HOME FRONT 1914-1918

1. HOME FRONT 1914-1918 • BEFORE WAR RECESSION • 1914 CANADA RURAL, DEPENDENT ON EXPORTING NATURAL RESOURCES, NOT FACTORY FINISHED GOODS…NOT INDUSTRIALIZED • DURING WAR THOUSANDS OF FACTORIES BUILT TO MAKE WEAPONS, MUNITIONS, WAR MATERIAL • PEOPLE FLOCK TO CITIES TO WORK THERE

2. CANADA PROVIDED 1/3RD OF ALL BRITISH SHELLS • BUILT THOSE 700 SHIPS • EXPORT FOOD, MINERALS, METALS, AND FINISHED GOODS • CDN INDUSTRY EXPANDS 600% DURING WAR • WE KEPT MUCH OF THIS TRADING AFTER WAR • WWI LEADS TO INDUSTRIALIZATION IN CANADA, URBANIZATION IN CANADA, AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT TO MOVE PRODUCTS

3. MOST CDNS HAD SOMEONE IN THE ARMED FORCES • THOSE THAT DIDN’T ALSO SACRIFICED FOR THE WAR EFFORT • FOOD RATIONING TO ALLOW FOOD TO BE SENT OVERSEAS • PETROL RATIONING AS WELL • RECYCLING MANDATORY • CHILDREN AND WOMEN PICK UP SLACK OF MISSING 600,000 MEN

4. 1918 DST INTRODUCED TO SAVE MONEY • 1917 INCOME TAX ACT TO RAISE MONEY • LUXURY TAX INTRODUCED ON TOBACCO, ALCOHOL, COFFEE ETC • WAR BONDS SOLD, CENSORSHIP, PROPAGANDA • WOMEN RECRUITED MEN, VOLUNTEERED TO MAKE THINGS FOR SOLDIERS AT THE FRONT • KNITTING CLUBS, BOUGHT PRESENTS FOR SOLDIERS ETC

5. MINORITIES IN THE WAR • CANADA RACIST AT THE TIME SO LITTLE CONTRIBUTION SOUGHT BY MINORITIES • STILL THEY VOLUNTEERED • 35% OF ELIGIBLE NATIVES VOLUNTEERED, DESPITE LOSING STATUS IF THEY MOVED OFF RESERVATION • AFRICAN, ASIAN CDNS SERVED MOSTLY AS CONSTRUCTION BATTALIONS • EVENTUALLY MOST DID SERVE (VIMY)

6. DURING WAR ENEMY ALIENS HAD THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS CURTAILED • IMMIGRANTS FROM AUS-HUN AND GERMANY WATCHED CLOSELY • SOME DETAINED, ALTHOUGH NOT LIKE THE JAPANESE OF WWII • WAR MEASURES ACT, LIMITS RIGHTS OF ALL CANADIANS

7. HALIFAX EXPLOSION • PERHAPS THE BIGGEST HOME FRONT EVENT WAS THE HALIFAX EXPLOSION • CENTER OF CONVOY ACTIVITY TO ENGLAND • LARGEST MAN MADE EXPLOSION OF ALL TIME THAT IS NON NUCLEAR

8. DEC 6, 1917 • MONT BLANC FRENCH MUNITIONS SHIP • 35 TONS OF BENZOL, 200 TONS OF TNT, 2300 TONS OF PICRIC ACID AND 10 TONS OF GUN COTTON • OUTSIDE HALIFAX HARBOUR DAY BEFORE, BUT MISSED ENTRY BECAUSE OF SUB NETS • IMO NORWEGIAN SHIP TRYING TO LEAVE HARBOUR DAY BEFORE BUT STUCK BY NETS • IMO WAS RELIEF SHIP FOR BELGIUM

9. ON MORNING OF 6TH NETS GO UP AND MONT BLANC RACES IN WHILE IMO RACES OUT • THIRD SHIP INVOLVED AS IMO FORCED TO GO PORT TO AVOID • SHOULD HAVE MOVED BACK TO STARBOARD, BUT DIDN’T • BOTH HEADING TOWARDS EACH OTHER, WHISTLES BLOW, NO ONE MOVES • AT LAST MINUTE MONT BLANC HARD TO PORT, IMO FULL REVERSE (CAVITATIONS)

10. 8:30 SHIPS COLLIDE, SPARKS, MONT BLANC ON FIRE • CREW ABANDON, WARN CITIZENS WHO REMAIN WATCHING THE SHIP BURN • WATCHED FROM INSIDE, AS COLD • MONT BLANC DRIFTED IMO GROUNDED ON DARTMOUTH SIDE • VINCENT COLEMAN SAVES HUNDREDS • MOST DON’T SEE DANGER

11. 9:06 MONT BLANC BLOWS UP • WINDOWS RATTLE IN TRURO, PEI • BLAST FELT 60 MILES AWAY • THE HALF TON ANCHOR OF MONT BLANC LAUNCHED TWO MILES • HARBOUR SUCKED DRY, THEN TSUNAMI HITS HALIFAX • NORTH END OF HALIFAX FLATTENED • 1963 PEOPLE DIED, 9,000 WOUNDED • 1600 BUILDINGS DESTROYED, 50 MILLION IN DAMAGES • BOSTON COMES TO OUR AID, HARVARD MED STUDENTS

12. WINTER STORM HITS NEXT DAY AND MANY FREEZE • TUG BOAT TRIED TO PULL IT OUT OF HARBOUR AND THE CREW DIED IN EFFORT • LAUNCH OF NIOBE TRIED TO SCUTTLE SHIP, ALSO KILLED • THOUGHT GERMAN SABOTAGE, BUT NOT TRUE • THOUGHT GERMAN SUBMARINE, BUT NOT TRUE • IN THE END THE ONLY PERSON BLAMED IS THE HALIFAX SAILOR WHO WAS GUIDING MONT BLANC INTO HARBOUR

13. JUST AFTER THE EXPLOSION MUSHROOM CLOUD 3 KILOTON EXPLOSION HIROSHIMA WAS 13

15. IMO AFTER THE EXPLOSION

16. CBC - Halifax Explosion - For Teachers

17. CONSCRIPTION CRISIS • HANDOUT THE CONSCRIPTION CRISIS SHEET, AND QUESTIONS THAT ACCOMPANY • DUE TOMORROW