Poisonous gas

(used for killing, injuring or incapacitating human beings)

In the August of 1914 the French unleashed tear gas on the Germans which worked as an irritant, this marked the first use of a poison gas.  Because of this attack, the Germans took it to the next level and created a poisonous gas that could kill…chlorine gas.  The Germans launched the gas at the French Canadians and British who stood there spot in the trenches because they thought that it was just a smoke so the Germans could move forward, but they were incorrect.  Once the chlorine gas was inhaled it would go into your lungs and mix with the water in your lungs and make a hydrochloric acid and eat away on your lungs.  This wasn’t even the worst, there would be even more dangerous gasses being made, for example, mustard gas, phosgene, benzyl bromide, etc.  -even though it was one the most feared types of weapons a number of fatalities were 91,000 out of 1,250,000 casualties, half of these fatalities being Russian. But the gas would always hide everything from sight and people had to abandon the trench because they were becoming incapable of fighting because of inhaling the gas.  After the first couple uses of these gasses people easily figured out how to counter it by wearing gas masks.

Shell Shock.

"Shell Shock" is a medical condition that started in

WW1. It was first recognized by  Charles Myres. in

 grew bigger in 1916-1918. It had a few names like

 "war neurosis" ,combat stress, or PTSD.  it was first

 thought to be caused by exploding shells. It was first

 thought to be caused by exploding shells on the battle

 field.

Diagnosis and Treatment.

Over 10,000 thousand people were diagnosed with this

 condition and it ranged from gentle to cruel

 being the worst.In some situatoins people would shake,

 go blind, mute, or even death from the mental trauma.
Some treatments are talk therapy and physical therapy.
but some of them get an electric shock.

WWYD: Finding an Enemy

It's the winter of 1915.  You are a 19 year old Canadian military officer who has stumbled away from the trenches. You find a young German soldier.  He is injured and does not speak English.  Your commanding officer has told you that any Germans found should be captured as a prisoner of war.  The boy looks scared, tired and sad.  Do you capture him and return him to camp or let him stay free?

WWYD: Following Orders

Your name is Sir Arthur Currie, the year in 1917 and you are a respected military leader.  People in charge have demanded that you finish an attack at Passchendaele (in Belgium).  You know that theh planning for this attack is not right and that following orders will cost the lives of thousands of men in your command.  Do you follow orders and tell your troops to attack or ignore orders and lose your job?

MED: Red Cross

Red Cross WWI

WHAT?

What is the medical job?

The Red Cross was an organization that would support people who needed help for example if people were homeless and serving in the war then the Red cross would send them tents and food.

What did they look like?

The people who volunteered in the Red Cross were mostly women because they couldn't go to war, the Red Cross was usually a hospital like building with lots of food clothing and other needs.

WHO?

Who invented it?

The the two men who invented the red cross was named Henry Dunant and the cofounder Gustave Moynier.

Who used it?

The people who used the Red Cross were generally men in war who needed things such as food, clothing or medicine.

WHERE?

Where was the Red Cross set up during World War One?

During World War One the red cross had supplies set up overseas in London England from which coordinated its work in Britain and France this work made many other rest homes and hospitals in England including the most famous one Taplow hospital

HOW?

How did this job help?

This job helped in many different ways from supplying people with clothing to tending to injured  soldiers

WHEN?

When was this job first used?

This job was first used in 1863 when Dunant and four others started the red cross

WHY?

Why was this medical job significant in war?

Because if they people back then didn't have the Red Cross they would have struggled lots to find a place to get help and healed  

Why was it good?

The red cross was good because they would help many people who needed support during the war and they provided many things for the men fighting.

W&T: Airplanes

Airplanes in World War 1

INVENTION OF THE AIRPLANE:

The airplane was invented by the Wright Brothers. It made its first flight on December 14th, 1903. This initial flight lasted for 12 seconds and flew a distance of 120 feet, which may seem like a measly distance, but it was a starting point. The Wright Brothers continued to refine and adjust their airplane and in just a years’ time they got it to fly for over five minutes. This advancement was incredible! Airplanes improved so much in the following years that they were able to be used in World War 1; even though it was only 11 years after they were invented. Airplanes were an incredibly important piece of technology in World War 1 and they have shaped the way all wars are fought today.

THE USE OF AIRPLANES:

Before the start of World War 1, planes were only used for sport. People never imagined how greatly planes would shape war itself. In 1899 at The Hague Peace Conference, people decided that “the dropping or shooting of any projectiles or explosives from the air during a time of war was forbidden and was considered a crime of war”. This all changed once the invention of airplanes came around. The French were the first to license pilots and have a working air force, but many countries soon followed. Using planes as a war mechanism was an exponential advancement. At first, planes were not the safest and most reliable. As technology improved, planes soon became a favourite war piece of war technology amongst many armies, as they were thought of as a “smarter way to fight”.

TYPES OF PLANES AND THEIR USES:

When people think of airplanes used in war they think of fighter planes and planes that drop bombs, but planes were not always used in this way. At the start of World War 1, planes were used as a means of spying on the enemy and finding what their moves or positions were. This is called reconnaissance. Airplanes were only able to be used for reconnaissance at the start of World War 1, because they were not safe and reliable enough to do anything else.

Airplanes were made to be more dependable, so they began to be used for bombing. These bombing planes could find a strategic location and the pilots would attack their enemies from above. The bombing airplanes were not perfect. They were easy to attack from the ground and they could not carry heavy loads. By the end of World War 1, long-range bomber planes could bomb from a distance and carry quite a heavy load.

When planes became more popular, it caused the idea of “war in the sky” to become popular as well. Pilots tried to throw grenades, or use rifles and pistols, but this was not quite effective. It was soon discovered that the best way to attack an enemy in the sky was to use a mounted machine gun. These mounted machine guns worked well for the most part, except if they had to be mounted near the front of the plane. The Germans quickly invented a piece of technology that was called an “interrupter”. This device enabled the machine gun to be synchronized with the propeller of the plane. This invention became implemented within many airplanes, causing all fighter planes to make use of this device. When pilots fought each other in the air it was called a “dogfight”. “Aces” were what the best fighter pilots were nicknamed. Fighter pilots flew “fighter planes”, (hence the name). The three most common categories of planes in World War 1 were:

Q  Reconnaissance Planes

Q  Bomber Planes

Q  Fighter Planes

Within these three categories there were approximately 70 different types of planes. Three famous planes were the Gotha G V, the Ansaldo SVA 5, and the Sopwith Camel.

The Gotha G V was a German long range bomber plane which had been designed to be used for night bombing. This plane could carry heavy loads and it was a great way to get an advantage on the enemy.

The Ansaldo SVA 5 was an Italian biplane. This plane was originally designed to be a fighter plane, but it was deemed to be useless for that role. This plane had quite an impressive speed and range, which made it an incredible reconnaissance plane.

The Sopwith Camel was a British biplane that could seat only one person. This biplane was introduced in 1917 as a fighter plane. This plane became one of the most iconic fighter planes of World War 1.

Airplanes had an enormous influence on the way World War 1 was fought and also how following wars were fought. Airplanes had enabled troops to spy on their enemies, drop bombs in strategic locations, and travel to new locations faster. Airplanes can be viewed as important for war, but they can also be viewed in a negative way. Making use of airplanes is a strategic way to get the “leg up” on the enemy, but they increase the number of war casualties. With this being said, I believe that war is a horrendous way to overcome problems and that war does not solve anything; however, if war must occur, the use of airplanes will help anyone increase their chances of “winning”.

PEOPLE: Canadian Women

 

The Canadian Women of World War 1

The women in ww1 had a very big effect on the war because they were recruited for many jobs when the new conscription law that was being enforced on men. This was the start of a new era; women were now employed in jobs that were previously viewed as man’s work.

 

 

Women at Work

  Women had all types of jobs during WW1; some actively took part in the war, whereas others filled in for the soldiers who had left their jobs. Here are some of the jobs a woman would do in the war:

·        Ambulance drivers

·        Nursing

·        Munitions factory workers (making gun shells, explosives, etc.

Jobs a woman would do back home

·        Railway guards/ticket collector

·        Buses and tram conductors

·        Postal workers

·        Police/firefighters

·        Bank tellers and clerks

·        Farming

                  

              WW1 Effects on Women’s Lives

            World War 1 changed the average life of women. When they began to work, women were paid a lot less than men were for doing the exact same jobs. This effected their home life and tended to make some of the more confident and loud women angry. Some went on strike, and some had no choice or just didn’t care and kept working. This was an unfair thing to do considering the amount of background work they did for the war.

 

            Women actively involved in war, as nurses, doctors, or ambulance drivers were heavily depended on because without them there would have been a lot more deaths. Their courage was incredible and the fact that they volunteered their lives to take part in protecting their country is heavily praised.

 

            Women did what they had to do during the war, supplying for their families, volunteering in war efforts, working in a demanding job or working in the warzone at hospitals, helping to save fallen soldiers. Without the help from women not only in Canada but from everywhere the war would have been a lot more difficult than it already was.