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The Spark of the "Great War", Serbian nationalist group "Black Hand" assassinated the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Throne, Franz Ferdinand, which caused a terrible chain of events.
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With the assassination of their Archduke, Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to which Serbia declined. With the weight of the powers on their shoulders, this little dissagreement started the Great War.
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The start of the battle of Ypres. This was the first major engagement of the 1st Canadian Division in Europe. Chlorine Gas saw it's first major use in this battle.
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The end of the Battle of Ypres, Casualty count: German 34 933, British 59 275, French 21 973, Canadian 5 975.
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2nd Canadian Divison enters the battle to assist the British. 2 weeks of uncoordinated fighting and tactics ground the battle to a halt on the 16th of April with the Germans holding most of the key points.
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Here the Germans mounted an attack on Allied forces in an attemp to disrupt the resource lines for the future battle of the Somme. After 2 failed attempts, the 3rd Canadian Division won using more careful planning and more strategic bombings.
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This battle was launched in an Allied attempt to draw Germany's attention and releive some of the pressure from France in their bloody Battle of Verdun.
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The battle where the Canadian Corps joined the Somme offensive. This battle introduced tanks and new military tactics. Soldiers followed closely behind their Sweeping Barrage, an artillery barrage that would force the germans into their dugouts and rake across the land.
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Casualties: British ~ 419 000, German ~ 465 000, French ~ 205 000, Canadian ~ 24 000. The Battle of the Somme was one of the bloodiest battles in history.
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The Battle for Vimy Ridge was a defining moment for Canadians. With extensive planning, training, and improved tactics, they took the majority of the ridge in the first day. Something that previous French and English attempts could not. By the 12th of April, the Canadians took the rest of Vimy Ridge, suffering ~ 10,600 casualties.
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Sir Arthur Currie saw this hill as a very dominating position to hold against the Germans. Taking this hill would force the Germans to counter attack and allow the Canadians to weaken Germany's hold in the sector. This attack on Hill 70 and on Lens was meant to divert the Germans and releive the pressure in Passchendaele.
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The Hundred Days Offensive marked the beggining of the end of WW1. Through a series of offensives, the Allies slowly whittled down the already weakened German troops. With the final capture of the city of Mons, the war officially ends on November 11, 1918
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With the Allies pushing all the fronts and closing in on Mons, The German Army fought their last battle. The Canadian soldiers pushed through on the morning of November 11 and captures the city marking the End of the Hndred Days Offensive. Germany signs an Armstice with the Allies in the city of Mons, ending the Great War.
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SourcesSourceBritain : 750,000 soldiers killed; 1,500,000 wounded
France : 1,400,000 soldiers killed; 2,500,000 wounded
Belgium : 50,000 soldiers killed
Italy : 600,000 soldiers killed
Russia : 1,700,000 soldiers killed
America : 116,000 soldiers killed
Germany : 2,000,000 soldiers killed
Austria-Hungary : 1,200,000 soldiers killed
Turkey : 325,000 soldiers killed
Bulgaria : 100,000 soldiers killed -
Germany signs the Treaty of Versailles proposed by The Allies. The Sanctions placed were quite severe; land was taken from Germany, their military was reduced to almost nothing, and they were blamed for the war. The treaty wanted to reduce Germany's power to almost nothing. These sanctions could be one of the factors that lead to WWII
