Socials 11 October 12, 2011

 Group of Seven  Emily Carr



 Document that set out the terms for the peace agreement of 1919  Important points:  Germany’s “guilt clause”  Germany to pay huge reparations  Germany divided, lost territory, map of Europe redrawn  German army restricted to 1000 men, not allowed U-boats or an air force

 Established by the Treaty of Versailles  Collective security  Idealistic vision rather than practical solution  Could impose economic sanctions, but had no military force  United States refuses to join even though it was their idea

 Famine in Europe – much of agricultural land destroyed  Spanish Inluenza – killed more people than the war itself  World had to rebuild in many ways

 Soldiers return home in 1919 only to find:  No steady pensions for veterans  No special medical services for the wounded  Few jobs  Employers had grown rich, so workers suffered

 Canadians also dissatisfied:  Agreed to reduced pay during war  Cost of goods soared after the war  Wages no longer covered food and shelter

 Workers begin to demand higher wages, better conditions, and the right to join unions.  Many strikes across Canada  Maritimes:  Single-industry communities (British Empire Steel Corporation)  Strikes and unemployment meant economic hardship

 Strikes began to turn violent  Western Canada  Union leaders were more socialist – influenced by the Bolsheviks and communism in Russia  Disagreements between Eastern and Western Canada  Found One Big Union (OBU) in 1919 that aims to represent all Canadian workers  Weapon for change: general strike – walkout by all workers

 May 1919 – all metal and building workers walked off their jobs  people went on strike  Demands of the Winnipeg Trades and Labour Council:  Higher wages  Shorter work week  Right to collective bargaining – would allow union leaders to negotiate with employers on behalf of union members/workers

 Paralyzed the city – no firefighters, postal workers, telephones or telegraphs, newspapers, streetcars, or deliveries of bread or milk.  Many business leaders, politicians and industrialists opposed the strikers – they came together to form the Citizens’ Committee of One Thousand.

 Union leaders seen as a communist conspiracy  Federal government feared that it would spread, so they amended the Immigration Act in order to deport foreign-born union leaders.  Mayor of Winnipeg had workers fired and strike leaders arrested.

 June 21 – parade to protest the mayor’s actions.  Royal North West Mounted Police charged into the crowd and things turned violent.  Casualties: one dead, 30 injured, many arrested.  Strikers returned to work after 43 days.

 Negative results:  Leaders imprisoned  Many strikers lost their jobs  Rift between working class and businesses grew deeper  Positive results:  Royal Commission found grievances to be valid  J.S. Woodsworth was arrested, later founded the CCF  Set a precedent

 Handouts: “The Workers’ Revolution” and “Cynicism: The Second Coming”