issues on the home front Flashcards
what were the 8 main issues?
recruitment women munition productions financing the war and propaganda war measures act conscription crisis and registration wartime profiteering halifax explosion
recruitment
what percent of Canadian soldiers were born in the UK?
25%
recruitment
what kind of people signed up for the war?
factory workers, doctors, farmers, lawyers, miners, etc
recruitment
why were so many people originally eager to sign up?
for adventure; thought war would end before Christmas
recruitment
what happened to the Aboriginal, Asian, black, and German population who wished to enlist?
Aboriginals discouraged
blacks and Asians rejected
Germans not to be trusted
recruitment
how did Aboriginals end up getting accepted?
the number of white volunteers dropped
recruitment
what percent of eligible Aboriginal men enlisted and why?
35% / out of loyalty, to escape reserve system which restricted their rights
recruitment
what happened in 1916 regarding black volunteers?
they were recruited in non combat (dig trenches, load ammunition, cut down trees, lay railway tracks)
recruitment
what was the final result of the discrimination of people of colour?
there was a shortage of soldiers
women what occupations (for the war) were women not allowed to have?
soldier, sailor, pilot
women
why was nursing near the front lines dangerous?
hospitals were under fire, disease, infection
women
what did labour unions want to protect, and what happened as a result?
protect jobs for men = no equal pay
women
how many Canadian women became nurses?
3000+
women
how many Canadian women became drivers in the air force?
1000
women
some nurses were ___________
awarded medals
women
what other jobs were women given?
drive ambulances, run clubs and canteens
women
what happened at home when the men enlisted?
women ran farms and businesses rather than teaching or doing domestic work
women
what happened after the war?
many women were no longer satisfied as wives, mothers, domestic workers
munitions productions
at the outbreak of the war, assembling _____ and ______ was difficult
materials / labour
munitions productions
what did production require and what was the issue?
precision tools and highly trained workers which were scarce in 1914
munitions productions
Britain needed munitions and would _______
pay well
munitions productions
how much was the formation of a “shell committee” given?
$170M
munitions productions
which Canadian workers switched their operations to munitions?
those with experience in metal work (bedsprings, machinery, railways)
munitions productions
the shell committee also made weapons for ________ when ________
the US / they joined the war
munitions productions
what eventually happened to the shell committee and why?
they disbanded / they were profiting via dishonesty, delivered late, and only delivered $5.5M worth of munitions
munitions productions
who was chosen to head the new board and how did they manage it?
Joseph Flavelle / team of experienced workers, forced other contractors to reduce prices, produced high quality munitions
munitions productions
by 1918, what were the new munition producers making?
other weapons of war- airplanes, engines, guns, cargo ships
munitions productions
how many factories were eventually made and how many were eventually employed by the production company?
15 000 factories / 300 000 employed
financing the war and propaganda
what did Canada need money for?
train, transport, feed, equip, and pay soldiers
financing the war and propaganda
about how much did the war cost the government per day?
$1M
financing the war and propaganda
what did some banned posters promote?
hate of opposing countries, shame Canadians who did not do their share
financing the war and propaganda
how much did selling Victory Bonds raise?
$100M
financing the war and propaganda
what did posters encourage?
buy war bonds, enlist, work harder, change eating habits to send food overseas
financing the war and propaganda
what did the government eventually do to raise money and is still in place today?
1916- introduce business tax
1917- introduce income tax
were both supposed to be temporary
war measures act
the war measures act allowed the government to pass laws without ___________
Parliamentary approval during the war
war measures act
the war measures act allowed the government to overrule __________
provincial law
war measures act
the war measures act allowed the government to censor _______
news media
war measures act
the war measures act allowed the government to label people as ___________
enemies of Canada
war measures act
what was the war measures act based on?
fear that immigrants could become spies
war measures act
what happened to “enemy aliens’” rights?
rights were restricted- they were only permitted to read/publish in English and French, could not leave Canada without permission
war measures act
what happened to over 8500 “enemy aliens”?
placed in internment camps, forced to build roads and railways, mine, clear land, not given educations, fired from jobs
conscription crisis and registration
what eventually happened to eligible men and what was the impact on the military?
they were less willing to enlist- soldiers lost in battle could not be replaced
conscription crisis and registration
what was conscription?
forced military service
conscription crisis and registration
who was forced to fill a registration form?
all men over 16
conscription crisis and registration
Aboriginals were except from ________ but not from __________
conscription / filling out registration forms
conscription crisis and registration
what did Aboriginals believe?
their treaties made them allies of Britain, not subjects
conscription crisis and registration
what did the conscription lead to between Canadians?
riots and distrust between anglophone and francophone Canadians
conscription crisis and registration
by the end of the war, how many soldiers overseas were conscripts?
24 000
conscription crisis and registration
many _______ refused to register
Aboriginals
wartime profiteering
food and fuel was scarce while millionaire industrialists grew richer from ____________
dishonest dealings in war contracts
wartime profiteering
people wanted to conscript _____ and for the government to __________
wealth / take over banks and industries
wartime profiteering
what types of “controllers” were appointed?
fuel (imprison coal hoarders) and food (oversee rising food prices)
wartime profiteering
what did the food controller ask citizens to do?
to stop eating so much and to change their tastes
wartime profiteering
what did the government do to curb the corrupt practices of private enterprises?
no serious attempts were made
Halifax explosion
which ships collided?
the Imo and Mont Blanc
Halifax explosion
what was the Mont Blanc carrying?
2400 tonnes of explosives
Halifax explosion
what was the result of the collision?
the Mont Blanc exploded
