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In 1914, Ferdinand and his wife were touring the Austro-Hungarian Empire to improve his reputation. But during his visit to Sarajevo in the Bosnian region, that didn’t exactly go to plan. A Serbian nationalist terrorist group called the Black Hand had been plotting to kill Ferdinand to achieve the creation of “Greater Serbia” which involved unifying the Serbian and Slavic populations in the Balkans. Their first attempt failed, as Cabrinovic’s bomb missed the Archduke’s car and hit the car behind him, injuring some soldiers. The next day, Ferdinand decided to visit the injured soldiers in the hospital. But his driver took a wrong turn, bringing the car right next to Gavrilo Princip, the leader of the Black Hand, who shot the Archduke and his wife.

This event was significant because it was the spark that ignited the First World War. It led Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia, who was protected by Russia, and soon all members of alliances with the 2 were dragged into the conflict. Creating a great battle that would last the next 5 years.

I think that this event was very important in altering the path the world took after 1914. World War 1 laid the foundations for Hitler’s political party and eventually led to the start of World War 2, which created a path for many other events to occur later on.

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The Battle of Vimy Ridge was solely a Canadian victory. It was the first time at 4 Canadian divisions fought together. The British and the French had previously failed to capture the ridge, so the Canadians were called in as a last option. But the Canadians came prepared. The soldiers involved had rehearsed the attack behind the lines for weeks, the infantry were given specialist roles like machine gunners, riflemen, or grenade-throwers. The artillery were used to create a ‘rolling barrage’ to shield the soldiers during their advance towards the German lines, and to keep the Germans deep in their dugouts so they couldn’t reach their machine guns to fire back. The Canadians overran, and held hill 147, the most important area in the ridge. But their victory came with a cost of over 10,000 casualties.

This was an incredibly significant moment in Canadian history. It signifies the beginning of Canadian autonomy from Britain, as it showed that Canada did not need the support of the European superpowers to succeed. General A.E Ross commented “in those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation.”

I believe that this was one of the most important Canadian events in WW1. It suggested that Canada could function well as an independent country, and was capable of succeeding without the support of the mother country. It increased Canadian nationalism and eventually led to the recognition of a fully independent nation.

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The Winnipeg General strike of 1919 was the largest strike in Canadian history. It was inspired by the Bolshevik communist revolution in 1917. The Canadian working class was hit hard by high unemployment rates, and low pay for those who were employed. Due to this, the workers in Winnipeg revolted. Over 30,000 workers took to the streets between May 15 and June 25 to protest. The strike resulted in arrests, injuries, and the deaths of 2 protestors. No workers meant no production. The strike shut down privately owned factories, shops and trains. As well as publicly owned utilities. In the end, the federal government decided to put down the protest by force. The strike leaders were arrested, and when the workers protested that, the RCMP was sent in with clubs to shut the demonstration down.

This event is a direct example of the spread of communist ideology around the globe and that it wasn’t restricted to the Soviet Union alone. It shows that workers were poorly treated after the war, and set the stage for people to revolt against capitalism. The significance is presented within the sheer numbers of the workers involved in the strikes, and in the determination those people had to demonstrate their need to be treated fairly.

I think that this event was necessary in terms of showing the level of respect society had for their workers. Demonstrating how inconsiderate the Canadian government was over worker’s rights largely contributed to the more equal working conditions exhibited today.

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The Treaty of Versailles - signed in November 1919 - was the treaty that marked the end of World War 1. It involved punishment for Germany since they caused the majority of the damage during the war. Germany had to accept the blame for the war, they had to pay all reparations, - which added up to £6.6 billion - lose 13% of their land, and reduce their army to only 100,000 men.

The signing of the Treaty of Versailles was a significant moment because it symbolized the end of the Great War. And provoked some bad events in Germany that would occur within the decade, including the crash of the mark, and France invading the Ruhr to take resources as payment.

I think that this was a very important event. It signified the importance of allied reputations as they blamed the war on Germany AND made Germany pay for the entirety of the war on its own. It also set the stage for a Germany so desperate that they would elect a totalitarian dictator to run their country. On top of all that it gave Germany a reason for revenge.

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The KKK first entered Canada in the 1920’s and established headquarters in Toronto, Ontario. The Klan quickly grew in popularity in the southern region of the province, with rallies where nearly 20,000 Canadians showed up to support the Klan’s motives. By 1925 there were cross burnings occurring all across Canada. The Klan’s primary targets were Black people, Jews, Catholics, and the French in Quebec. It was a hate group determined to establish white superiority, and moved towards that goal in disturbing ways. By the 1930’s, inspired by the rise of Hitler, many KKK leaders began moving towards fascism and nazism. The Klan was still around, but not as prominent. It was reborn in the 1960’s following the popular movie “A Birth of a Nation” which portrayed the Klan as heroes saving women from the ‘evil’ black men, and the adoption of multiculturalism in Canada. By the 1980’s Klan members were getting convicted with criminal activities - including their grand wizard, who got arrested - leaving the Klan yet again, dead.

The Ku Klux Klan was a long term event that promoted white supremacy in extremist ways. It demonstrates the Canada doesn’t always live up to its stereotype of being a polite and accepting country, and that Canadians are capable of committing atrocities involving oppression of race and religion. It forces Canadians to reflect on their ideology, and determine whether or not its the ethically right thing to believe.

In my opinion, the long terror of the Ku Klux Klan should never have surfaced. The oppression of certain groups should not have been as welcomed in such a multiculturistic society. There should have been more done to prevent these actions from happening. But what I don’t understand is that the Klan portrayed themselves as a Christian organization. So why were they burning crosses and committing mass genocide of Catholics?

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Prohibition in Canada lasted from 1920 - 1933, when the purchase and possession of liquor was made illegal. In the early 19th century, drunkenness was recognized as a sin in Canada. But at the time, the country full of alcohol. This led to provinces going dry one by one.
The crime rate increased as normally rule abiding citizens began to smuggle liquor into the country, and sometimes through into the United States. It also gave rise to hidden pubs known as “blind pigs” or “gin joints.” Additionally, gangsters rose and made millions through their liquor smuggling businesses.

This event was significant because it demonstrated that alcohol has a major influence on how society functions. It showed that, in its absence, crime rate increases since the public has a need for liquor. Prohibition made it clear that alcohol had been around for such a long time, you couldn’t just get rid of it.

I think that Prohibition was necessary a its time. The economy was struggling; it was a good chance to experiment with the affect alcohol has upon a population, and prove that alcohol - despite its effects - contributes to the success, and happiness of a nation.

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The Holocaust was a mass genocide supported by the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945. In included working Jewish people to death in concentration camps designed by the Nazis. Jews were systematically deprived of their rights and slowly moved into concentrated areas where they weren’t allowed to own the majority of their possessions. Eventually they were shipped off to the camps where they were fed half of what a human needs to maintain a healthy body weight, and were put to work by being promised freedom. The Nazi’s would trick the Jews into thinking they were going to live a better life by buying the train tickets to travel to the concentration camps. Deception was key.

This event was significant because it brought forth the Nazi’s true colours and put them on full display. 6 million Jews were killed over the 12 years that the holocaust took place simply because Hitler viewed them as a minority who caused the defeat of Germany in WW1.

I think that this was an event that never should have happened. Hitler had no credible reason to kill so many innocent people other than his own biased opinion on them. Hitler did not even know how to properly distinguish them from Aryan Germans.

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The Canadians played a major role in the success of D Day with their landing at Juno Beach. They attacked the beach alone, with no support from the British or American troops who had landed at other beaches. The Canadians fought fiercely, and sustained around 1,074 casualties. The beaches were secured within a week, and the Canadian divisions made it farther than the other beach landings did. The R.C.A.F helped secure the skies around Normandy and the Canadian Navy assisted in controlling the seas, providing a safe crossing of the English Channel for the allies.

This was an immensely significant event because it marks the turning point of the war. The point where the allies began to punch back the axis forces, and it gave hope that there was a potential to win the war. The Canadians played an important role in the success of the invasion and helped further succeed in the liberation of Belgium and the Netherlands.

I believe that this was an important event to show the world what Canada is capable of doing. That despite their tough losses in Hong Kong and Dieppe, Canada could assist in a successful invasion, and further contribute to victory.

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Segregation was prominent in the early 20th century. In 1964, there was a big outbreak of civil rights protests following the death of Medgar Evers. The movement wanted to lessen segregation and prevent discrimination based on race, gender, sex, and national origin. It desired equality in the workplace, and expected a fair chance at promotions, and hiring. And also wanted to strengthen voting rights and eliminate segregation within education. So, in June of 1963, US President John F. Kennedy requested a comprehensive civil rights bill from Congress. After Kennedy’s assassination, President Lyndon Johnson pressed Congress to pass the bill, and in 1964, they did.

This was a significant event in American history as it prohibited segregation of any kind towards marginalized groups and created a more equal society, allowing it to better offer the American Dream to members of those groups. It ended the Jim Crow laws - laws that had prohibited black individuals from participating in certain events due to their skin colour - and introduced new laws that were the exact opposite.

I think that this was a necessary event in American history. In order for a nation to fully prosper, it needs the support of all its citizens. Before the Civil Rights Act was passed, the oppression of minorities weakened America as many were unable to find jobs due to characteristics they couldn’t control. But the act changed that. It opened up new opportunities to members of minority groups, and even though there’s still segregation today, Americans continue to fight for their rights.

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Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in the Soviet Union following the death of Konstantin Chernenko and immediately began working towards his goal of a happier nation. Past Soviet leaders have tried to achieve this, but Gorbachev was the one that actually made it happen. He allowed independence to the Western regions of the Soviet Union, causing the wall built between East and West Europe to fall in Hungary. The Berlin Wall then fell in 1989, and after protests in many different Soviet states, the Union dissolved and new independent countries were formed.

This event was significant because it not only marked the end of a powerful group of nations, but it also ended the tension that caused the Cold War. Gorbachev reorganized the Soviet’s political system, introducing multiple party elections and presidency. They began moving towards a more democratic and less communist system, which demonstrated that capitalism was the more powerful economic strategy.

I think that this was an event that had a very positive impact on the state of the world at that point in time. Soviet leaders acknowledged the opinions of their citizens, and worked to grant them what they wanted. Independence. It also improved relations between 2 enemies that had been intimidating each other with power and technology for the past 40 years.