Militarism In Ww1

In the beginning of 1914, the countries were drawn into a state of tension, and it was unknown whether the world’s nations would clash. Militarism caused many countries to fund the armies, and they began to believe that violence was the answer. Imperialism forced countries to fight over land and resources, and Russia’s Pan Slavism belief led to the clenched fists of Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. It was in due time that a tipping point in history would result in the start of the world war. Following the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, countries were thrown into chaos and the First World War began. In Canada, many joined the war for different reasons: money, pressure from the propaganda, honor. Additionally, there was the misconception of war that many who enlisted underestimated. The soldiers had no idea the destruction and death they would endure. When men reached the front, they were shown how wrong they were. Many died

Life was not easy for James Hunter, as he risked his life for his country and for one dollar a day, equivalent to twenty dollars in 2015. However, luck was on his side, as he did not have to use the incompetent Ross Rifles that Canadian soldiers had to use in 1916. The Ross rifle was not strong enough to endure the hard use by soldiers in the trenches, and also tended to jam during rapid fire, contrary to the British Lee Enfield Rifle James and the soldiers of the Canadian army favored and used. Although James did not fight in many battles with the 10th battalion, he fought in the battle of Passchendaele in the July of 1917. Unfortunately, the conditions were incredibly harsh. In the trenches, there were often rats and lice occupying the spaces alongside soldiers, and helped to spread disease. The pests also resulted in the troops’ developing fevers. In addition, the damp, cold trenches led to soldiers developing a condition named “Trench Foot”,