WORLD WAR I

Britain Declared war on Germany in September 1914

Canada had to go to war because it was a British Colony

When the war began more than 30,000 young Canadian men signed up to go to war

They were excited to see the world and represent their country

What was supposed to happen?

German military general Count Alfred von Schlieffen came up with a plan (the Schlieffen Plan)

Plan is to knock France out of the war like a hammer – to swing through Belgium, behind Paris and trap France

What really happened? ◦ Schlieffen died◦ A new general comes to

power and makes decisions named Von Moltke

◦ Von Moltke shortens the loops, and Germans enter France on the outskits of Paris

◦ French jump into action and British forces came to help

French and British troops stopped the German advance

For protection, both sides dug trenches 2 meters deep

Trenches stretch from the English channel to Switzerland, which becomes known as the “Western Front”

This was a typical trench in World War I. What do you see?

Battle of Passchendaele

• Death was a constant companion to those men in the line

• Even in areas where there was no action there was constant shellfire and disease to worry about

• Rats infested the trenches in the millions – these rats gorged themselves on the human dead

• Imagine living a life where you are surrounded by rotting corpses, overflowing latrines and men who haven’t bathed in months!

• Trenches also smelled of chemicals used to fight off disease

• Poison gas, cigarettes, cooking food, stagnant mud were also present

No smiling and relaxed faces…

No clean uniforms…

Their equipment is scattered everywhere…

Boredom and sleep are obvious…

•Lice was a never ending problem in the trenches •Trench foot was also a problem •Trench foot was a fungal infection of the feet that could cause gangrene and possibly amputation

Trench foot!

• The “Trench Cycle” was the time period men would spend in the line

• This amount of time would vary from weeks to months

• Daily life was spent with inspections, chores, supplies and waiting, endless waiting

Picture from “No-Man’s Land”

• No Man’s Land is the area between the opposing trenches

• This area was off limits during the day as snipers watched the area to take a shot at anyone who might show themselves

• After a battle many bodies would be left in No Man’s Land

When an army was ready to attack, they would get into formation and wait for the order to go Over the Top. The soldiers would usually run right into enemy machine gun fire