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Franz Ferdinand Assassinated
The Archduke of Austria-Hungary was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia by a Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip. This would draw Serbia and Austria-Hungary into war against each other, a war that would eventually draw in the rest of Europe and its colonies. -
Canada Enters WWI
After Germany ignores Britain's ultimatum to leave Belgium, Britain goes to war with Germany. As a colony of Britain, Canada was automatically at war with Germany as well. -
Second Battle of Ypres began
This was Canada's first battle of WWI. Canadians fought in Belgium, along with French-Africans against Germany. This battle would go on for about a month while the Canadians held off the Germans from advancing. At the start of the battle the Germans used a new weapon - chlorine gas - that wiped out most of the Algerian soldiers, leaving Canada to cover their trenches as well as the Canadian ones. -
- Manitoba women get the right to vote
Manitoba is the first province to allow women to vote in provincial elections. By April, Alberta and Sakatchewan will allow this as well. IN 1917, Ontario and BC also give women the right to vote. -
Anti-German Riot
Anti-German ideas run wild when a RUMOUR starts that immigrants from enemy countries are being hired for jobs and returning soldiers are being fired from jobs in Clagary. -
Battle of the Somme
July 1, most of the Newfoundland Regiment was wiped out. This is the deadliest battle of the war for soldiers on both sides. The Canadian Army (Newfoundland was separate from Canada at this point) entered the battle in October. Over a million killed on both sides. This battle went on for 4 months and ended on Nov. 18, 1916. -
Prohibition began in Ontario
Ontario banned the sale of alcohol in the province. It was still legal to make it, to sell it internationally, and to buy it. The goal was to make women's lives safer and to save grain products for soldiers in the war. -
Income Taxes introduced
Canada begins to tax the money that workers and businesses earn each year. -
Battle of Vimy Ridge begins
On Easter Monday, all 4 divisions of the Canadian army attacked the Germans at Vimy Ridge in France. This was the first time all 4 Canadian divisions attacked a target and fought together. The entire battle was planned and fought by the Canadian army together. Previously, France and Britain tried to take Vimy Ridge from the Germans, but they both lost. The battle lasted until April 12 with a Canadian victory. Over 3600 Canadians were killed and over 7000 were injured in the battle. -
1st woman elected to the government of Alberta
The people of Claresholm, Alberta elected Louise McKinney to the provincial government. She is the first woman since women only got the right to vote there 2 months earlier. -
Battle of Passchendaele began
This is a series of battles around Ypres, Belgium. Sometime it is called the 3rd Battle of Ypres (there were 5 Battles of Ypres in total). The Canadians would entered near the end, in early October of 1917, and captured a few kms of land from the Germans. This territory would be re-captured by Germany in the spring. Canada suffered 16000 casualties in 6 weeks of fighting. -
Conscription is law
Canada's government approves the law to allow them to force young, unmarried men to join the armed forces to fight in WWI.
Early in the war very few French-Canadians volunteered to fight since Canada was not attacked. Very few farmers also volunteered because young men were needed on the farm. Neither of these groups was happy about the conscription law. The families of soldiers who volunteered liked it since it helped the men they were related to fight the war. -
Military Voters Act and Wartime Elections Act become law
Voting laws are changed in Canada allowing many groups who had not been able to vote before to vote. This law allowed women who were related to men in the military to vote in Canadian elections, as well as indigenous people who were in the military to vote. It took the vote away from recent immigrants from Germany or Austria-Hungary. The goal was to create support for conscription. -
Halifax Explosion
Two ships (the Imo and the Mont Blanc) carrying weapons and gun powder collide and explode. It destroyed large parts of Halifax and is the largest man-made explosion until the atomic bomb is first tested in 1945. Over 1,700 people were killed and 9,000 injured out of 60,000 people in Halifax. -
Robert Borden re-elected as PM
Robert Borden's government, which united members of the Conservative and Liberal parties was re-elected. They had created a new political party called the Union government. They were the government that had brought in the changes to voting laws, conscription, and income taxes. -
Anti-conscription riots in Quebec
French-Canadians in Quebec, who were the group that most opposed volunteering to fight in WWI, rioted in Montreal and Quebec City after conscription laws were put in place and men started to be forced to join the war. -
Hundred Days Campaign began
Canadian soldiers captured victory after victory in France and Belgium as the Germans retreated at the end of the war. The last Canadian battle (and victory) was fought at Mons, in Belgium, on November 11, 1918 - the last day of fighting in WWI. -
Armistice takes effect
An agreement to stop fighting between German and Canada's allies took effect at 11:00am. Earlier in the day Canada had attacked and captured the city of Mons even though they knew the war was ending in a few hours. This armistice allowed them the chance to create an agreement to end the war entirely. This is now the day that Remembrance Day is observed. -
Treaty of Versailles Signed
This was the agreement to end WWI. Canada signed the agreement separately from Britain. This was the first time that Canada signed an agreement with other countries on its own. This agreement required Germany to admit it started the war and to accept many limits on what it could do with its military. Germany also had to pay Britain and France and Belgium money for the war and to give up a lot of land.