Canada in the early twentieth century The Dawn of a New Era

The Dawn of a new era The dawn of the twentieth century marked the beginning of a new era. Canada was experiencing unprecedented social, political, and economic changes. Immigration, urbanization, and industrialization were creating both exciting opportunities and great challenges. Immigrants from non-British countries were settling in the West. Their arrival revealed deep feelings of intolerance in Canadian society.

The Dawn of a new era There were great inequalities across the country, too-between rich and poor, business and labour, men and women. Aboriginal peoples and people of Asian and African heritage were denied equal rights. Yet it was also a time of optimism. The prime minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, proclaimed that the twentieth century belonged to Canada.

Conflicting Identities Prior to the First World War, Canada was gradually emerging from the shadows of British colonial rule. Canada was a self-governing nation, yet it was not a completely independent one. Although Canada controlled its domestic affairs, Britain still determined its foreign policy. As a result, ties to Britain remained strong, at least throughout much of English Canada.

Conflicting Identities One of the country’s greatest challenges was balancing the different perspectives on the Canadian identity. Laurier envisioned a society based on respect and tolerance between French and English Canadians. Achieving this harmony proved difficult, however, the interests of British imperialists in English Canada clashed with those of French Canadian nationalists in Quebec. In the West, most new immigrants were neither English nor French. Their arrival in Canada added another dimension to the Canadian identity as the country began to evolve into a multicultural nation. Conflicting Identities

Different Perspectives In English Canada in the years before the First World War, imperialism was the dominant form of nationalism. The majority of English Canadians considered Canada to be a British country, bound together by history and culture. They took pride in being part of the British Empire. Their sense of belonging to and participating in a great world power bolstered their sense of identity. Many English Canadians hoped Canada would gain greater influence over Britain’s imperial policies and supported spreading British ideas of justice and democracy around the world.

What allowed such a small island to control such a larger area?

Support for Britain and imperialism was cultivated in schools, where teachers taught students to express their loyalty to the Empire. What British symbols are evident in this Alberta classroom?

Different Perspectives French Canadians rejected imperialism. They believed it would lead to involvement in foreign wars that did not concern Canada. Closer ties to the global British Empire would make French Canadians an even smaller minority and would reduce their power at home. They wanted Canada to determine its own foreign policy and become an independent nation within the British Empire

Imperial Rivalries In the first decade of the twentieth century, the United States had challenged Germany’s economic supremacy as it emerged as the world’s fastest-growing industrial economy. Britain, once the richest and most powerful country earth, had fallen to a distant third. By 1909, Britain's naval supremacy was being challenged, too. The British believed the German navy was planning to build the most powerful fleet of battleships the world had ever seen. Britain feared that Germany’s growing naval strength threatened its military and economic power. Why would an increase in Germany’s naval strength scare the British so much?

Conflicting Viewpoints To keep pace with Germany, Britain asked Canada and its other colonies to contribute money to build bigger and better warships for the British navy. If Laurier agreed, as English Canadians demanded he do, he would offend French Canadians, who opposed any involvement in Europe’s conflicts. Laurier proposed a compromise. Canada would create its own navy of five cruisers and six destroyers. The navy would be under Canadian control, but in times of war-and with Parliament’s approval-the ships could be at Britain’s disposal. RCN Rainbow 1910

Conflicting Viewpoints The compromise failed to satisfy either side. French Canadians accused Laurier of giving in to British demands. English Canadians were embarrassed by what they called a ”tin-pot navy” consisting of a few outdated ships. The controversy contributed to the defeat of Laurier’s government in 1911. Three years later, on the eve of the First World War, Canada had neither contributed to the British navy nor built a viable navy of its own.

The prospect of War Meanwhile, the great powers of Europe continued to manoeuvre for economic and political supremacy. Over the years, a complex network of open and secret alliances had emerged. As political tensions mounted, the prospect of war loomed large on the horizon. By 1914, Canada’s role in the British Empire would be called into question again as the country went to war to defend Britain in the ”war to end all wars."