Excerpts from history textbooks

1. Industrialization | 2. Urbanization | 3. Living Conditions | 4. World Wars | 5. Politics and Social Movements
 

4. WORLD WARS

4.1 World War I

76) The First World War is said to have affirmed Canada as a nation in its own right. Why?
77) What explains Canada's patriotic spirit at the start of the First World War?
78) What is military propaganda?
79) Who opposed conscription?
80) What were the practical contributions of Canadians at the front?
81) How would the everyday life of the Canadian soldier at war be described?

4.2 World War II

82) What main industries benefited from economic renewal?
83) What impact did the Second World War have on the labour market?

4.1 World War I

76) The First World War is said to have affirmed Canada as a nation in its own right. Why?

"Canadians were asked to dedicate everything, including their lives, to the war effort. By the end of the war, Canada was bleeding badly on both the battlefield and the home front. In front 1914, Canadians had willingly entered the war as a part of the British Empire. By 1918, the sacrifices made by all Canadians ? from the battlefields to the wheat fields and from the diplomatic tables to the operating tables ? had earned Canada the right to stand as a nation on its own."

Newman, Garfield et al. Canada: a Nation Unfolding, Toronto, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2000, p. 76.

"The outbreak of the war in 1914 at first unified the country. Many Canadians- particularly those of British origin- volunteered and fought bravely in Europe. Trench warfare was horrible (...) and casualties were high. In one attack in April 1915, 60 percent of the men in a Canadian division were killed or wounded in a single day. In another day's fighting at the Somme in 1916, the Canadian contingent of 77 000 was ordered to advance part of the line 1 km. This was done at the expense of 24 000 casualties."

Young, Brian and John A. Dickinson. Diverse pasts, a History of Québec and Canada, Toronto, Copp Clark Ltd., 1995, p. 263.

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77) What explains Canada's patriotic spirit at the start of the First World War?

"When Laurier had declared that the twentieth century belonged to Canada, he imagined the nation enjoying an economic boom as ?the jewel in the crown? of the British Empire. It was, therefore, not surprising that news of the outbreak of war was greeted by cheering Canadians who demonstrated their patriotism by pouring out into the night, jubilantly waving their handkerchiefs and hats. Military experts planned on a quick victory, in which the loser ?Germany? would pay the costs. Almost everyone expected a short war and thought the troops would be home by Christmas. Some soldiers would be killed, they knew, and others would suffer severe wounds; but most would have a glorious adventures to talk about for the rest of their lives."

Newman, Garfield et al. Canada: a Nation Unfolding, Toronto, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2000, p. 75.

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78) What is military propaganda?

"Propaganda is a word used to describe the process of persuading people to believe in a certain idea or set of ideas. In the First World War, propaganda was used to persuade young men and women to join the Armed Forces, to influence how people at home felt about the war and Germany, and to help the Union government with the 1917 federal election. Enlistment posters could fire up the imagination of young people and make them eager to join the Armed Forces."

Hundey, Ian M. and Michael L. Magarrey. Canadian History 1900-2000, Toronto, Irwin Publishing, 2000, p. 95.

"Most posters produced by the government in World War I served one of four purposes: (i) to encourage young men to enlist; (ii) to convince Canadians to buy Victory Bonds to help finance the war; (iii) to encourage Canadians to be thrifty and conserve food; and (iv) to urge Canadians to contribute to the Patriotic Fund, which provided assistance to the families of men fighting overseas."

Newman, Garfield et al. Canada: a Nation Unfolding, Toronto, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2000, p. 95.

"I enlisted in the 106th Battalion because my oldest brother wore the uniform of an officer in this unit. I joined up at a recruitment assembly at Big Bras d'Or School (?). I think I did it mostly to be brave. I became somebody (although just a boy of 18) by enlisting in front of members of the community. This feeling was inspired by war propaganda and it spread across the land, even into rural areas. I remember one time someone coming to our home and my mother hanging a portrait of a soldier with a passage from Robert Burns: ?For gold the merchant ploughs the main / The farmer ploughs the manor / But glory is the sodger's prize / The sodger's wealth is honor.' It was clever propaganda. It became an emotional affair. Patriotic and inspiring. And I'd say that everyone felt it the same way - all of Cape Breton, in any event. Everybody joined up, and about half ended up being killed." [transl.]

Testimonial of H.L. Livingstone, soldier from Cape Breton, as quoted by Couturier, Jacques Paul. L'expérience canadienne, des origines à nos jours, Moncton, Les Éditions d'Acadie, 1994, p. 282.

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79) Who opposed conscription?

"To many English Canadians, anything less than complete commitment to the war was unthinkable and unacceptable. They believed that if able-bodied Canadian men did not volunteer for service, they should be forced to serve. Borden knew that bringing in military conscription would touch off an outcry in Quebec. Since many Quebeckers had refused to volunteer, what would happen if they were forced to join the armed forces? Borden was convinced, however, of the need for more Canadian soldiers. On May 18, 1917, he stood up in the House of Commons to announce a new policy of conscription. "All citizens are liable for the defence of their country," he said, "and I conceive that the battle for Canadian liberty and autonomy is being fought on the plains of France and Belgium." The Military Service Bill introduced a month later in the House of Commons."

Newman, Garfield et al. Canada: a Nation Unfolding, Toronto, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2000, p. 94.

"(...) I don't recognize the right of any government to impose mandatory service in an imperial war. (?) I will not accept conscription, whether voted on or imposed by government decree. I will hang or be shot, but I will always demand, before conscription, elections and a referendum (a question put to popular vote)." [transl.]

Armand Lavergne, journaliste nationaliste Canadien-français, as quoted by Jean-François Cardin, Raymond Bédard and René Fortin. Le Québec: héritages et projets, Laval, Éditions HRW, 1994, p. 318.

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80) What were the practical contributions of Canadians at the front?

"Admittedly, the soldiers of the Canadian Expeditionary Force made up a small part of the overall allied forces. Nevertheless, they took part in several major battles, at first under British command and later under Canadian command. Their first true test in battle took place at Ypres in the winter of 1915 where they were exposed to a new offensive weapon developed by the Germans: poison gas. Canadian troops also won recognition in the Battle of the Somme in 1916 by partially consolidating Allied positions at a cost of 24,000 soldiers, dead or wounded. In the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917, Canadian military intervention proved decisive. This Allied offensive, led by the Canadian Expeditionary Force, succeeded in breaking through enemy lines to capture a German position that had been deemed impregnable." [transl.]

Couturier, Jacques Paul. L'expérience canadienne, des origines à nos jours, Moncton, Les Éditions d'Acadie, 1994, p. 274.

"From a military perspective, Canada made a considerable effort by enlisting approximately one-half million men, sixty thousand of whom were killed on the battlefields of Europe. In April 1915, Canadian troops took part in their first major battle at Ypres in Belgium. Quickly recognized for their endurance, Canadian soldiers were sent into the fray on several occasions as shock troops. Their most significant victory took place at Vimy, France, in April 1917." [transl.]

Louise Charpentier et al. Nouvelle histoire du Québec et du Canada, Montréal, CEC, 2e édition, 1990, p.272.

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81) How would the everyday life of the Canadian soldier at war be described?

"The Canadian forces spent the winter of 1914 in tents on the windswept Salisbury Plain in southern England. It was the wettest winter in memory, and the plain was a sea of mud. Every morning, soldiers hung their blankets up in the rain to wash out the caked mud. They were always wet, cold, and hungry, and rations were short. The soldiers were lucky to get porridge and tea for breakfast, and leftover porridge and a bit of meat stew for supper."

Newman, Garfield et al. Canada: a Nation Unfolding, Toronto, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2000, p. 83.

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4.2 World War II

82) What main industries benefited from economic renewal?

"The Canadian economy went full throttle during the war years, to the point where the gross national product would double between 1939 and 1945. Of course, the manufacture of military equipment represented the first industry sector to benefit from the economic upswing. Throughout the war, approximately sixteen thousand planes, sixty-five thousand tanks, one million guns and a few thousand cargo and warships were delivered from the nation's factories. Additionally, heavy industry profited from the economic expansion due to a growing demand for base materials such as iron and steel. The agricultural sector also benefited from a bullish market, just as the civil service did from the widening of its mandate to administer state affairs, the range and scope of which would continue to grow." [transl.]

Couturier, Jean-Paul and Réjean Ouellette. L'expérience canadienne des origines à nos jours, Moncton, Éditions d'Acadie, 1994, p. 330.

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83) What impact did the Second World War have on the labour market?

"The launch of the Second World War had the almost immediate effect of triggering an economic renewal. As the unemployed either joined up or found work in wartime industries, the nation's unemployment rate plummeted, going from 11 to 4 percent between 1939 and 1941 among unionized workers." [transl.]

Couturier, Jean-Paul et Réjean Ouellette. L'expérience canadienne des origines à nos jours, Moncton, Éditions d'Acadie, 1994, p. 329.

"By the end of 1941, industries across the nation were working overtime to produce war materials. Unemployment vanished. In fact, competition for workers had become so stiff that the government created a National Selective (NSS) to direct Canadian workers to the industries where their labour was most needed. If workers took jobs without NSS approval, they could be fined $500 and jailed for a year. The economy, crippled by the Great Depression, was up and running again."

Newman, Garfield et al. Canada: a Nation Unfolding, Toronto, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2000, p. 255.

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