World War 1 (Research Paper Sample)

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World War 1
Introduction
The First World War is one event that will never be forgotten in the world’s history. The war that erupted in the year 1914 and went on till 1918 affected different nations in varying ways. A country such as Canada actively participated in the war that had adverse effects on its different sectors. In the course of the war, Canada played different roles which could be military, economic or social in nature. As the war came to an end, there were several lessons that were learnt by various countries and participants in the war. It was hardly known that a Second World War would emerge at the end of the first war that claimed countless lives.
Causes of the War
There are multiple activities that led to the start of the First World War. However, there are five major reasons that were directly attributed to the emergence of the war. First, there were mutual defence alliances that were made by countries throughout Europe that would lead them to war. In the event that one nation was attacked, its allies would actively be involved in defending it. Prior to the start of the war, the major alliances that had been set up included Russia and Siberia, Japan and Britain, France, Britain and Belgium, and Germany and Australia-Hungary.
The second cause of the First World War was Imperialism. This is where one country increases its power and wealth through conquering of more territories. Before the onset of the war, Africa and sections of Asia were points of contention among the European nations. As a result of the desire to expand colonies and territories, there emerged confrontations that led the world to war.
Militarism is the third cause of the First World War. By the time the world got into the 20th Century, the race of arms had begun. Great Britain and Germany had amassed great military power that would help them during the war. As a result, nations got ready to war in order to test their military superiority.
The other reason for the start of the First World War is nationalism. This was based on the desire by Slavic people of Bosnia and Herzegovina from being part of Austria Hungary and instead be part of Serbia. As a result, nationalism led directly to the emergence of the war.
The fifth and immediate cause of the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Australia in the year 1914. His assassination led to Austria Hungary declaring war on Serbia. As a result of mobilization of Serbia by Russia due to their alliance, Germany declared war on Russia. The war thus expanded to an extent of covering most parts of the world.
Canada’s Entry into the War
Canada’s entry into the war was not a voluntary decision. The country went to war as part of the British Empire. This was due to Britain’s declaration of war on Germany (Youmans 1-2). This is an explanation of Canada’s entry into the war and not Canada’s reaction to the emergence of the war. Being that the country had been conquered by the Great Britain earlier on, Canada was acting as part of Britain. All the decisions regarded to the war were made by Britain on its behalf.
It has to be remembered that the Canadians that marched to war in 1914 were real people. Both the conscious and unconscious factors that led to this voluntary enlistment were numerous and manifold. They cannot be universally termed ‘patriotic’ with regard to Britain.
Role of Canada in World War 1
The roles of Canada in the war were varied in nature. Right from the time of emergence of the war in 1914, Canadian Prime minister had already responded to Britain’s call for Canada to take part in the War.
There was recruitment going on in the year 1915. At the battles of Ypres, the Canadian Prime minister promised to supply England with a second half a million soldiers (Kiloh 7). At this time, Canadian population was only estimated at eight million. The country underwent economic transformation towards the end of the war. A new munitions industry was set up in Canada by the end of the war.
The role of Canadian women in the war cannot be overlooked. Woman took up new roles at the workplace and on farms. They played numerous patriotic roles in nursing the wounded soldiers and making sure that the soldiers were energetic enough to war. Psychological support to the men was also a critical role that women played during the war.
Canada supplied Britain with flying squad pilots. By the end of the First World War, more than half of Britain’s pilots were Canadian (Kiloh 7). This was a clear indication of the Prime Minister’s loyalty to the British Empire at that time.
The Canadian navy was re-established in as the war came to an end. This navy was in support of the British efforts to outnumber the enemies’ troops during the war. The war could only go on with reinforcement from the Canadian army and navy.
Impact of the War to Canada
The effects of the First World War are diverse. The immediate effects were economic and demographics in nature. Canada lost several of its soldiers and citizens during the war. As a result of its low population, most of the men perished in the battles. This had a direct impact on the economy due to reduced productivity of the populations that were left behind.
The end of the war marked a new beginning for Canada. The country entered the war as a colony in the year 1914. However, at the end of the war, Canada was able to establish an independent government. The political transformation that the country went through from 1917 was directly as a result of the participation of the country in the war.
Though the country had limited resources at the end of the war, a new political structure was set up to help the country recover from the losses it made in the war. The remaining population was very constructive enough to set up new sectors in the economy and also able to rejuvenate the ones that had collapsed during the war.
Reasons for the End of World War 1
The Great War came to an end in the year 1918. The main reason for the end of the war was due to depletion of the war resources that were used by the participants in the war. Germany, for example, lost several soldiers and also ran out of the equipment that could keep supporting it if the war was to continue.
The effects that the war created on different countries also led to an end to the war. The alliances that pre-existed before the onset of the war seemed to weaken. Each country was more interested in saving the lives of the citizens left in the year 1918. There were agreements made to eliminate the hostilities that were created on the battlefields.
Most of the world’s strongest economies collapsed during the war. Britain, for example, had to recollect its resources once again to be more self-sufficient. Though the war mood was still on, the rival nations had to suspend their grievances for the sake of peace in the world.
Canada after the First World War
At the end of the war, there was a change of role and responsibilities by the Canadians. The women were more appreciated than before WW1. As most of the men got back from the war in 1918-19, most of the women that had been recruited in the production sectors were laid off (Sungrab 2). This period was important to the Canadian women since it gave a new beginning for the men to be awa...