WW1 was a ruthless war that began in the summer of 1914 (Granatstein 14). Because of Britain’s involvement in the war, Canada was automatically brought into the war effort since it was a dominion of Britain (Metherell 26). During the early years of the 1st world war, volunteer enlistments flourished, 330,000 overall from 1914 to 1915 (Jefferson). By late 1916 however, the ruthless war and terrible casualties at the front in europe were beginning to cause reinforcement issues for Canadian commanders (Jones).With volunteer enlistments being at an all time low, Canada’s Prime Minister at the time, Robert Borden was faced with a difficult decision: Accepting the consequences of a failed English war effort or accepting the consequences of imposing …show more content…
The huge expense of the essentials for war such as munitions, food and hiring people to fill the job vacancies created by the departure of the soldiers resulted in Canada’s wealth plummeting (Jefferson). Before going to war, the soldiers fighting in Europe were the ones that drove the Canadian economy as they worked as manufacturers, businessmen and farmers (Jones). A huge source of income in Canada prior to and during the First World War was the exportation of wheat, timber and munitions (Jones). Conscription resulted in labor shortage affecting the quantity of resources and finished goods exported from Canada, the amount of money made and subsequent tariff collected (Britannica). With so many farmers and agricultural leaders forced to cease production, exportations decreased by as much as 30 percent (Armstrong 75). According to Annette Deluca, an economist for the research firm Sherbrooke, as a result of conscription, Canada’s industrial, agricultural and wartime economies were left in a “frenzy” as industry leaders were forced to abandon their businesses in order to accommodate conscription. In addition, conscription caused the government’s war debt to grow even further since additional ammunition, food and equipment was needed. This left the government in desperate of money and in 1917 income tax was introduced to Canadians (Metherell 128). It began as a temporary measure and people were …show more content…
However, war puts the lives sanity and physical condition of the soldiers at risk which is something Canada cannot afford especially after losing so many men in the battle of Somme (Copp). According to Concordia University’s Harold Kempher, since Canada was not under threat of an attack from Germany, conscription unnecessarily put the lives of thousands at risk. Kempher notes that the notion of conscription “is only effective when used in the correct certain circumstances”. For the population in France, for example, it was absolutely necessary to conscript men as the war was fought on their soil (Britannica). The entire nation felt the impact of the war and therefore the mandatory enlistment of soldiers was not really controversial among the population (Britannica). However, since the English were not directly being attacked and Canada was very far removed from the battlefield, many Canadians did not feel compelled towards the idea of conscription. The sheer number of deaths of Canadian soldiers before the implementation of conscription demonstrated Canada’s commitment to the war in it of itself (BBC). Canada’s sacrifice in the war was already very substantial and Britain would not have been displeased if conscription did not come into place (BBC). Furthermore, conscription would have minimal impact on Canada’s war effort. By the ceasefire in
In changing his mind, he lost many citizens’ trust in their government. The majority of those opposing Borden were French-Canadians. While Canada's involvement in WW1 was supported by the vast majority of English Canadians, the issue of conscription clearly and sharply divided the country. For some Canadians it was an important and necessary contribution for a faltering war effort. However, for others it was an oppressive act passed by a more British government than Canadian. Many francophones living in canada during World War 1 were not to fond of the idea of a draft army and were more reluctant to enlist as they felt a little attachment to Britain. They did not believe that it was their war, as a result they felt suppressed by the canadian government and that their opinion, linguistic and cultural independence was ignored. The French-Canadian’s reluctance to enlist had much to do with the fact that little accommodation was made for those soldiers that did not speak English. Francophones were expected to understand the English commands given by British officers, which they resented. Their linguistic barriers were ignored and the feel of having conscription being imposed on them led to public displays of resentment. Former Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier claimed that conscription "has in it the seeds of discord and disunion". He was correct since
Later on in his developing career, Currie met with a woman named Lucy Charworth-Musters, who would one day be his wife. With a paying job as a teacher, he decided to enlist in the militia as a lowly gunner in the 5th Regiment at the Canadian Garrison Artillery. In 1901, Currie married Lucy and found a better-paying job at an insurance firm at Matson and Coles (Dancocks, 1985). With great devotion to his wife and two children, the militia was still one of Currie’s priorities and he became a commander of the 5th Regiment of Artillery, winning the Governor-General’s Cup for efficiency (Hyatt, 1987). On the 4th of August in 1914, the British ultimatum to Germany expired and Canada was now automatically at war (Hyatt, 1987).
”[2] Ultimately, the final decision, without any approval of Parliament[3] was to support the Imperial request. This was Canadian army’s first major overseas campaign. However, the decision to participate in Boer war resulted in a vast range of problems for a young country. First of all, the war had nothing to do with Canadians, it further increased conflicts between French-English Canadians, resulted in many other home front problems and even after all the efforts, Canadian contribution was not fully recognised.
Before the General Strike, the Canadian government was fully invested in WWI, whereas most Canadian citizens were not; the dissonance urged industrial workers to unionize. From the beginning of Canada’s involvement in the Great War, their industrial complex mass-produced supplies and armaments for the Allied Powers. Most Canadian citizens had no qualms with the shift in the job market until there were not enough workers to produce the basic material goods necessary within Canada’s borders. The citizens began to form groups, seemingly in opposition of the government and its advocacy for war. To the Canadian government, this was incredibly concerning, presenting the possi...
Approximately 620,000 Canadians fought during the First World War. Nearly 700,000 if we account for the men and women that enlisted in the Canadian units outside of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and in the British forces. Of which, almost 173,000 Canadians were wounded and about 67,000 Canadians had lost their lives by November 11th, 1918. These casualties were devastating in numbers. Canada needed to regain the good faith of its people, despite the fact that it was still a colony of Britain. Canadians knew very little about why the war had started, or the significance of the events that instigated it. But, Canadians were called upon to fight it, therefore now was the greatest need for there to be better compensation for our returning Veterans than ever before. This was the time when the ground work for the Veterans Assistance Programs of today was laid down. Of ...
Before the war, Canada’s most important sector in its economy was agriculture. However, this was changing drastically after and during the war as industry began to take over as being more important. Canadian production of war material, food supplies, and raw materials had been crucial during the war. After the war, it was only natural that big investments were being made in mining, production, transportation, and services industries. Canadian cities were becoming very important contributors to the economy. This was also bringing in waves of post-war immigration, the backbone of Canada’s multicultural society we know today.
At the beginning of the war, 20,00 men enlisted to fight in the war, which was 2.5% of the possible pool of over 800,000 eligible men, this number then increased to 50,000 at the end of the first year. This was a good representation of the rush that there was to enlist which was largely due to all of the mythical representations of the war and also the rewards for enlisting which included the chance to travel Europe with a decent pay of 6 shillings a day 3 times what a British troop would have earned and also the reward of honour and respect. The war was also seen as al...
During the First World War, Canada suffered a great conscription crisis that divided the nation. The French-Canadian nationalists, led by Henri Bourassa, opposed conscription and felt that they were fighting an English war, and therefore felt no obligation to fight. The vast majority of those who enlisted during the age of voluntary recruitment were Anglophones; in contrast, very few Francophones volunteered to fight. On 17 May 1917, Prime Minister Robert Borden announced that military service was to become compulsory among men of fighting age of all classes. French-Canadians protested; however, despite their best efforts, the Military Service Bill came into effect. The protest eventually led to lengthy riots. Following this, Canada became
The Great War from 1914-1918 in Europe had a traumatic toll on Canadians. The soldiers in the fields were forever changed by the war but they weren’t the only ones who were changed. World War 1 had a significant impact on Canada’s homefront. The impact of the Great War on Canadian civilians can be easily seen through the increased rate and level of discrimination, growth of Canadian economy and the independence of women.
The War Measures Act, which had been created for the protection and benefit of Canadian...
The act of applying conscription during the First and Second World Wars have nearly torn Canada apart. The conscription crisis of 1917 was a treacherous event that occurred during the First World War. During this time the relations between Quebec and the rest of Canada were in an all time low in our Canadian history. The Québécois thought conscription was merely unnecessary no matter what circumstance; while all other Canadians did essentially want conscription occur. The contrast was inevitably high on the issue of conscription between the Québécois and the rest of Canada thus creating a solution when conscription was indeed needed was impossible. However while William Lyon Mackenzie King was the Prime Minister during the Second World War; he reacted differently in comparison to Robert Borden. Although King promised not to introduce conscription as did Borden in his campaign race; he dealt the issue of conscription in a more controlled manner. Essentially Mackenzie King approached the issue of conscription using prior knowledge learnt from World War One.
World War I, a military conflict, began as a local European war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia in 1914. It was transformed into a general European struggle by declaration of war against Russia, and eventually became a global war involving 32 nations. Twenty- eight of these nations, known as the Allies and the Associated Powers, and including Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and the United States, opposed the coalition known as the Central Powers, consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria. World War I, was not only a dispute among nations, but also affected thousands of people from all over the world, including African Americans, women, and even business and economic changes. African Americans endured a great amount of racism during the war, especially from the military.
Social, Political and Economic Effects of WWI. Everywhere in the world heard the sound of things breaking." Advanced European societies could not support long wars or so many thought prior to World War I. They were right in the way.
Battles such as Vimy Ridge, the Second Battle of Passchendaele and the Battle of the Somme were some of the worst battles that the world can find Canadian's. Our northern nation had boasted over 600,000 soldiers to the battlefields whilst also providing vital manufacturing facilities and training soldiers from across the world. The strong imperial bond between Canada and the 'Motherland' was an important factor in Canada's decision to participate wholeheartedly in World War I, and influenced many in their decision to join the army. Most Canadians felt a strong connection to the British Emp...
Men were by far the most affected by the war, due to the Conscription Act that was passed in 1916. This included all men aged 18-40 who were able to fight against the triple Alliance. The number of volunteers were decreasing, because of circulating news reports of the horrifying experiences and the living conditions the men were expected to live in. War’s glamorous side was destroyed and replaced with fear. With Britain’s army diminishing, they had to bring in conscription to maintain the necessary numbers of troops. Not all men agreed with this measure and those who opposed conscription were known as conscientious objectors. These men were usually pacifists or highly religious individuals, who were treated like criminals by society; many were assaulted and publicly humiliated. These men were forced to take on jobs that aided the military. The men that refused this alternative to fighting were either sentenced to death or put in solitary confinement. This exhibits the extreme mea...