WWI STUDY GUIDE

Causes of WWI

Nationalism: a strong attachment to one’s nation.

 National Identity: A sense of, and pride in, the character of one’s nation.
 Nationalist: A person who has a strong feeling of attachment to his or her nation.

Militarism: A nation’s policy of enlisting, training, equipping, and maintaining armed

forces ready for war.

 Militaristic: A nation or person that places strong emphasis on military.

Imperialism/Colonialism: The building of Empires by taking over new territories

called colonies.

Alliances: A pair or group of nations which sign treaties agreeing to support each
other if any one member became involved in a conflict.

Balance of Power: The situation, especially before World War I, in which the strong
nations of Europe attempted to remain of equal strength militarily and in their alliances.

Canada at War

Propaganda: Information usually produced by governments presented in such a way

as to inspire and spread particular beliefs or opinions.

Halifax Disaster: Much of Halifax was destroyed by two ships carrying dynamite
colliding in the harbour and exploding. 3000 people killed, 10,000 injured.
War Measures Act: An act of the Canadian Parliament that gave the federal Cabinet
emergency powers, especially during wartime. It included the right to suspend habeas
corpus, the right of a person under arrest to be brought before a judge to determine the
lawfulness of the arrest.

Trench Warfare: Muddy trenches became stinking cesspools, overrun by rats, lice
and the stench of death. Conditions were so horrific that many men developed trench
foot, and in some cases, shell shock.

The Canadian Homefront

Suffragists: People who advocated that women should have the right to vote. All
Canadian women won the right to vote in federal elections in 1918 in recognition of
their patriotic effort during the war. Counterpoints pg 37.

Changing Role of Women: With so many men overseas, women had to take on new
roles in wartime Canada. Women were hired for all types of work, from running fishing
boats, to prairie farms, to working in factories. Women were empowered because they
were making good wages and enjoyed independence. When the men returned, many
women did not want to leave the paid labour force. Counterpoints pg 36 & 37.

Federal Income Tax: The War was expensive and the federal government introduced
income tax as a temporary tax to pay for the war. The tax started at 4%, today it can
be up to 40%. Counterpoints pg 36.

Conscription: Compulsory enlistment for military service. By 1917, the number of

volunteers was too low to provide replacement troops in Europe. Many Canadians,
especially in Quebec did not believe in the war- they did not think it was Canada’s war.
They opposed vehemently the mandatory military service. Conscription created a rift
between French Canada and English Canada. Counterpoints 39-41.
Production: The production and export of Canadian goods reached record highs
during the war because war is big business! Companies produce large quantities of
goods i.e. Supplies, weapons etc and the economy overall is boosted. Counterpoints
pg 36.

Feminism: A belief that women should have equality with men in political, social, and
economic fields, and not be discriminated against on the basis of their sex.

The War to End All Wars

Lusitania: An American passenger boat that was sunk by a German U-boat

(submarine). The event angered the US, so it entered the war and contributed largely
to the fall of Germany and its allies. The US did not join the war until it was half over.
Counterpoints pg 42.

Russian Revolution: 1917, Russia was forced to quit WWI because Russia was in
the midst of a civil war as the Russian people revolted against the Tsar (King of
Russia). The revolution was led by the Bolsheviks- a communist party. 1917, marks
the birth of communism on the global stage and the birth of the USSR. Counterpoints
pg 42.

Armistice: An agreement by warring parties to end hostilities. On the 11 th day of the

11th month at the 11th hour, WWI’s armistice was signed in a railway car in France in
1918. Do you recognize November 11th? It’s Remembrance Day! Counterpoints pg
43.

Paris Peace Conference: Canada was granted a seat at the conference that decided
on the fate of Europe after the war. Counterpoints pg 43.

Treaty of Versailles: The official peace document that ended the war and started the
League of Nations. The terms of this treaty will become extremely significant with
respect to the start of WWII. Counterpoints 43.
League of Nations: The precursor to the United Nations. Designed to be a union of
nations that would police and mange the world, the primary objective being to prevent
another war. The league was lacked support and was not influential in reality as major
world powers (i.e. USA) were not members. Counterpoints pg 45.

Collective Security: The principal of the League of Nations. If one member state of
the League came under attack, all members were to cooperate in suppressing the
aggressor. Counterpoints pg 45.

Sanctions: Economic warfare. The League of Nations could impose economic

sanctions against a country by restricting trade and blockades. Counterpoints pg 45.

Vocabulary

 Arch Duke Ferdinand  Sam Hughes  Imperial Munitions

 Nationalism
 Triple Alliance
 Triple Entente
 Militarism
 Balance of power
 Allies
 Imperialism
 Central Powers
 National identity
 CEF
 Profiteers
 War Measures Act
 Habeas Corpus
 Prime Minister Borden
 Ypres Board
 Somme  Nellie McClung
 Vimy Ridge  Military Service Act
 Passchendaele  Henri Bourassa
 Schlieffen Plan  Military Service Act
 Bluebirds  Wartime Elections
 Billy Bishop Act
 Lusitania  Treaty of Versailles
 Halifax Disaster  Wilson’s 14 Points
 Conscription  Armistice
 Conscientious  Paris Peace
Objectors Conference
 Sanctions  Treaty of Versailles
 Enemy aliens  Collective security
 CPF
 Conscientious
Objectors