,

France and Russia• Germany ordered them to stop mobilizing• When they refused, Germany declared war on Russia on

1 August 1914 and on France on 2 August 1914


• …chain reaction of events:• Since the French border was heavily fortified, Germany

planned to attack France through Belgium• Britain (not yet involved in the war) had signed a treaty

guaranteeing to protect the neutrality (a country that does not help or support any side in a war or dispute) of Belgium

• Hence, when Belgium was invaded Britain declared war on Germany

• By midnight on 4 August 1914, all the countries of the two alliances (except Italy) were at war

• World War I had begun!

Canada Goes to War

• When WWI broke out, Canada entered the war as part of the British Empire

• Britain still determined Canada’s relations with foreign nations

• There was no debate in the Canadian parliament over whether or not Canada should join the war

• Since Canada was not a fully independent nation, it could not declare war or make peace on its own

• When Britain was at war, Canada was also automatically at war

Canada Goes to War

• Support for Canada’s involvement in the war was widespread

• English and French Canadians were united against a common enemy

• Although Canada could not declare war on its own, it could determine the nature and extent of its involvement

• Prime Minister Robert Borden and his cabinet decided to support Britain whole-heartedly

• On 6 August, two days after war was declared, Canada (a country of just over 7 million) offered Britain a force of 25 000 men trained, equipped, and paid by the Canadian government

Canada Goes to War

• How prepared was Canada for such a full-scale, modern war?

• Canada had only 3000 regular army soldiers• Canada’s navy consisted of only two old cruisers (the Niobe and the Rainbow)

• But Canada had over 60 000 militia (part-time citizen soldiers trained for emergencies)

• Colonel Sam Hughes, Minister of Militia, had been increasing military spending, expanding the militia, and upgrading their training for years

• It was the militia and other volunteers who would make up the majority of Canadian forces overseas

Canada Goes to War

• To meet Canada’s commitment, Hughes organized a massive recruiting campaign across the country

• When the call went out there was no shortage of volunteers

• Recruiting offices were flooded with men and boys willing to fight for a private’s pay of $1 a day

• Many joined from a sense of patriotism; others were swept up by the feelings of excitement and sense of adventure

Canada Goes to War

• Conditions in Canada in 1914 also fed the tide of men eager to enlist

• From 1900 to 1912, Canada had enjoyed an economic boom and period of prosperity

• But by 1913, the country was facing an economic depression:

• British investors who had poured money into Canadian railways and factories stopped investing

• Factories slowed production and workers were laid off• Immigrants were still coming to Canada, but there was little or

no work for them• On the Prairies a drought caused a very poor wheat crop in

1913

Canada Goes to War

• For poor farmers and unemployed workers, the army offered a steady job with pay, free room and board, and a sense of purpose

• Within a week, 10 000 Canadians had volunteered• Not all joined as foot soldiers• Some joined as engineers, medics, construction workers, or

members of cavalry units• Hundreds of women volunteered as nurses and ambulance

drivers• At home, wealthy and patriotic citizens donated money for

machine guns and trucks• The war effort was in full swing

Mobilizing the Troops

• To train and prepare Canadian troops, Hughes had a huge camp set up at Valcartier, Quebec

• Over 30 000 men were trained at Valcartier, but were often poorly equipped

• Hughes insisted the troops be issued the Ross rifle (a good sharpshooting gun manufactured in Canada, but proved useless in trench warfare)

• In the dirt of the trenches the Ross rifle frequently jammed and defenceless Canadian soldiers were often forced to take Enfield rifles from dead British soldiers

• After an official investigation, Canadian troops were issued new guns in 1916

• Sam Hughes was later fired by Prime Minister Borden

Canada Goes to War

• By October 1914, the first Canadian contingent was on its way across the Atlantic

• In Britain the received more formal training on the muddy plains of Salisbury

• The troops were placed under the command of British officers

• Hughes resisted British attempts to divide and distribute the Canadians among other divisions of British soldiers, insisting that they remain as a united Canadian fighting force

• Other troops waited anxiously at home for their turn to join the forces overseas fearing that the war would be over before they got there

• Soldiers had little idea of what lay ahead and little understanding of modern warfare

• Many were eager to fight in a war in which 1 in 10 would never return

Unit 1 Canada and World War I (1914-1918). Chapter 3 War Breaks Out!

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Transcript of Unit 1 Canada and World War I (1914-1918). Chapter 3 War Breaks Out!