Canada's Ordeal by Fire

2. Canada's Ordeal by Fire • WW I Declared in Sept. 1914 • Canadians feel it will be short – adventurous, good chance for profit. • Single, unemployed are easy to recruit.

3. Propaganda films portraying the enemy countries backfire and fuel distrust of recent immigrant groups. • Recent immigrants from enemy countries are interned. • WW I Declared in Sept. 1914 • Canadians feel it will be short – adventurous, good chance for profit. • Single, unemployed are easy to recruit.

5. Many Canadiens reject participation – do not feel connection to England. • Japanese and Black Canadians face discriminatory recruiting policies. • 1/3 of able bodied First Nations people volunteer.

6. Women and the War • Women increasingly entering factories, production, and going overseas as nurses on the front. • Suffragists continue their push for the right to vote.

8. Prohibitionists have new argument – production of alcohol robs from the war effort. • 1915 – Sask, Alta, Man, close bars, prohibit alcohol. • 1918 – Federal government follows suit.

10. Into the Fire • At the onset of war, Canadian troops were poorly equipped and trained. • Colonel Sam Hughes was responsible for equipment selection and testing – he made numerous mistakes.

11. The Ross Rifle – Hughes selected this weapon due to its accuracy. Its length, and habit of jamming in muddy conditions made it totally impractical in the trenches.

12. Other Hughes follies included: • buying cardboard soled boots (cheaper) • MacAdams Shovel - the poorest trenching shovel (tended to bend) • Buying cheaper brown horses and painting them black for night opps • Leaky Canteens

13. Axis (Purple) and Allied (Red/Orange) countries fighting in WWI.

14. Canadians fought battles on the Western front, with major contributions at Ypres, Mont Sorrel, Saint-Eloi, Festubert, and Givenchy.

15. 1916 - Sacrifice and Change • Summer, 1916 – Allied troops begin stock piling weapons for a major offensive – the Somme – a 10 km strategic stretch of land. • Lasts from July to November.

16. Old tactics prove destructive – German machine guns effective – in the first 30 minutes, out of 700 Canadians, 68 are left alive and uninjured. • 1 million men die at the Somme. • High loses, and horrific wounds cause drastic reduction in recruiters, and increase in desertion.

17. Also in 1916: • Sam Hughes fired (war not a time to save money) • Replaced by Joseph Flavel – wants improved quality of goods and materials, and no profits to be made on war goods. • Women take increasing role in munitions factories. • Canadian soldiers get the Lee Enfield Rifle.

18. Vimy Ridge • Canadians given assignment all others have failed. • Can. Gen. Curry stock piles weapons, prepares relentlessly – models are built – soldiers issued maps for the first time – supply tunnels built.

21. 5:30 AM, heavy guns open up, laying down a blanket of heavy artillery fire. • Soldiers follow – protected – run for 100m, then hide for three minutes – the “Vimy Glide.” • Canadian solders take Vimy – the greatest victory in the war, and the start of true Canadian nationalism.

23. City of Sorrow • Dec. 6th 1917 – Halifax Harbor • Norwegian freighter Emmo rams French Mont Blanc – loaded with munitions for the war. • Biggest non-nuclear explosion created by man. • 2000 killed, 9000 wounded – Halifax levelled

28. A Broken Promise • 1917 – 400,000 Canadian men fighting – Borden promised 500,000. He also promised Canadians no conscription.

29. Borden visits military hospitals at the front – horrified at the wounds. • Makes a commitment to the troops that they will be re-enforced. “A matter of honor”

30. Borden returns to Canada and announces conscription will happen. • Canadiens/Bourassa outraged (French languages recently dropped from Ontario schools as well) • Aug. 1917 – all men 20 to 45 years of age mandatory enrollment. • Oct. 1917 – Borden calls election – Conscription is the only issue.

31. Runs against Laurier – who is urged to fight conscription – backfires – Laurier and Canadien seen as traitors and cowards. • Borden issues WARTIME ELECTIONS ACT – any new immigrants (15 yrs) band from the vote – women issued vote. • Angry Canadien riot for 4 days in Montreal – Easter 1918 – army sent in – 4 civilians killed.

32. A Painful Peace • Treaty of Versailles / Armistice ends war Nov. 11th – 1918 • Laurier dies 1919 – to a Canada more divided than ever before.

33. Celebrations are short lived – poor global conditions lead to major outbreak of Spanish flu • Kills 20 million – as many as the war (same ratio in Canada – 500,000 die)

35. The cost of victory is high – veterans return to unemployment, or are unemployable. • War pensions drained paying widows and disabled – First Nations excluded

36. Canada’s contribution to WWI earns the country its own spot in the newly formed League of Nations – a major step forward in our own independent identity.

38. Following the war, Unemployment remains high, and inflation takes hold. • 1919 – Winnipeg metal workers demand the right to use their union to reach labor demands.

39. Winnipeg General Strike • May 1st 1919 – Metal Workers Strike. • Bad timing – 18 months after communist take over of Russia following a general strike – many fear communism.

40. June 10th – after much pressure by business leaders, police take action on strike leaders. • Another riot follows in retaliation – NWMP charge strikers – 2 killed.

41. Farmers Follow Suit • Following the war, Canadian farmers are sick of Can. Politics – business is poor, and many are leaving to the cities. • Farmers organize into Unions – the United Farmers of Ontario and the United Farmers of Alberta gain major support – win elections • Leads to the creation of the Federal Progressive Party –gains official opposition status.

42. American Domination • Urbanization growing rapidly in Canada. • Many feel it is associated with American values. • Between 1921-1931 – 1 million Canadians move to the US – mostly from Quebec and Maritimes.

43. In an effort to stop this, Quebec Premier Taschereau attempts to gain US capital investment by selling regional natural resources. • Bourassa critisizes. • “Better to import US Dollars than export a Canadien worker.”

44. American domination is particularly strong in the automobile market – growing very fast in Canada.

46. After years of hard times, Canadians look to have fun. • Radio hits Canada as well as silent films. Hockey Night in Canada hugely popular, but both are dominated by American media.

47. The fun was short lived – October 24th, 1929 – the stock market crashes.

48. The End Test Coming Soon