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 men from NL. Signed up for the war Over 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 U-boats (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 Loved, and were loved, and blow now we lie Between the crosses, row on In Flanders fields. That mark our place; and in Take up our quarrel with the the sky foe: The larks, still bravely singing, To you from falling hands we fly throw Scarce heard amid the guns The torch; be yours to hold it below. high. If ye break faith with us who We are the Dead. Short days die ago We shall not sleep, though We lived, felt down, saw poppies grow sunset glow, 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 to Know: 1. War 10. Front line 2. alliances 11. No man’s land 3. nationalism 12. Trench 4. Arms race 13. Ace 5. Black Hand 14. dogfight 6. Assassination 15. conveys 7. CFC 16. U-boats 8. battalion 17. Dr. John McCrae 9. Strategic locations 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?