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Canada and The Great War. Trench Warfare and Weaponry. February 13, 2014. The Master Plan. Tuesday: Intro to WWI, Causes, Alliances Wednesday: Analyzing Propaganda Thursday: Trench Warfare & Weaponry Friday: Major Canadian Battles Monday: Conscription Crisis Tuesday: War on the Home Front
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Canada andThe Great War Trench Warfare and Weaponry February 13, 2014
The Master Plan • Tuesday: Intro to WWI, Causes, Alliances • Wednesday: Analyzing Propaganda • Thursday: Trench Warfare & Weaponry • Friday: Major Canadian Battles • Monday: Conscription Crisis • Tuesday: War on the Home Front • Wednesday: End of The Great War • Thursday: Review Games • Friday: WWI Quiz
Review Q’s • Describe how Canadians reacted to joining the war? • What were some of the reasons why Canadians voluntarily signed up for military service. • What was The War Measures Act? • Name two policies, programs or organizations created through the WMA. • What is propaganda? • Name two ways in which the Canadian government used propaganda to influence Canadians during WWI. • Horrible Histories – First Time in the British Trenches
Trench Warfare • Average trench was 7 ft deep, 6 ft wide • Persistent cold and dampness resulted in trench foot • Oversized rats, bloated by the food and waste of stationary armies, helped spread disease in unsanitary conditions • Lice tormented the troops • Random shelling and sniping created earth-shattering noise • “Shellshock” = Mental trauma caused by war (crying, fear, paralysis, or insanity) • High casualties, poor food, and lack of sleep threatened to undermine soldier morale Desertion, SIW, Malingering • First Day in the Trenches
A War of Attrition • World War One was as a war of ATTRITION • Strategy was to wear down the enemy by repeated attacks until it ran out of soldiers, or until it lost the will to continue fighting. • Traditional tactics + Modern Weaponry = Mass Casualties • Repeated battles produced high casualties with little ground gained
Christmas Truce of 1914 • Through the week leading up to Christmas, German and French soldiers began to exchange seasonal greetings and songs. • On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, some soldiers even walked across no man’s land, gifting food and souvenirs. • Joint burial ceremonies occurred • Troops from both sides were friendly enough to play football • The truce is often seen as a symbolic moment of peace and humanity amidst one of the most violent events of human history • Joyeux Noel Trailer
Homework! • Imagine you are a soldier fighting in the trenches of WWI. Write a letter home describing the trench conditions to a family member or friend.