| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
At the outbreak of war in 1914, over 30 000 volunteers joined the army, far more than expected. These volunteers were mostly recent immigrants from Britain, as well as unemployed young men from the English-speaking provinces. French-Canadians, led by Henri Bourassa, felt no particular loyalty to either Britain or France. Although Minister of Militia Sam Hughes' training camp was in Valcartier, Quebec, few Quebecois volunteered, since they expected nothing but ill treatment as French-speaking catholics in what were essentially new English speaking regiments filled mostly with protestant men and officers. Young French-Canadians who were looking for adventure or a way to escape the boredom of farm life flocked instead to the few traditional "French" regiments of the Canadian army, such as Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, where barracks life was in French and only the command language was in English. Most of them had to be turned away because the minister of militia and his subordinates were obstinate in their refusal to expand the traditional "French" regiments or to create new ones. However, the government continued to raise its expectations for volunteers, aiming for 150 000 men by 1915.
Unfortunately, as the war dragged on, soldiers and politicians soon realized there would be no quick end, and men stopped volunteering. There were over 300 000 recruits by 1916, but Prime Minister Robert Laird Borden had promised 500 000 by the end of that year, despite the fact that Canada's population was only 8 million at the time.
Although an important victory for Canada (if unimportant to the war itself), the Battle of Vimy RidgeThe Battle of Vimy Ridge was the first successful operation against the German Hindenburg Line during World War I. It is also considered a seminal event in Canadian history for the primary role that nation's forces played in the attack. Vimy, located in n in 1917Events January 2 The Royal Bank of Canada takes over Quebec Bank. January 22 World War I: President Woodrow Wilson calls for "peace without victory" in Europe. January 25 The Danish West Indies is sold to the United States for $25 million January 25 Anti- cost Canada over 3000 dead and over 7000 wounded. There were very few volunteers to replace them, and efforts to recruit in Quebec had failed. After visiting Britain for a meeting of First Ministers in May of 1917, and talking with Canadian soldiers recuperating in British hospitals, Borden announced that he would be introducing conscriptionConscription or mandatory military service is a general term for government policies that require citizens to serve in their armed forces. It is known by various names, for example, in the United States it is known colloquially as the Draft . However, the. In July the Military Service Act was passed, allowing Borden to conscript men if he felt it was necessary. English Canada was not unanimously in favour of conscription, but was far more supportive than Quebec, where Bourassa argued that Canada had no business in a blatantly imperialistic European war. Marches against Borden and conscription were organized in Quebec, and riots broke out at anti-conscription rallies.
To solidify support for conscription in the 1917 election, Borden extended the vote to overseas soldiers, who were in favour of conscription to replace their depleted forces. For Borden, these votes had an other advantage, they could be distributed in any riding, regardless of the soldier's regular place of residence. Women, who tended to favour conscription to support their husbands and sons in France were also granted the right to vote in this election. Borden's Unionist PartyThe Unionist Party was formed in 1917 by MPs in Canada who supported the Union government formed by Sir Robert Borden during World War I. In May 1917, Conservative Prime Minister Borden proposed the formation of a national unity government or coalition go, a coalition between the ConservativesThe name Conservative Party of Canada has been used twice in Canadian history. For the current party founded 2003 please see the article Conservative Party of Canada. The Conservative Party has been gone under a variety of names over the years. Initially and LiberalsLiberal Party of Canada Current Leader Paul Martin Founded July 1, 1867 (nation's founding) Headquarters Suite 40081 Metcalfe Street Ottawa, OntarioK1P 6M8 Colours Red Political ideology liberal International alignment Liberal International The Liberal Pa, won with a 71 seat majority. In the election, Borden was opposed not only by Bourassa, but also by Wilfrid LaurierWilfrid Laurier Rank 7th ( 1896- 1911) Date of Birth November 20, 1841 Place of Birth St-Lin, Quebec Spouse Zoe Lafontaine Profession lawyer Political Party Liberal Party of Canada Laurier re-directs here. For the Canadian federal electoral district see L, the leader of the Liberals who had been abandoned by much of his party. Laurier had opposed conscription from the beginning of the war, and privately felt that if he joined the coalition, Quebec would fall under what he perceived as a dangerous nationalism of Bourassa.