Figure 1.--Here we see an English-speaking Toronto family in 1918. The father may be about to leave for France. Conscription proved to be very controversial in Canada. Ironically French-Canadians had little interest in saving France from the Germans. Most of the Canadians who fought and died in France were English Canadians. Here the adults are dressed up, but the children wear more formal clothing. Click on the image for a more detailed discussion.

Canada sought to create a 0.5 million man army through voluntary recruitment, but this effort failed. Support for conscription to build this army grew. Prime Minister Robert Borden spoke out and insisted that conscription was a military necessity (1917). German successes on the Eastern Front made it clear that the Germans would have substantial forces to deploy on the Western front that could resolve the War in 1918. British officials appealed for more help from the Dominions. Borden saw the military necessity and he also wanted to strengthen Canada's voice within the Empire. Borden crossed the Atlantic to see the situation of the Canadian troops in France. Contrary to what might have been expected, there was no special connection of French Canadians with France during World war I. Brorden and the Government were not popular among French Canadians. There were no separate French Canadian units. Nor were their Frech Canadian officers among the senior commanders. Ethnic tensions in Canada worsened during the War. Especially troubling fror French Canadians was that guarantees for French language schools in Manitoba and Quebec were ressinded. This was part of the reason that recruitment in Quebec was especially disappoingting. Quebec was about a third of Canada, but contributed only about 5 percent of enlistments. As the war situation worsened even fewer French Canadians volunteered. Candian units sustained more than 20,000 casualties during Spring 1917. During that same period, fewer than 100 men volunteered in Quebec. Borden pushed a consprition law through Parliament--the Military Service Act, believing it necessary to support the army in France. The Act made all Canaian men 20-45 years of age eligible for military service. French Canadians saw this as the English drafgooning them into the War. There were draft riots in Montreal and in Quebec City. Borden attempted to form a coalition Government. He asked iberal leader Laurier to join the Conservatives to form a Government. Laurier refused, in part because of the conscription issues as well as other political concerns, but some Liberals did join the Union (Coalition) Government. Bordem introduced two new laws (the Military Votors Act and the War Time Elections Act). These two acts were highly controversial, but produced a massive majority for the Union Goivernment (1918).

Created: 12:54 AM 12/5/2004
Last updated: 12:54 AM 12/5/2004