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Canada In The Great War. Most Canadians served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force ( CEF ), which fought all of its battles on the Western Front (Belgium and France) The CEF fought as part of the British forces for most of the war.
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Canada In The Great War • Most Canadians served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF), which fought all of its battles on the Western Front (Belgium and France) • The CEF fought as part of the British forces for most of the war. • Almost 2,500 Canadian women joined the medical field and ambulance corps, and some served as nurses in the Canadian Army Medical Corps, known as the “Bluebirds.”
The Battles • Write down the battle answers on the worksheet provided • Read your textbook pg.30-35 for more information
Battle of the Marne (1914) • As part of the Schlieffen Plan, Germany moved its army through Belgium and into France. • Germany threw all of its forces against the French Army, but was stopped at the Battle of the Marne, only 35km from Paris. • The Schlieffen plan failed because Germany was denied a quick victory against France, and was forced to fight on two fronts (Russia and France). • As a result of Germany not taking France, both sides were locked in a stalemate, and dug into their trenches for 4 more years of fighting around the same area on the Western Front.
Second Battle of Ypres • When: April 1915 • Where: Ypres, Belgium (Flanders District) • German’s used: poison (chlorine) gas (first time in battle) • Canadian casualties: 6,035 (1 in 3) • Type of warfare: Trench warfare • Battle did this for Canada: Established the reputation of the Canadians as a fighting force. • John McCrae: Canadian who wrote the famous poem “In Flanders Field” in memory of a friend who was killed in the battle of Ypres. *** There would be 3 major battles at Ypres. The third battle is known as Passchendaele. *** The Allies also used gas in WWI. * Adolf Hitler was temporarily blinded in a British gas attack in 1918.
Verdun *** (Not a Canadian battle!) • Start: 21st February, 1916 • Finish: 19th December, 1916 • Where: North-Eastern France • Total casualties: 700,000 • Mincing Machine of Verdun: because of the sheer number of casualties and suffering of the combatants. • Battle Strategy: War of attrition (wear down the enemy) • Battle Outcome: French victory as the German attackers failed to capture Verdun and were pushed back to their initial starting lines.
The Somme (The bloodbath) • When: July 1916 (Somme River, France) • Duration: 5 months • Why the Allies attacked: The Germans were busy with the French at Verdun, so the Allied commander (Douglas Haig) tried to end trench warfare with a massive attack. “Big Push” • Canadian casualties: 24,029 • Casualties on both sides: 1,250,000 (58,000 British 1st day) • Newfoundland Regiment: suffered 90% casualties, and every officer was either killed or hurt. (30 minutes) • Land taken: Only 13km of land had been gained • 23 Canadian men ordered: “shot at dawn” after facing a court martial, and then the firing squad because they would not or could not return to the front. • Many Canadians suffered from: Shell shock
Vimy Ridge • When: April, 1917 • Where: Vimy Ridge (France), near the Belgian border • French & British killed in 2 years: 150,000 • Canadians killed: 3,000 killed (7,000 injured) • Leader of CEF after Vimy: Gen. Arthur Currie (Victoria) • Significant facts: • Canadians suffered heavy losses (110 metre high / 8km long ridge) • Was a turning point of the war for the Allies • Was the first time in history that Canadian units fought together as one (They fought under General Julian Byng) • The victory became a symbol of Canada’s independence and nationhood • Canadian troops were soon recognized as some of the best troops on the Western Front • Canadian General Arthur Currie was promoted to replace British General Byng as the leader of the CEF, which marked the end of British soldiers commanding Canadian troops. • People said this: “Canada became a nation at Vimy Ridge”
Look at the picture on page 32 * Why do you think the photo of Canadian soldiers returning from Vimy Ridge became one of the most famous images of Canadians in World War One?
“They said it couldn’t be done and we did it.”> Canadian historian Pierre Berton on Canada’s victory at Vimy Ridge.
Passchendaele • When: October, 1917 • Reason for Allied problems: Mud • Terrain: Utter desolation!! • Destroyed drainage system • Heavy rains • Oozing quagmire of yellow mud. • Gen. Currie’s complaint: Passchendaele could not be taken because troops could not move through the mud. • He also predicted that there would be 16,000 casualties • Cdn. Battle achievement: They took the town and held it until reinforcements came. • Canadian casualties: 15,654 (500,000 on both sides) • Canadian survival rate: One out of every five survived!!! • Land gained: 7 kilometres of mud
Canadians in the Air • Canadian Air Force in 1914: Zero • Canadians in the British Royal Flying Corps in 1918: 40% • Why Germany had the upper hand: German planes greatly outnumbered the British and French. • Aerial combat: Dogfights • 1916 pilot life expectancy: 3 weeks • Germany’s ace: Manfred von Richthofen (Red Baron) • 80 planes shot down • Canadian who shot him down: Captain Roy Brown • Canada’s ace: Billy Bishop • 72 planes shot down • A pilot needed to shoot down 5 planes to become an ace. • Bishop’s award: Victoria Cross medal • Awarded for Courage and Bravery
War at Sea • German submarines: U-boats • 1915 torpedoed ship: The Lusitania (1,198 dead) • Significance of Lusitania sinking: • American public opinion began to turn against Germany. • It began the process of America coming out of isolation to become involved in world affairs. • German sea policy: Unrestricted submarine warfare (began in 1917) • Allied system of protection: Convoy system • Three reasons why the U.S.A. entered the war in : • The 1915 sinking of the Lusitania. • German U-boats unrestricted submarine warfare. • Zimmerman Telegram: Americans learned that Germany was encouraging Mexico to attack the United States when Britain intercepted a telegram. *** Canada’s merchant marine had the dangerous job of shipping munitions and food across the Atlantic ocean to Britain.
Eastern Front *** Canadians didn’t fight on the Eastern Front! • The Russian Campaign: (August 1914 – 1916) • By August 1914, Russians were invading Germany, which took the Germans by surprise. • The German’s were forced to send troops from the Western Front to the Eastern Front to fight Russia. • The German’s advanced into Russia until 1916. • In March 1917, Russia Czar Nicholas of Russia was forced to abdicate and a provisional government was formed. In October 1917, the Bolsheviks (Communists) under Lenin took over the government and then signed a truce (peace) with Germany, ending the Eastern Front. • The Gallipoli Campaign (April 1915 – December 1915) • Turkey (Ottoman Empire) joined the Central Powers in an attempt to keep Russia out of the Gallipoli peninsula (water passage allowing Russia a route to the Balkans and Black Sea). • The British also wanted control of the Gallipoli peninsula so they could help supply Russia. • The battle was a poorly planned disaster for the Allies (Australians) • The Gallipoli Campaign had little impact on the war!
