1. War in Europe

2. CEF
Canadians served overseas as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)
In 1915 Julian Byng, a British General, commanded the Canadian Corps
In 1917 Arthur Currie (Canadian Lieutenant-General) became commander of the Corps

3. CEF
This was the first time that the British gave up command to a Canadian
Byng and Currie made sure that the Canadians would fight together as one unit
The creation of the CEF strengthened the unity of Canadian soldiers, and gave Canadians at home a feeling of pride

4. Stalemate Germany moved into Belgium and then invaded France
Germany attacked with all it forces against the French east of Paris, but was stopped at the Battle of Marne
Because Germany was stopped here, a two-front war was about to begin

5. Stalemate

6. Germany is heading towards Paris

7. German Troops pushed back by Britain and France

8. Stalemate
Germany could not advance, and the British and French could not push the Germans back
As a result both sides dug trenches (ditches) to protect their troops
They had reached a stalemate
In most areas of the Western Front the lines of trenches moved very little over the next 3 years

9. Stalemate

10. Stalemate

11. Trench Warfare
Because planes were not modern enough, and tanks had not been developed at the start of the war, trench warfare was the main war tactic
Trenches were usually 400 metres apart
Gave soldiers protection from enemy fire, but were not safe from bomb (artillery) attacks

12. Trench Warfare

13. Trench Warfare Some were very elaborate and complicated
Others were just muddy ditches, filled with rotting victims of the war
Rats, lice, and many diseases were common

14. Trench Warfare

15. Trench System

16. Trench System

17. Trench Warfare
Between the enemy trenches was an area called ‘no man’s land’
Wasteland of corpses, barbed wire, and mud.

18. Trench Warfare
Whenever soldiers detected movement in enemy territory, they fired rifles and machine guns across no man’s land
The Canadian Ross Rifle was not very useful during trench warfare, since it jammed easily in the dirt and mud

19. Trench Warfare
When officers ordered an advance, this meant “going over the top” of the trench and into no man’s land, fully exposed to enemy fire
Machine guns could fire 500 to 1000 shots per minute and made defense easy
Both side had hundreds of these guns set up in defensive positions, making entry into ‘no man’s land’ almost guaranteed death

20. “Going over the top”
When infantry climbed over the top of the trench and entered into no man’s land Going Over the Top

21. Trench Warfare
The use of the machine gun was the main reason why the Western Front became a 3 year long stalemate
Sometimes troops managed to capture the enemy’s front line
But each side had a reserve trench (further back) that they could move back into

22. Trench Warfare
When pushed back, barbed wire was stretched across the new area of ‘no mans land’
This tactic lead to a gain or loss of only a few metres of land, but thousands of soldiers would be killed during the process

23. Trench Warfare Soldiers fought, ate, and slept in the trenches
They froze in the snow, and sometimes trenches were filled waist-deep with icy water
Entire units of troops were killed by epidemics of fever or the flu because men could go weeks and even months without washing

24. Trench Warfare

25. Trench Warfare
Sometimes men came down with trench foot, which caused their feet to swell to three times their normal size
Trench Foot

26. Battles of Attrition
As a result of trench warfare, it was impossible for one side to dominate or win a battle
Battles became known as Battles of Attrition (grinding or wearing down)
For the first 3 years, both sides tried to wear each other down and outlast the other

27. Battles of Attrition
The reason WW1 became a series of battles of attrition, was that the defensive weapons were superior to the weapons used for attack
Machine guns firing hundreds of rounds (bullets) per minute made frontal attack suicidal

28. Total War
In total war all of the resources of a nation are organized for one purpose – to win the war
Some people now believed that the home front was just as important as the front lines
The home front was responsible for production, enlisting troops, finance, and organization

29. Total War
A nation’s ability to pay for and produce goods for such a huge war was very important
A nation was now responsible for providing for the troops so they could win the war
Most countries introduced conscription (compulsory military service) when casualty lists became huge

30. Total War
Industries were changed to mass produce war materials, instead of consumer and domestic goods
War bonds (a method for citizens to loan money to their government) were sold to the public and income tax was first introduced

31. Total War
Women took non-traditional jobs to fill jobs vacated by men as they enlisted or were conscripted
Even children were used to collect scrap metal to help production

32. Total War

33. New Technology for WW1
Machine guns - troops could fire more shots in much shorter amount of time
Airplanes - could fly over battlefields to spy on enemy lines and fire with machine guns
Armoured tanks - break through barbed wire and protective walls in front of trenches

34. New Technology for WW1

35. Impact of Technology on the Battlefield
Tanks
Used for the first time in the Battle of Somme
Could cross no-man’s land because they were heavily armoured and machine guns could not cause damage
Could roll over barbed wire
Many historians agree that tanks were a major reason for the Allied victory in 1918

36. Impact of Technology on the Battlefield
Poison Gas
Used for the first time in the Battle of Ypres
German troops pushed hoses into no man’s land and pushed out poisonous chlorine gas towards Canadians and French troops
Chlorine gas caused blindness, destroyed soldiers lungs, and eventually troops choked to death
Before gas masks were available soldiers were told to urinate on a cloth and hold it over their noses

37. Gas Attacks

38. Impact of Technology on the Battlefield
Machine Guns
Most efficient way of killing troops who went into no-man’s land
Machine guns and artillery fire killed the most people during the war

39. Impact of Technology on the Battlefield
Submarines
Torpedoes from submarines could sink large ships
Torpedoes were fired underwater at enemy ships
Main role of German ships was destroying merchant ships supplying Britain with war materials
Germany wanted to starve Britain into submission

40. Submarine

41. Impact of Technology on the Battlefield
Airplanes
WW1 planes were usually flown by one pilot and could only stay airborne for an hour (needed gas)
Unarmed airplanes were sent behind enemy lines to look at positioning
When both sides sent airplanes into the air, ‘dogfights’ happened between rival pilots