1. Rallying the Troops and Gaining Support

2. Propaganda as a Tool of War  Propaganda was used to PERSUADE people to SUPPORT the war.  Appeared in a variety of media: films, magazine articles, radio programs, political speeches, and posters.  Was made to appeal to a sense of patriotism in the people and to encourage them to join the army, buy victory bonds, use less fuel, eat less meat, and support the government in any way.  WORKED: 80% of the Canadian men in WWI were VOLOUNTEERS.  Propaganda also spouted ETHNOCENTRIC ideas about Germans being terrible beasts.  Propaganda also minimalized the amount of casualties in the war and made it seem less horrible then it was.

3. The Halifax Disaster  Dec. 6, 1917  The MONT BLANC, a French vessel carrying more than 2500 tonnes of dynamite accidentally collided with another ship.  The collision caused an explosion so powerful that it devastated Halifax’s harbour and much of the city.  Between 2000 and 3000 people were killed in the explosion or the fires that followed.  More than 10,000 were injured.

4. The Conscription Crisis  Most people believed that the war would end soon after its outbreak in 1914.  However, by 1917, there was a CRISIS. Not enough men were signing up to fight to replace the many thousands of Canadian men killed and the many thousands wounded.  Prime Minister Borden had promised that there would be NO CONSCRIPTION: Compulsory enlistment for military service.  David Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister, convinced Borden that more men would be needed and that conscription was necessary.  BORDEN THEN INTRODUCED the MILITARY SERVICES ACT, which would require compulsory enlistment.  At first, there were exceptions for men who were disabled, the clergy, those with essential jobs, and CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS: Those who did not believe in the war on religious grounds.

5. Those Who Object  The lowest levels of recruitment came from QUEBEC. Few French recruits spoke English and few officer corps spoke French.  Relations between French and English speakers were also quite strained due to the issues having to do with French Canadian rights.  Majority of French Canadians do not feel patriotic toward France or Britain because their ancestors had come to Canada generations before.  Saw the MILITARY SERVICES ACT as a way to force them into war.  FARMERS ALSO HATED CONSCRIPTION : They needed their sons and hired workers to do the work on the farm and felt that their contributions of FOOD was enough for the war effort.  THE LABOUR MOVEMENT : Middle class workers, particularly the COAL MINERS OF VANCOUVER ISLAND resisted conscription. They were making very little already and if they were sent to war-they would make less.

6. Canada’s Election  In the face of HUGE OPPOSITION to the war, PRIME MINISTER BORDEN decided to call an election over the issue of CONSCRIPTION.  Prior to announcing the election, BORDEN passed two new pieces of legislation designed to ensure his RE-ELECTION.  1. MILITARY VOTERS ACT: This Act allowed the men and women overseas to vote.  2. WARTIME ELECTIONS ACT: Gave the vote to all Canadian women directly related to servicemen.  THE ABOVE ACT WOULD ALSO CANCEL THE VOTE FOR ALL CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS and IMMIGRANTS who had come from enemy countries in the last 15 YEARS.  Borden also made a COALTION GOVERNMENT with the LIBERALS who favored conscription. They made a WARTIME UNION GOVERNMENT.  THE UNION GOVERNMENT WON THE ELECTION with the support of the armed forces and those who were related to them. (women)

7. DISCRIMINATION  Anger and resentment stirred up by the conscription debate remained.  In Quebec, French Canadians demonstrated against CONSCRIPTION.  French Canadians were taunted for not enlisting.  MANY ANTI-CONSCRIPTION RIOTS TOOK PLACE  Conscription went ahead however, and of the 404,000 men across Canada who were forced to enlist, 380,500 applied for EXEMPTIONS.  In the end 130,000 were enlisted.