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Canada in WWI Facts & Worksheets

When Britain declared war against Germany, its self-governing dominion, Canada, automatically became active in the war, thus taking part in the WWI.

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When Britain declared war against Germany, its self-governing dominion, Canada, automatically became active in the war, thus taking part in the First World War.

See the fact file below for more information on the Canada in WWI or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Canada in WWI worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

SUMMARY OF WORLD WAR I

  • World War I was rooted in brewing tensions of alliances between European powers, mainly the “Triple Entente” (Great Britain, France, and Russia) and the secret “Triple Alliance” (Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Italy).
  • Tensions between the alliances ignited into full scale conflict when, during a visit to Sarajevo in July 1914, Austria-Hungary’s heir, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, the Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian-Serb nationalist.
  • Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the attack and eventually declared war against it. Russia had to back its ally, Serbia, and soon, their respective allies jumped in. Thus, the continent was at war.
  • The conflict expanded to many countries around the world. It also affected colonies and ally countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America.
  • The war was dominated by trench warfare in both the east and the west, resulting in a deadly stalemate.
  • The tides of war changed when the United States declared war against Germany after attacks upon its ships in the Atlantic. Then, the Bolshevik Revolution prompted Russia to pull out of the war.
  • The war ended in the late fall of 1918 after the opposing forces suffered great demoralization, the outbreak of influenza, and multiple mutinies from within their military structures.
  • The Central Powers signed Armistice Agreements, and Germany was heavily penalized under the Treaty of Versailles.
  • In just four years, the war left over 8,525,331 million military personnel and 6.6 million civilians dead, while many more were missing and injured.

CANADA ENTERS THE WAR

  • After Britain declared war against Germany, the Canadians pledged their support. Sir Wilfrid Laurier spoke for the majority of Canadians, proclaiming, “It is our duty to let Great Britain know and to let the friends and foes of Great Britain know that there is in Canada but one mind and one heart and that all Canadians are behind the Mother Country.”
  • Prime Minister Robert Borden ordered the mobilization of an expeditionary force.
  • More than 32,000 men gathered at Valcartier Camp. Thus, the Canadian Expeditionary Force was on its way to England.
  • In February 1915, the 1st Canadian Division reached France and was introduced to trench warfare. They took over a section of the line in the Armentières sector in French Flanders.
  • The 1915 Battle of Ypres was the first engagement of Canadian forces in the Great War.
  • They faced difficulties of shell fires, inferior equipment, and exposure to chlorine gas. Germans pushed hard, but the Canadian forces were able to repel them at a cost of 2,000 fatalities out of the 6,035 soldiers in the field.
  • Canadian forces soon found themselves in local battles, including battles at St. Eloi and Mt. Sorrel, where about 10,000 combined casualties were suffered.
  • In September, they participated in the Battle of Somme. The Canadians contributed through creeping artillery barrage and the first employment of tanks in combat.
  • They were able to capture German occupied areas, including the village of Courcelette, the Desire Trench, and the Regina Trench. The Canadian Corps suffered 24,029 casualties.
  • In the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917, all four of the Canadian divisions attacked as one, thus resulting in a big success.
  • This was in response to the previous casualties, so Lieutenant-General Sir Julian Byng planned tremendous artillery barrage with counter-battery fire against enemy guns and effective infantry attacks.
  • After hard fighting all across the front, the Canadians captured most of the ridge on April 9, and the remaining portions were captured by the 12th.
  • In August, the Canadian forces won the Battle of Hill 70 at Lens, thus gaining considerable ground.
  • Despite the horrid conditions of the war, Sir Arthur Currie, commander of the Canadian Corps, launched a deliberate or ‘set-piece’ attack at the Passchendaele front, east of Ypres, in mid-October 1917.
  • By mid-November, 15,654 Canadian soldiers had fallen, but the Battle of Ypres was won.
  • The Battle of Cambrai also had an important place in Canadian battle records, for here the Canadian Cavalry Brigade and the Newfoundland Regiment fought with distinction with the British formations.
  • The Battle of Amiens in 1918 was the beginning of the end for the German armies. Spearheaded by Canadian and Australian troops, they nearly broke through the enemy lines on August 8, pushing the Germans back several kilometers.
  • The hard-fought victories at Arras and the Canal du Nord were then spearheaded by the Canadian forces. This resulted in more than 30,000 casualties after a week-long battle.
  • After Canadian and other Allied troops crossed the Canal du Nord, the German forces were in full retreat.
  • In the final month of the war, Allied forces pushed ahead on all fronts. The Canadians, having suffered more than 40,000 killed and wounded since August, captured the Belgian city of Mons on the last day of the war, November 11, 1918.

THE WAR ENDS

  • The Allied forces won the battle and proceeded to armistice.
  • The last Canadian soldier to die in combat in the First World War was Private George Price of the 28th Battalion, who was killed by a German sniper at Mons a few minutes before the Armistice.
  • Out of 630,000 Canadian men and women who participated in the war, close to 61,000 were killed and another 172,000 were wounded.
  • Tracking or treating psychological casualties were yet to be formalized, but medical authorities identified over 9,000 Canadians who suffered from “shell shock”.

Canada in WWI Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Canada in WWI across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Canada in WWI worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Canada in WWI. When Britain declared war against Germany, its self-governing dominion, Canada, automatically became active in the war, thus taking part in the First World War.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Canada in WWI Facts
  • Canada War Stats
  • War Posters
  • War Thoughtweb
  • It’s Teamwork
  • WWI Technology
  • Creative Writing
  • Story of War
  • “Shell Shock”
  • Architect’s Corner
  • The Ojibwa Sniper

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Use With Any Curriculum

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