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The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The shot heard around the world killed Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The murder was committed by 19 year old Serbian Gavrilo Princip. -
Canada joins the Great War
Britain, on behalf of itself and its dominions, declares war on Germany and its allies. -
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The Gallipoli Campaign
This campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign, was a long and costly war effort to secure the entry of the Russian Navy. The casualties, bad press and the lack of progress caused the French and the British to abandon the campaign. To their credit, when the British and French finally did pull out, no one could have done it finer. To pull out on such a large scale without the enemy noticing is quite a large feat. -
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Battle of Ypres
The Battle of Ypres was fought to gain control of the Flemish town. This battle was the first mass use of poisonous chlorine gas by Germany. The French troops ran, leaving Canadians to hold the line. The events of Ypres inspired the popular poem "In Flanders Field". -
McCrae composes "In Flanders Fields"
During the month-long battle of Ypres, Canadian John McCrae wrote a three verse poem that has become a symbol of the sacrifice Canadians made during the Great War. The poem was first featured in the London-based satirical magazine Punch on December 8th. -
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Battle of Verdun
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McClung Demands the Vote
Suffragist Nellie McClung presented the Alberta legislature with a petition demanding that women be given the right to vote. The right was granted in municipal elections 2 months later. -
Britain Lost its Secretary of State for War
Lord Kitchener was Britain's Secretary of State for War. He and his staff were on board a ship that struck a mine, and as a consequence Britain's guiding hand drowned. His death was taken as a great shock, as many people believed that Britain would lose the war following Kitchener's death. He was one of the most important leaders of Britain's war effort. Canada and Britain were very much one entity during the war, so this loss was felt also in Canada. -
Battle of Somme
The five month long battle of Somme was started by the British against the Germans in an effort to break through the German lines. From one end to another, this battle was a tragedy, taking the lives of more than 1.2 million soldiers. The Newfoundland Regiment suffered a massive loss. Out of the regiment's 801 soldiers, only 68 survived. This battle greatly impacted Newfoundland - an entire generation of men were dead. -
Introduction of War Income Tax
The Income War Tax Act introduced the first income tax in Canada. -
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Battle of Vimy Ridge
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Military Service Act becomes law
Following the need for more men during the Great War, Prime Minister Robert Borden pushed a bill for conscription through Parliament. Borden's opposition were starkly against the proposed bill to no avail. The new law called for all men between the ages of 20 and 45 to enter the war. Prior to the MSA, more than 400 000 Canadians had volunteered for service. The MSA resulted in only 24,132 additional Canadians making it to the battlefields in Europe. -
Borden instates Wartime Elections act
Parliament gave the franchise to all soldiers, including those overseas; it also gave votes to soldiers' wives, mothers and sisters, as well as to women serving in the armed forces, and took it away from Canadians of enemy origin who had become citizens since 1902. This added many votes for conscription and removed certain Liberal voters from the lists. -
Borden forms Union Government
Borden announced the formation of a Union government made up of 12 Conservatives, 9 Liberals or independents, and one labour representative. The goal was primarily to achieve conscription. -
The Halifax Explosion
Two ships collided in Halifax's harbour, one of them loaded with ammunition for the war. The north end of Halifax was demolished by the blast and subsequent tsunami. Nearly 2,000 people died, another 9,000 were maimed or blinded, and more than 25,000 were left without adequate shelter. It was the biggest man made explosion at that point in history. -
Anti-conscription Riots
Anti-conscription riots began in Québec City. -
The End of the War
The Great War ended in November as soldiers ceased fire. Today, we still mark this event with Remembrance Day ceremonies and poppies. -
The Paris Peace Conference
The Paris Peace Conference was held by the victors of the war to stipulate the terms on which Germany would make reparations. While Canada was not asked to enter the war, they were asked whether they would like to leave: they were a member of the Conference asked to sign the Treaty of Versaille, rather than being represented by Britain. -
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Remembering the War
The Great War is now 100 years behind us. These are years of remembrance. The war has moved into the past, with no veterans of the war remaining. Over this four year span, the participating countries have made a big emphasis on remembering the events of the war through reenactments and remembrance ceremonies. I believe that Remembrance Day of 2018 will be an important day to mark our history.
