World War I Life on the Home Front

Propaganda Propaganda – information presented in a certain way to spread particular beliefs and emotions (Examples: p. 25, 38)

Propaganda War Measures Act + Propaganda = Control Posters, movies, magazines, radio, speeches, etc. Bent truth, sometimes outright lied (casualty numbers) Propaganda played on fear, patriotism, racism Led to prejudice/discrimination (Berlin, Ontario) Encouraged enlistment, economic support, rationing, etc. CHAPLIN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtYq2OccnlE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iFnce-4e74 PROPAGANDA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVIdcOyeVUk

Halifax Disaster December 6, 1917 Destruction of WWI came to Canada French ship, Mont Blanc, collided with another ship in Halifax harbour Carrying 2500 tons of dynamite and munitions Explosion and fires killed more than 2000 people; 10,000 wounded; 25,000 left homeless One of the worst disasters in Canadian history SAHTTERED CITY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3DU95ZLxw8

Paying for the War Canadian economy booming Rationing Supplying war effort (very expensive: new technology, huge numbers of troops) Goods go to Europe, prices rise in Canada, wages stay the same, profiteers happy, workers unhappy Natural Resources needed (egs nickel, lumber, lead, etc…. ) needed for war effort Rationing Limiting consumption of food and supplies so more available for the soldiers Use less butter, sugae ‘Meatless Fridays’ and ‘Fuel-less Sundays’

PAYING FOR THE WAR Victory Bonds Income Tax Patriotic savings bonds sold to public to finance war (cash in after war) SOLD $2+ BILLION Income Tax 1917:“temporary” tax still not enough, money borrowed from other countries (1-15 %) Corporate Tax: charge businesses an extra 4% Still not enough money!!!

Changing Role of Women Took over many jobs left vacant by soldiers Traditionally “male” jobs Supported the country in time of need New responsibilities = New rights Suffrage movement (Nellie McClung) Manitoba first province to allow women to vote (1916) British Columbia in 1917; federally in 1918

Changing Role of Women

Changing Role of Women http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMCOzuE1Lvo

Halifax Disaster

Halifax Disaster

The Crisis: More Soldiers Needed More soldiers were needed to join the fight and the only way to get them was through conscription. Conscription put Canadians into a national crisis in 1917, dividing the country along language and provincial lines, and leaving four dead in a riot.

Think Pair Share What is meant by the term Conscription?

Conscription Conscription: the compulsory/ mandatory enrolment of persons for military or naval service; the draft. A recruiting system that ranks the population (as a rule, men only) by age for military service.

Enlistments/Casualty Rate for 1917

Determined Participation On the front, the officers of the Canadian Expeditionary Front were desperate for reinforcements to make up for their losses. Borden, an passionate imperialist, was determined to maintain Canada's participation, and for him this was the only way for Canada to be considered equal to Great Britain, rather than a mere colony….but he had promised no conscription

Military Service Act: Law adopted on August 29, 1917 to gather 100,000 men as reinforcements for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Although 99,561 people were conscripted as a result of the law, only 24,100 soldiers actually fought at the front before the end of the war.

Opposition: Quebecers Francophones were almost unanimous in their opposition, including the Quebec clergy (Catholic Church). Most Quebecers were dead set against conscription, although their young men had joined the army in about the same proportions as the rest of the country.

Opposition: Henri Bourassa Henri Bourassa, the symbol of French-Canadian nationalism, refused to let the government impose conscription as long as Bill 17 was still in effect in Ontario: “All Canadians who want to fight conscription... must have the courage to say and repeat everywhere, “No conscription! No enlistment: Canada has done enough.”...What England needs most are not soldiers, but bread, meat and potatoes”.

Key Terms French-Canadian Nationalism: Henri Bourassa's notion of nationalism lay in the union of two founding peoples (Anglophone and Francophone) when Confederation was achieved in1867. These two peoples were to be equal and enjoy the same privileges = this was in opposition to the dogma of imperialism.

More Opposition: Laurier Wilfrid Laurier ( The leader of the Opposition), argued for an outright ban of conscription: “The law of the land.. declares that no man in Canada shall be subjected to compulsory military service except to repel invasions or for defence of Canada”.

The Voters Acts Worried about splitting the nation Borden called an election over the issue of conscription. To help ensure his victory in the election he passed/ pushed through the: 1)Military Voters Act: Law that extended the right to vote to all men and women in the CEF. and the 2)War-time Elections Act: Law which extended the right to vote to the mothers, wives, and sisters of the soldiers serving, while at the same time refusing that right to citizens from enemy countries.

A Difficult Application Applying the new conscription system across the country proved to be difficult: In Quebec, the protest movement hit its zenith on Easter weekend, when a riot broke out in Quebec City, killing four. Western Farmers wanted to keep their sons at home. Pacifists condemned the war and encouraged non-participation.

Exemptions Eliminated Ages 20-43, single, married, needed to support family/parents, essential jobs such as farming, special skills, clergymen, pacifists. The country emerged deeply divided by this crisis. The enforcement of conscription split the country as it’s never been split before of since.

A Deeply Divided Country The Conservative Party lost its influence in Quebec and in the West. In Quebec, 62 seats went to the anti-conscription Liberals, only 3 to the conscriptionists. In Ontario it was the other way around: 74 to 8.

The Mortality Numbers The whole operation only produced about 24,000 more soldiers, less that 10 percent of the Canadian army. And of Canada’s population of 10 million, 50,000 died.

Canada: A People’s History Ordeal By Fire: A Broken Promise (10 minutes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hXPA3qQy7U