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-2 Assassinartion of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (The Spark That Started the Fire) *
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Him and his pregnant wife were assassinated by a Serbian man known as Gavrilo Princip in Bosnia. Austria-Hungary threatened to go to war with Serbia if they didn’t meet their harsh demands. Germany sided with Austria-Hungary, and Russia sided with Serbia. Austria-Hungary later declared war on Serbia with Germany on their side. Germany then declared war on Russia on August 1,and later on France on August 3. -
+1 The Battle of Ypres*
Canadians had to hold 3.5 km of the line in Ypres, Belgium. This battle was the first use of chemical warfare. The Germans used Chlorine gas to smother the Canadians. The soldiers had to adapt by covering their faces with makeshift gas masks that consisted of urine covered rags. The urine would neutralize the chlorine gas. 6000+ soldiers ended up getting killed. Through it all, the Canadians proved to be relentless and were able to hold the line despite all odds against them. -
-2 The Battle of the Somme*
The battle of the Somme was a disaster that could’ve been avoided. British soldiers got too cocky and decided to not use any of their advantages against the Germans because they figured it would be an easy win considering there were very few Germans left. Wave after wave of soldiers were sent to finish off the Germans but the Germans mowed them down with machine guns. 57,000 British soldiers were killed on the first day due to their tactician being arrogant. -
+2 The Battle of Vimy Ridge*
All 4 Canadian divisions fought together for the first time. They managed to take the strategic high ground of the ridge. Soldiers utilized the "creeping barrage" technique which was supported by 1000 artillery cannons. It was a huge win for Canada because their strategy was able to overcome the obstacles of trench warfare, and were able to win with the least amount of casualties as possible. -
-1 Conscription *
At the beginning of ww1, it was easy for the government to convince Canadians to enlist in the army. By 1916, people learned about the conditions of the war and were hesitant to enlist. More and more soldiers were needed as rencforments to replace the fallen but less Canadians were enlisting. That’s when they introduced conscription-forced military service. -
+1 The Wartime Elections Act@
During the 1917 election, women who were close relatives of a man fighting in the war were allowedto vote as well as women serving in the medical corps. This garenteed that women would vote for Prime Minister Borden because he supported conscription.Any woman with a family member in the war would want more soldiers to support their loved ones, so they voted for Borden. While it was definitely a huge step for women because previously they weren’t aloud to vote, it was a scumy way of doing it. -
-2 The Battle of Passchendaele*
The battlefield was water lodged. This meant you couldn’t move large artillery because it would get stuck in the mud. The battlefield was so muddy that many people died in the mud. Canadians won the 7km of land they were fighting for and instantly lost it. The battle was pointless because the land they were fighting for was not worth having. 16000 soldiers died. -
+2 Armistice Day@
On the 11th day of the 11th hour of the 11 month of 1918, the fighting of the Great War finally ended. The Allies and Germans sign the armistice. This meant that both sides could stop fighting and end the suffering of millions. This however did not mean the war was completely finished as it only stopped the actual fighting, but it was a huge step in the right direction. -
0 Winnipeg General Strike $
30,000 workers ended up striking because of dismal wages, poor working conditions, huge unemployment, inflation, and the success of the Russian revolution. The strikers wanted working to be more fair. The strike ended up being very violent with hundreds of people arrested. 30 people were injured and 1 man was killed. -
+1.5 The Treaty of Versailles @
The Treaty of Versailles was by far the most important peace treaty of ww1.It took place exactly 5 years after Archduke Franz. Ferdinand was assassinated. While the armistice stopped the actual fighting, the Allies had to negotiate for 6 months at the Paris peace conference to once and for all put a conclusion to the peace treaty. It was great but Germany was forced to take all responsibilities for the damage the war had caused despite it not entirely being their fault. This contributed to ww2.
