World War One
1914-1918
• Definition of War/Countries Involved
• Background Information WWI
• 4 Causes of World War I (p. 275)
• Declaring War (p. 276)
• Canada & Newfoundland Join In (p 277)
• Regiments and Battles (p. 278)
• In The Trenches (p. 282-283)
• War In the Air (p. 284)
• War at Sea (p. 285)
• Into Battle (A Study of 3 Battles)
• Study Guide
What Is War?
► War
is a state of prolonged large-scale
violence/conflict involving two or more
groups or countries.
Background Information
Page 274
Countries started to form alliances. An alliance is like
joining a team – everyone on the team agrees to stick
together if one is to get attacked or experiences problems.
Nationalism (A strong sense of pride in your
country) was an important part of what led to the
events that caused WWI.
• The larger countries wanted to get larger.
• Smaller countries wanted to protect themselves against
being taken over.
• Other groups wanted independence so that they could
form their own countries.” (p.274-275)
The countries involved in WWI
Causes of World War I
Page 275
► 1.
The Arms Race
In 1914 England and Germany were in an arms
race. This means that the two countries were
competing to see which could build the largest
store of arms or weapons. Upon building this
store of weapons countries will often want to use
them against each other – resulting in a
war/battle.
Causes of World War I
Page 275
► 2.
Trouble in the Balkans
The first trouble began in southeastern
Europe known as the Balkans. In 1908
Austria-Hungary took control of a part of
the Balkans called Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Other countries (such as Serbia) thought they
too would soon be taken over.
Causes of World War I
Page 275
► 3.
The Black Hand
A Serbian group known as the Black Hand
wanted to keep Austria-Hungary from taking
over their country.
The Black hand also wanted to help free
Bosnia and Hertzegovia.
Causes of World War I
Page 275
► 4.
The Assassination
The assassination of Archduke Franz
Ferdinand and his wife was yet another
event that also caused WWI.
The Black Hand killed them both after hearing
that they were to visit Sarajevo.
On June 28, 1914 Gavrilo Princip (a 19 yr.
old) with the Black Hand shot and killed the
duke and his wife.
Declaring War
1914
28 July → Austria-Hungary declared war
on Serbia.
1 August → Germany declared war on Russia.
3 August → Germany declared war on France.
4 August → Britain declared war on Germany
World Map
Canada and Newfoundland
Join In
►
By Sept. 10 1914 – 30,000 Canadian
soldiers and 8,000 horses joined training
► 1000
► Over
men from NL. Signed up for the war
4,000 members of Aboriginal nations
joined Canada’s forces.
Regiments and Battles
► The
army that Canada sent to Europe was called
the Canadian Expeditionary Force. (CEF)
► Volunteers
from Newfoundland formed the
Newfoundland Regiment.
►A
Battalion is a group of about 1000 soldiers.
Soldiers in battalions were loyal to each other
because they were from the same area.
The Fighting Newfoundlander
►Thomas
Pittman of the
Royal Newfoundland
Regiment, was donated by
the Bowring family to the
city in 1922 to
commemorate the sacrifice
of Newfoundlanders and
Labradorians during the
First World War. In the
86 years since its
unveiling, the monument
has come to be seen as a
tribute to veterans of later
wars and conflicts.
In The Trenches
(p. 282-283)
In The Trenches
(p. 282-283)
Both Germany and Britain had established
strategic locations – areas where soldiers
would attempt to stop the other side from
passing through. (Ex: on a hill)
► Each side also had a front line or an edge
of the land it had taken over.
► The space between the two front lines was
called no man’s land.
►
What is a trench?
Why would soldiers make them?
Trenches are ditches that are about 2
meters deep that provided soldiers
with a way to protect themselves from
their enemies while fighting at the
front lines.
Cross Section of a Trench
(p. 282)
Discussion: Conditions in the Trench
►
Soldiers would often live in trenches for a few weeks or
months.
►
Since most areas where trenches were dug had a layer of
sand on the top, and clay nearer the bottom, water would
pass through the sand and often be held in the trench by
the waterlogged clay. As a result the trenches kept
collapsing and would always fill with water.
►
Soldiers had to try to prepare food, sleep and fight in the
wet, cold, filthy and crowded trenches.
Discussion: Conditions in the Trench
►
Due to the filthy and crowded living conditions, soldiers were
vulnerable to many diseases.
►
Trench foot posed a major problem for many soldiers. This disease
develops after a person’s feet become wet and stay wet for a long
period of time. Cold water also aggravates the problem. For this
reason, trench foot was a common illness for soldiers during World
War I, as they spent a great deal of time standing in trenches that
were cold and wet.
►
During 1916 to 1918, 80% of infected men were unfit for duty for 3
months.
►
Winter of 1914-15 over 20,000 men in the British Army were treated
for trench foot.
Discussion: Conditions in the Trench
►
Trench Fever was another illness that many soldiers suffered
from while living in the trenches.
►
Trench Fever refers to a sudden onset with headache and
giddiness; sometimes soldier’s legs would become so weak and
the pain so severe that they fell down.
►
Body lice were identified as the cause of this disease.
►
It has been estimated that 800,000 cases of trench fever were
reported during the war. This greatly reduced the numbers of
soldiers available to fight.
►
The disease was later brought under control as men were
removed from the trenches.
Advancing on the Enemy
Going Over the Top
(p. 283)
Going Over the Top
► The
only way to take ground from an
enemy was for soldiers to go ‘over the top.’
► This means that they have to come out of
their trenches and go across no man’s
land.
► No man’s land was very dangerous, soldiers
had to be cautious as to gunfire, landmines
and barbed wire.
Going Over the Top
► Soldiers
on attack could only carry light
weapons such as rifles, such as the Ross
Rifle.
► Soldiers defending the trench cold use large
guns also called artillery.
► The combination of artillery and machine
guns and trenches sometimes created a
stalemate – where neither side could
advance on each other during fighting.
War in the Air
► Aircraft
was used for flying over enemy
territory to see where the troops could pick
out routes for attacks.
► Fighter planes had built-in machine guns to
shoot at other planes.
► Pilots from both sides met in the air to fight
this was called a dogfight. The best
strategy was to approach a plane from
behind and shoot it down.
Canadians in the Air
► Canadian
pilots did not have an air force until the
end of WWI.
► Canadians became the best fighter pilots.
► Pilots that shot down five enemy aircraft became
known as an ace.
► A Canadian group of fighter pilots called the Black
Flight that caused the war to turn against the
Germans.
► The Black Flight shot down over 87 German
airplanes in two months.
The War at Sea
► Canada
did not have much of a Navy during WWI.
► The main role of Canada’s ships was to get
supplies to England.
► The Germans designed Unterseeboots – or Uboats (Small submarines) that carried torpedoes.
► Convoys (groups of ships traveling together)
would brought supplies to Britain. German U-boats
had a harder time to stop conveys and they could
not stop supplies from getting to Britain.
Into Battle
We will study three main Battles:
1. The Second Battle of Ypres (p. 288)
2. The Battle of the Somme (p. 290)
3. The Battle of Vimy Ridge (p. 292)
Note: After studying these 3 battles we are
finished this chapter.
Battle of Ypres (p. 288)
Ypres is a town in Belgium.
Canadian troops were sent to Ypres to fight the Germans.
They remained at a stalemate from February to April 1915.
► In April the Germans waited for the wind to blow toward
the Canadian troops trenches and released tonnes of
chlorine gas into the air.
► Clouds of thick, green, deadly gas choked the soldiers.
The troops struggled to stay alive.
► The next day the Germans released more gas, Canadian
troops used handkerchiefs soaked in mud or urine to avoid
the gas while fighting.
► Over 6035 Canadians died while they held the line for 16
days.
► The battle was considered a victory for the Allies (Canadian
troops).
►
►
Discussion: In Flanders Fields
In Flanders Fields the poppies
blow
Between the crosses, row on
That mark our place; and in
the sky
The larks, still bravely singing,
fly
Scarce heard amid the guns
below.
We are the Dead. Short days
ago
We lived, felt down, saw
sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and
now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the
foe:
To you from falling hands we
throw
The torch; be yours to hold it
high.
If ye break faith with us who
die
We shall not sleep, though
poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Written by: Dr. John McCrae – Canadian Medic – served with the
Canadian army at Ypres.
The Battle of the Somme
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
►
(P. 290-291)
Beaumont Hamel
‘Big Push’ was decided as the method of attack by the
Canadian soldiers on the Germans.
July 1st 1916 100,000 soldiers went over the top and
marched toward the Germans.
Many, many soldiers died (out of 801 soldiers that joined
the Newfoundland Regiment only 68 survived.)
To this day July 1st is a day of mourning and remembrance
in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Battle of Somme lasted 141 days.
By Nov. both sides were exhausted and stopped fighting.
In total about 200 000 Allied soldiers died, including 8000
Canadians.
Battle of Vimy Ridge (P. 292)
► 1917
troops tried to ‘push through’ the Western
front.
► The Canadians were suppose to take over Vimy
Ridge – a hill that Germans had built up to be well
protected and well supplied.
► Canadians built a model of Vimy Ridge and
practiced their attack.
► They bombarded the enemy for several days then
made a surprise attack.
► Canadians took over Vimy ridge, however many
were wounded and many died in doing so.
Study Guide: World War I
► Terms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
to Know:
War
alliances
nationalism
Arms race
Black Hand
Assassination
CFC
battalion
Strategic locations
10. Front line
11. No man’s land
12. Trench
13. Ace
14. dogfight
15. conveys
16. U-boats
17. Dr. John McCrae
18. Stalemate
Study Guide: World War I
► Questions:
1. When did World War I begin? End?
2. List and explain 4 causes of WWI.
3. Provide four dates and countries that initially declared war on each
other.
4. How did Canada and Newfoundland contribute to WWI?
5. What is a trench? Why were they made? Briefly describe the living
conditions of a trench.
6. What does ‘going over the top’ mean? What is no man’s land? Give
three dangers soldiers faced on no man’s land.
7. How was aircraft used in WWI to fight? What was the Black Flight?
8. What types of boats/ships were used in WWI? What is a U-boat?
9. List three battles fought in WWI.
10. Describe what happened at Ypres? What did the Germans use in
battle? Was it effective?
11. Describe the Battle of Somme. What is meant by the ‘Big Push?’ Did it
work?
12. What is Vimy Ridge? How did the Canadian troops plan their attack?
Did it work?