WWI: Canada

Question 1

When did Canada enter the war and why?

Answer 1

They entered the war in August 4th, 1914.

They entered the war because they were a British Dominion.

Question 2

What does CEF stand for?

Answer 2

Canadian Expeditionary Force

Question 3

Were the initial troops volunteers or conscripts? Where were most of the men from?

Answer 3

Initially troops were volunteers.

They were British born.

Question 4

What was the public opinion initially when war started?

Answer 4

Initially it was very supported.

Question 5

Which man led the mobilization process for 3 years?

Answer 5

Colonel Sam Hughes

Question 6

Explain at least 3 ways that Canada’s and America’s Homefronts similar.

Answer 6

• Conscription
• Propaganda Campaign
• Created Government Agencies
• Limited Civil Liberties
• Employed war bonds and Liberty Loans
• High demand for farming, particularly wheat.
• Women took quasi-male jobs

Question 7

When were women granted the right to vote in federal elections? What were their restrictions?

Answer 7

May 24th, 1918.

• Had to be a citizen
• Over the age of 21
• Them or husband must own land

Question 8

Wilfred Laurier

Answer 8

Prime minister of Canada before the war. Distrusted British imperialism, and was opposed to the conscription.

Question 9

Colonel Sam Hughes

Answer 9

Minister of militia, operated free of government interference

Question 10

Sir Robert Borden

Answer 10

Prime minister during the war.

Question 11

Henri Bourassa

Answer 11

French Canadian who led the draft opposition Quebec

Question 12

Thomas White

Answer 12

Finance Minister of Canada, appropriated government fund throughout the war.

Question 13

British North America Act

Answer 13

Also called the Constitution Act of 1867. United all of Canada under British control, making the Canadian Constitution

Question 14

War Measures Act

Answer 14

August of 1914, expanded government powers through wartime government agencies. Quelled civil liberties, especially against German Immigrants.

Question 15

Canadian Patriotic Fund

Answer 15

Extremely successful, collected money for soldiers families, called a family allowance. You could get up to 50 dollars a month if a family member was fighting overseas.

Question 16

Military Service Act

Answer 16

August 29th, 1917, when their parliament voted on putting a draft in, which would go into effect January 1st, 1918.

Question 17

Wartime Elections Act

Answer 17

Changed who could vote:
Women related to men who were fighting in the war could vote, other than children
Conscientious Objectors could not vote
Recent Immigrants could vote

Question 18

Military Voters Act

Answer 18

Everyone in the military could vote.

Question 19

Ross Rifle

Answer 19

Issued to Canadian Infantry by Colonel Sam Hughes. It had problems:

• unnecessarily heavy
• Would jam in trench conditions

It was criticized by the Canadians who used it and it was replaced by the British lee-Enfield rifle.

Question 20

Farming

Answer 20

• It was in high demand and its expanded production led to bigger profits.
• They had a region known as saskatchewan that would do their farming.
• Took land from ‘First Nations’ (Native Americans)
• Soldiers of the soil were boys who were mostly of schooling age that would volunteer to work on the farms
• Farmerettes were basically the female equivalence.

Question 21

Shell committee 1915

Answer 21

Created by Sam Hughes. It was responsible for creating munitions for the war. Not enough shells were being made, however, and there was corruption in the committee, so it was disbanded.

Question 22

Imperial Munitions Board

Answer 22

Joseph Flavlee was put in charge of this. It was the counter of the corrupt Shell Committee. They answered directly to Great Britain instead of Canadian Agents. they ended up creating 2 million dollars worth of munitions daily and provided 250,000 jobs for men and 50,000 for women. They eventually expanded to make airplanes, guns, cargo ships, chemicals, and engines.

Question 23

Second Battle of Yrpes

Answer 23

Date: April-May 1915
Losses- 6,000
Other info- First major engagement for Canadian troops. They had gained a reputation for being tough fighters. Many of them died due to the chemical warfare of the Germans.

Question 24

The Somme-Beaumont Hamel

Answer 24

Date- July 1st, 1916

Losses- Strictly from Newfoundland, and lost 710 out of 801. Lost an entire generation of Newfoundland males.

Question 25

Vimy Ridge

Answer 25

Date- April 9th-12th 1917
Losses- 10,6000
More info- 3rd major skirmish, won after British and French had failed. Did what Britain and French couldn’t. Canada’s version of out D-Day.

Question 26

Passchendaele (Third Ypres)

Answer 26

Date- October - November 1917
Losses- 15,654
Other info- Canadians went in to relieve British troops, and they took the village of Passchendaele from the Germans. People were getting stuck in the very thick mud.

Question 27

Reasons against Conscription

Answer 27

Weary of war, they thought they had contributed enough already. High casualties.

Question 28

Opposition to the conscription crisis

Answer 28

Francophones in Quebec- Didn’t consider themselves allegiance to France or Britain, the Francophones in the military were recieving harsh treatment for being catholic and not protestant. Anglophones thought they were full of themselves. First French Canadian unit called the Royal 22nd Regiment which was created in 1915. Henri Bourassa was the voice against the draft.

Question 29

1918 riots

Answer 29

In 1918, draft dodgers were arrested in Quebec city, this lead to riots. 4 people died.

Question 30

Exemptions from the conscription

Answer 30

93% of men who were eligible for the draft sought exemptions. 48,000 draftees were send overseas and only about 24,000 were sent to the front lines. Could get an exemption if you were a farmer. When Robert Borden promised farmers exemption from the draft, this led to a conflict between rural and Urban peoples.

Question 31

Election of 1917

Answer 31

Against Conservative Robert Borden (Created unionist party) Vs. Liberal Sir Wilfred Laurier
The main issue is conscription
Winner- Robert Borden won by a high majority because he granted rights of people to vote. Borden lost overwhelmingly in Quebec because they opposed the conscription.

Question 32

How did Canada Finance the war?

Answer 32

Warden initially was opposed to making taxes, however he was forced to create a business tax in 1916, and personal income tax in 1917, which accounted for a small part for revenue.
Most financing came from war bonds and liberty loans, Thomas White made, the goal was to get 50 million dollars, but by 1915 they had made 100 million, throughout the war 2 billion dollars were raised. Which means the government will owe their citizens instead of other countries.

Question 33

Aftermath

Answer 33

Total dead- 65,000
Spanish flu deaths- 50,000
Divisions within social- 
- English Speakers vs. french speakers
- Rural vs. urban
- Wealthy industrialists vs. labor
- Those gaining civil liberties vs. People losing liberties

Autonomy

• British empire because British Commonwealth
• Canada signs the treaty of Versailles independent from Great Britain
• Canada signs the League of Nations
• Complete autonomy with their own foreign policy