W.W.I – “the war to end all wars?” Treaty of Versailles Used instead of Wilson’s 14 points Too punishing Allies believed that they had won but gained little, while Germany and its allies believed they had been treated too harshly Great Depression Poverty and despair caused people in countries such as Italy, Spain and Germany…
Airplanes were used for the first time in war during World War One. The first planes were very flimsy and were made of only a wood frame and they were covered in canvas. The parachute had not yet been invented, and the engines would often stall. The airplanes’ main purpose was to photograph enemy positions…
On December 7, 1917, Canadian newspapers told the grim news of the Halifax Explosion “the dead piled high at morgues in Halifax”. 2000 dead because a ship carrying weapons and ammunition exploded in the Halifax harbour. This event brought the war to Canadian shores, but Canadians were all involved in the fight well before this.…
The long term (ones that were going on for a long time) causes of World War One can be easily remembered by the acronym MAIN M – Militarism When a country builds up their military force. By 1914, Germany and Britain were building up their navies, and France and Germany were building up their armies…
When England declared war, Canada knew that we too would be involved in the fighting. The tone was excited, everyone thought the war would be over by Christmas. Most people felt it was their duty to help Canada (Britain) achieve her goals any way they could. Many young men enlisted in the army. Pacifists are…
Canada became a nation in 1867 and like all new countries faced several important challenges. Wilfrid Laurier became Prime Minister in 1896 and stayed in office until 1911, so he had to take responsibility for many of those challenges. Demographics: In 1900, Canada was mostly a rural society. People worked as farmers, fishers, loggers, fur…
At the time when your Majesty resolved to admit me both to your council and to an important place in your confidence for the direction of your affairs, I may say that the Huguenots shared the state with you; that the nobles conducted themselves as if they were not your subjects, and the most powerful…
Post World War II was a time of incredible political change in Canada MacKenzie King In 1945, the C.C.F. was becoming popular. King, the P.M. and leader of the Liberal party, wanted to find a way to “steal their thunder” and strengthen his party’s hold on Canadian politics. He introduced unemployment insurance to give unemployed…
Ancient Israel is the birthplace of the 3 great monotheistic religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity and Islam Ancient Israel dates back approximately 4000 years to the books of the Old TestamentGreat patriarchs of Judaism: Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua Hebrews, Israelites, Jews, Semites: have all undergone persecution throughout history; from Babylonian Captivity, Exodus, Diaspora, Spanish…
When Louis XIV came to the throne as a five-year-old boy (actually four years, eight months) on 14 May 1643, the Thirty Years’ War was still in progress, and Cardinal Richelieu, the French éminent grise, had died the preceding year. The situation did not look good for France, but the young boy became one of…
The generation between 1880 and 1914 witnessed a unprecedented outburst of European empire building USA was a part of it too A period of highly competitive colonization 4/5ths of Earth’s surface was under European or USA control A few cases of successful resistance, but they were scattered and very few By 1914, the domination of…
In 1917, Prime Minister Borden travelled to the frontlines in Europe to visit the soldiers. Here, he is informed that the war is expected to last until 1920. Like most British Canadians, Borden was committed to support the British Empire, and wanted to send more troops overseas to fight. PROBLEM: there were more casualties than…
Although World War One was a world war, most of the fighting was confined to a few key areas. These areas are usually referred to as the theatres of war. Western Front The German army crossed the Belgian border on August 3rd, 1914. Britain and France declared war on Germany on August 4th. The Germans…
The Great War Comes to an End, 1918 Germany surrendered at 11 am on November 11th 1918. The country had run out of food, ammunition and public support for the war. The Kaiser, faced with revolution, abdicated and fled to Holland, which had been neutral during the Great War. With his departure, Germany became a…
With the Russians out of the war, Germany had a renewed hope for success. They could now concentrate all their troops along the western front in France in their last attempt to win the war. With the entrance of the Americans into the war, the Germans realized that their last chance at victory was to…
The year 1917 was a very important year for WWI. The war was truly a “world war”, with fighting taking place in Europe, Africa and Asia The Entrance of the United States Until 1917, the U.S. had maintained an “isolationist” position regarding WWI. This meant that they remained ISOLATED from participating in the conflict, choosing…