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The First World War, which lasted from July 28, 1914, to November 11, 1918, was fought between the Allied Powers, a coalition whose core consisted of France, Great Britain and Russia, and the Central Powers, an alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and their allies. It was the first war in human history fought by countries in every region of the world, involving 32 nations in all. Of these, 28 fought on the side of the Allies, including Italy (as of 1915) and the United States (1917), while Turkey (1914) and Bulgaria (1915) joined the Central Powers.

The immediate cause of the war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia was the June 28, 1914, assassination in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by Gavrilo Princip, a student linked to Serbian nationalists. However, the root causes of the conflict date back to the late 19th century.

During the Great War, as it was known at the time, the major theatre of operations was in France, Belgium and Russia, with secondary theatres of war in Italy, the Balkans, the Middle East, North Africa, Oceania, and nearly every ocean around the world.

For Canada, the First World War was both a time of intense internal tensions and an important step in gaining international recognition. As a member of the British Empire, the country declared war on Germany when Great Britain did on August 4, 1914. During the conflict, the Conservative government of Sir Robert Borden (1854-1937) gave itself sweeping powers by adopting the War Measures Act, which enabled the Cabinet to govern by decree and suspend civil liberties. The Borden government enacted drastic economic and social policies to promote the war effort and influence the 1917 elections in its favour, including borrowing heavily, interning over 8,500 individuals, and adopting the Wartime Elections Act. When conscription (the Military Service Act) was applied on January 1, 1918, it heightened tensions between English and French-speaking Canadians. Quebec was the scene of numerous protests against mandatory military service in 1917 and 1918.

The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) recruited some 630,000 Canadians in all between 1914 and 1918, of which nearly 61,000 were killed and 172,000 wounded. The CEF distinguished itself in the battles of Vimy and Passchendaele, and took part in the final skirmishes of the war in Mons. Following the Allies' victory and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, Canada received a seat in the new League of Nations, strengthening its international position as a country distinct from Great Britain.

Sources:

Morton, Desmond, "First World War (WWI)," in The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2015. [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/first-world-war-wwi]

Stacey, C. P., "Canadian Expeditionary Force," in The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2015. [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadian-expeditionary-force]