Socials Timeline Nick Sather

Schlieffen Plan – Dec. 1905

Schlieffen's plan involved using 90% of Germany's armed forces to attack France. Fearing the French forts
on the border with Germany, Schlieffen suggested a scythe-like attack through Holland, Belgium and
Luxembourg. The rest of the German Army would be sent to defensive positions in the east to stop the
expected Russian advance.

Robert Borden - 1914-1919/Whole war

Robert Borden was Canada’s Prime Minister during all of World War I. He was the one who took a positive
approach to the war and supported it thoroughly. Borden also had the conscription laws put in place after
he had won his second election into office (as he had rigged it). He did however establish a sense of
identity for Canada and even signed the Treaty of Versailles.

Robert Borden’s impact on the war was huge as it was he who had encouraged the war in the first place.
During the conscription crisis, his government faced a power struggle with Wilfred Laurier which split many
Canadians in the issue.
Western Front (1914/Beginning of the war)

The German’s Schlieffen Plan was to quickly invade the Western Front and then attack the East. This West
was barraged, but held up and stopped the advance.

This caused the entire war plans of Germany to change. Throughout the whole war, the Germans could not
capture France to the west and this gave Canada a chance to make a change in the war because of their
effort.

Trench Warfare – WW1- 1914-1918

In WW1, dug themselves in ending any possible chance of a quick war; this caused a stalemate, which was
to last for most of the war. Over 200,000 men died in the trenches of WW1, most of who died in battle,
but many died from disease and infections brought on by the unsanitary conditions.

No-Man’s Land – WW1- 1914-1918

No Man's Land is the term used by soldiers to describe the ground between the two opposing trenches. Its
width along the Western Front could vary a great deal. The average distance in most sectors was about
250 yards (230 meters).
No Man's Land contained a considerable amount of barbed wire. In the areas most likely to be attacked,
there were ten belts of barbed wire just before the front-line trenches.
Attrition – WW1- 1914-1918
A war of attrition is a war in which both sides suffer steady, but heavy casualties, not making terrific gains
in territory, but simply trying to "bleed the enemy white" before their own armies are decimated by these
steady losses.
Trench Foot – WW1- 1914-1918
Many soldiers fighting in the WW1 suffered from trench foot. This was an infection of the feet caused by
cold, wet and insanitary conditions. In the trenches men stood for hours on end in waterlogged trenches
without being able to remove wet socks or boots. The feet would gradually go numb and the skin would
turn red or blue. If untreated, trench foot could turn gangrenous and result in amputation.
During the winter of 1914-15 over 20,000 men in the British Army were treated for trench foot.

Sam Hughes (1914-1916)

Sam Hughes was the minister of militia who had improperly trained Canada’s troops for battle in the
trenches. He was also in charge of Canada’s armament industry and created the Shell Committee which
caused Canada to become a big supplier to Britain. Sam Hughes was dismissed in 1916, but was knighted by
King George V.

Hughes was a profiteer who gave large contracts to more profiteers and was an awful administer for the
army. His failures were due mostly to cutting costs wherever he could. An example of this would be the
Ross rifle supplied to Canadian troops before they went into battle. This firearm would often jam in rapid
fire.
Battle of Ypres - April 22, 1915

The first time that poison gas was used since it was banned in 1907. The Germans unleashed chlorine gas
on French and Canadian troops blinding, burning, or killing them.

The entire site of Ypres (Flanders’ Field) was fought over for the next 6 months and with neither side
gaining any kind of advantage. Both sides lost many men, and Canada’s total list of casualties came to
about 6000.

Lusitania – May 7, 1915

RMS Lusitania was an ocean liner who was torpedoed by a German U-boat on 7 May 1915 and sank in
eighteen minutes, killing 1,198 of the 1,959 people aboard.

Battle of Verdun – Feb. 21, 1916

Was one of the critical battles during the WW1 on the Western Front. It was fought between the German
and French armies, from 21 February to 18 December 1916. The Battle of Verdun ended in a French victory
since the German High Command failed to achieve its two strategic objectives: the capture of the city of
Verdun and a much higher casualty count inflicted on the French adversary.
Battle of the Somme - July 1916

Lead by General Douglas Haig, the Canadian army (along with the British and French) suffered many
casualties, even though they had captured the river. The strategy involved running into no man’s land and
trying to capture the other side, which was accomplished but with many deaths.

Almost 24 000 men died that belonged to the Canadian army. The Newfoundland regiment was nearly
destroyed as it lost over 85 percent of its soldiers

Battle of Vimy Ridge – April, 1917

The Battle of Vimy Ridge is one of the greatest battles in Canada’s history. For the first time in the Great
War, all four Canadian divisions fought together on the same battlefield. Canadian valour and bravery
brought about a fantastic victory, not only for Canadians but for the entire Allied force.
Military Service Act – Aug. 29, 1917
In Canadian history, the Military Service Act was a 1917 Act passed by the Canadian government to
introduce conscription during WW1.
Prime Minister Robert Borden announced in the Canadian House of Commons that Canada would begin
registering and conscripting men for the Great War. In the House, every French-Canadian Member of
Parliament voted against conscription and virtually every English-Canadian voted for it. French Canadians
voted against conscription as they believed it would divide the nation of Canada.

Russian Revolution – 1917

The Russian Revolution of 1917 is also called the Bolshevik Revolution or the October Revolution. In 1917
there were actually two revolutions in Russia. One was the February Revolution in which the Tsar abdicated
his throne and the Provisional Government took power. The other was the October Revolution in which the
Provisional Government was overthrown by the Bolsheviks.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 played a very important role in world history and also a major role in the
history of the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Baltic peoples also played a major role in the
1917 Revolution, particularly the Latvian Bolsheviks who comprised a key portion of the Red Guards that
defended the Bolsheviks at a crucial time in its early existence.
Battle of Passchendale - 1917

The new commander of the Canadian troops was General Arthur Currie, but he still took orders from
General Haig. The value of Passchendale to the war was very little, but still was on Haig’s mind as he
pushed through with his usual war strategy.

In the end, the allies won but with a very heavy price. Both sides had over 500 000 casualties, with
Canada ending up with 15 000. Possibly the bloodiest battle of the war which made Canadians at home
realize what war was really like.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

Document that stated the terms of the peace agreement that effectively ended the war. Canadian Prime
Minister Robert Borden had to fight to gain the right to sign the Treaty. Made by American President
Woodrow Wilson in 1918, the document was edited by France and Belgium in order to get more
compensation from the Germans.

The Treaty of Versailles stated that:

1) Germany had to accept full responsibility for the war

2) Germany had to pay a total of $30 billion in reparations
3) Germany’s territory was reduced and Poland was created
4) The German army was limited to 100 000 men, and wasn’t allowed an air force or any U-boats
The League of Nations - 1919

Established by Woodrow Wilson, the League was made up of many nations throughout the world and was
based upon the ideal of collective security. If one member of the League came under attack of any kind, the
other members were to cooperate in suppressing the aggressor.

The League wasn’t that successful and didn’t work like it was intended to. It could punish aggressive
nations, but had no official army of its own. Conflict also arose as the Americans refused to join the League,
the one they had created.

Billy Bishop
Was a Canadian WW1 flying ace, officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian ace, and
according to some sources, the top ace of the British Empire!

Stalemate
The direct translation of a stalemate is when any position or situation in which no action can be taken or
progress made for either side. In World War I, stalemates were abundant among the many battles. They
were caused by trench warfare which meant that the only way anyone was to advance was to go through
no man’s land.

Stalemates made the war very long and painstakingly exhausting. Soldiers were forced to stay in their
trenches for long periods of time which usually caused psychological damage and drove men insane. Battles
had the potential to endure weeks, or sometimes even months.