World War I Chapter 3 War on the Home Front

Total War:

World War I was considered to be a “total war”, a war in which both soldiers and citizens were directly involved. While recruits in the military were overseas in Europe, those who remained at home were obligated to contribute to the war effort. Women were forced to fill the roles that men once played in factories, transportation systems, and agriculture. Schools were temporarily closed for months at a time in order to allow children to assist their family members in providing food, clothing, and supplies to soldiers. Everyone felt the need to provide for the British Empire, especially those who were desperate to prove themselves (such as members of ethnic communities who were constantly discriminated).

Support and Initiatives:

The Coloured Women's Club of Montreal

A common example of support for the war effort was through the creation of “victory gardens”, where citizens grew their vegetables in order to save food for soldiers. Meals generally contained less beef, butter, wheat, and pastries in order to send vast quantities of food to the Allied troops. Thousands of women and children worked long, grueling hours on their farms in order to ensure that military recruits were provided for. Meanwhile, other initiatives were taken to raise money. Women organized community events and fundraisers and organized rolled bandages for the troops. Specific ethnic communities illustrated passion and energy for the war effort. Aboriginal women created a Women’s Patriotic League in 1914 in order to raise funds through garden parties and tag days. The Red Cross collaborated with Polish organizations for war relief purposes. Chinese women held rice bowl festivals and The Coloured Women’s Club of Montreal cooperated with the Red Cross to support the war effort.


Collision:

The specific location in Halifax of the explosion

The damage caused by the collision

Since 1914, there was fear and suspicion concerning the possibility of spies and sabotage. Britain cautioned Canada and suggested militia be placed at bridges and railways. However, there was no real threat to citizens until December 6, 1917. On this day, Halifax (a essential port for Allied ships) was devastated by a major explosion. A French munitions ship known as the Mont Blanc crashed into a Belgian ship known as the Imo. The resulting explosion created a tidal wave that destroyed homes and killed two thousand people. The only pieces of the Mont Blanc that were found were a cannon and an anchor 3 km away from the waterfront. Immediately, both Canadian and American cities provided relief supplies to treat those affected by the largest artificial explosion in history (until the Hiroshima bombing in 1945). Halifax still thanks Boston for their generosity with a special Christmas tree each year.

Enemy Aliens:

During the year before the war immigrants were welcomed with open arms. Many of these new Canadian residents became successful workers and businessmen. Unfortunately, their happy existence came to a sudden halt once the war started. There was a great deal of fear and suspicion revolving around these “enemy aliens”. Citizens pressured the Canadian government to take control of these potential spies. As a result, the War Measures Act was established. This gave the government “sweeping powers” to arrest, search, and even imprison immigrants in internment camps. The majority of these “enemy aliens” were Ukrainians, Germans, and Austro-Hungarians. The men were forced to work long hours in these internment camps with minimal food and clothing. Other enemy aliens that were not imprisoned in internment camps were forced to register with the local police. To show their loyalty to Britain, Germans in Berlin, Ontario and Carlstadt, Alberta changed their cities’ names to Kitchener (after the British war minister) and Alderson (after the British commander at Ypres) respectively. Canada also introduced censorship at this time. Publications and magazines in enemy languages were completely banned by the War Measures Act. This act was finally removed after the war ended.

A map of internment camps and work sites in Canada during World War I

Government Intervention:

A common victory bonds poster

By 1917, Canada was beginning to lack in resources. Lack of supplies meant less food, heat, and other goods for the citizens at home. In the winter of 1918 factories had to shut down because of no heating. Yet, at the same, time corporations were somehow making large sums of money. Citizens suspected that these businesses were profiteering (the process of stockpiling food and supplies in order to sell them at a later time for a large profit). To deal with the problem of lack of resources, the government introduced certain controls such as “heatless days”, “Meatless Mondays”, and “Fuelless Sunday”. Citizens began a system of “honour rationing” as an act of patriotism. They limited themselves to certain quantities of food a month. If people were caught stockpiling food, they could be fined or sent to jail. By the year 1918, the government was spending a million dollars a day for the war effort. To donate money, citizens could by Victory Bonds and cash them in after the war for a profit. Children could purchase Thrift Stamps for 25 cents and then receive a War Savings Stamp once $4.00 worth of stamps was bought. A War Savings Stamp was worth $5.00 in 1924. Businesses also donated over one billion dollars to the government. Another method of raising money was creating a business profits tax and income tax (which has never been abolished). Unfortunately, Canadian debt was still worth $2.46 billion dollars in 1918.


Canadian Economy:

Factories were reorganized in 1914 in order to produce war supplies. To ensure that quality munitions were manufactured, an Imperial Munitions Board was created. Suddenly, factories across the country built airplanes, vehicles, shells, and guns at alarmingly quick rates. By 1918, Canada was a major provider of weapons, textile, pulp, paper, steel, and food. The government also encouraged farmers to increase their production of agricultural products. Canada had the largest wheat crop in the country’s history in 1915. In 1917, a Board of Grain Supervisors was organized to handle production and distribution of farm goods. This board later became the Canadian Wheat Board in 1918. Unfortunately, Britain could not afford many of Canada’s products in 1917. However, the United States entered the war and became a major exporter of Canadian goods. A War Trades Board was established to maintain this relationship between Canada and the U.S. Canada’s economy grew until the war ended. 

Women working in factories during the Great War

Women’s Roles:

As the majority of men left Canada to fight in Europe, women were required to fulfill many essential roles at home. Since there was a noticeable shortage of labour in Canada, women employment rates dramatically rose. Thirty thousand women were employed in war industries during the war. Others became bus drivers, nurses in hospitals, bankers, farmers, and police officers. Women also took part in fundraisers for the soldiers overseas.

Suffrage:

Nellie McClung

Due to their astounding contribution to the war effort, women felt that they should have a large role in the decision making of the nation. Women believed that it was the appropriate time for them to gain the right to vote. They became known as suffragists. Women began to gather together in volunteer organizations and in their fight for equal employment. Suffragists began to campaign for voting rights. They managed to experience success. In 1916, Nellie McClung secured provincial voting rights for women in Manitoba. Within the year, women also gained voting rights in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Ontario and British Columbia followed in 1917. The primary objective, however, was to win federal voting rights. The Wartime Elections Act of December 1917 granted federal suffrage to female family members of soldiers in the Armed Forces. Canadian nurses also had this right. In 1920, the Dominion Elections Act gave women the right to run for Parliament. Unfortunately, members of minority groups could still not vote.

Conscription:

Robert Borden

In 1917, Robert Borden (the Canadian prime minister) visited the soldiers on the front lines. He noticed that military recruits were being slaughtered on the battlefield. Enlistment rates were not exceeding the amount of casualties. The generals desperately asked Borden to send more troops. When Borden returned to Canada, he regrettably passed a conscription bill. Conscription forces all able-bodied men to enlist in the military and join the war effort.

Division of Canada:

Conscription caused Canadian unity to come to end. The provinces believed that Quebec was not doing its part in providing soldiers to the war effort. There were several reasons for this. One was that many citizens of Quebec were farmers and essential for the war effort at home. Other French Canadians believed this war to be Britain’s war and did not want to support the British Empire. Thirdly, many did not feel connected to France due to feeling deserted by their mother country when the British took control in 1760. Finally, some French Canadians in other provinces had lost language rights and did not want to help those that were treating them like lesser human beings. Colonel Sam Hughes only aggravated the situation by recruiting a Protestant priest to organize the recruiting of soldiers. French Canadians in Quebec were primarily Roman Catholic and even more tension was created when war training programs were primarily taught in English. Only one French Canadian regiment (the “Vandoos”) was sent to frontline combat and given the opportunity to contribute to the war effort. Henri Bourassa was the main opposition leader of conscription in Quebec. He listed several reasons why Quebec is against conscription. He believed that Canada had already contributed enough men to the war and that weakening the labour force would affect the economy. Bourassa also stated spending more money would cause bankruptcy, that political independence would be seriously affected and, finally, conscription would cause disunity. Wilfrid Laurier (the federal Liberal leader party), on the other hand, tried to keep Canada united. He did not support conscription and was surprised when liberals from across the country voted for the bill to be passed. Laurier knew that conscription would separate Canadians because of differing opinions. Unfortunately, the Military Service Bill (passed in 1917) made conscription a law. All able-bodied men between ages 20 and 45 had to enlist. This did not include those who were sick, involved in wartime production, or people who practiced a religion that was against war (pacifists).

1917 Election

A poster promoting the Union government

Two bills were passed to 1917 to support Borden’s campaign. The first was the Military Voters Act, which granted Canadian soldiers in Europe the right to vote. The second was the Wartime Elections Act, which allowed female relatives of soldiers to vote and took away the right to vote from “enemy aliens” and pacifists. The election resulted in the Conservatives and Liberals that supported conscription creating a Union government. Many citizens thought that Laurier did not advocate for soldiers, which resulted in Borden and the Union government winning the election. Unfortunately, the split between Canadians feared by Laurier and others occurred. Quebec experienced riots and mass chaos. Citizens turned against one another. Women gave men that did not enlist for combat white feathers, symbolizing that they were cowards. There was a great deal of resentment against pacifists, whose spiritual belief revolved around absence of violence (especially war). Many hated that they did not have to enlist. This was the reason why the Wartime Elections Act took away their right to vote. While some Pacifists bought victory bonds and tried to support the war effort in some way, others tried to bring about change through non-violence. The Women’s Peace Party is an example of this. There is a great deal of speculation concerning conscription. Many men managed to avoid enlisting, causing only 45000 conscripts to reach the battlefield. Some do not believe that more men in combat was worth national disunion.

Treaty of Versailles: The Solution?

After the Germans surrendered, the world leaders met in Versailles, France to discuss the peace treaty. Robert Borden asked Britain to allow Canada its own seat in talks, as he felt that it made a significant contribution to the war. Though Canada was given two seats, the “Big Three” (Britain, France, and the United States) made the major decisions. The president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, encouraged the creation of a League of Nations to settle further disputes and avoid war. Wilson did not want to severely punish Germany, as he believed that this could lead to further resentment and tension between countries. The British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, was more neutral in the matter. He wanted Germany to be punished but not to the point where war might break out. Georges Clemenceau, the French Premier, wanted to crush Germany and hang the Kaiser. He yearned for Germany’s military and economy to be crippled by the Allies. France eventually got its way since it was the country of the “Big Three” that had been invaded. The Treaty of Versailles, as a result, crushed Germany.

The Versailles Conference of 1919

The nation had to:

• Allow Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland complete independence.
• Accept its division by the Polish Corridor (a passage which allowed Poland access to the Baltic Sea and the city of Danzig).
• Reduce its army to 100,000 soldiers and eliminate all aircraft and submarines.
• Give up its colonies in Africa and Asia
• Accept full responsibility for the war (War Guilt Cause).
• Pay for all damages caused by the war.
•  Cooperate with the Allied forces that were positioned west of the Rhine River for the next 15 years.

The split of the Austro-Hungarian empire into separate nations due to the Treaty of Versailles

Effects of the War on Canada

When the conflict ended, Canadian citizens had a change of heart about the war. Instead of being enthusiastic about jumping into the fray, they began to wish that the war would soon end. Overwhelming casualties, lack of resources, and fear of sabotage had taken its toll on the energies of the people. 60,661 Canadians had sacrificed their lives, while another 173,000 were wounded or gassed. Another major effect was the division of the nation caused by conscription. Though there was always tension between English and French Canadians, there was now a deep feeling of resentment. “Enemy aliens” also felt the effects by having to build new lives for themselves after losing their jobs, businesses, and basic human rights. The Canadian government has never acknowledged the harm caused to immigrants in World War I. There were advantages to the war as well. Women had gained suffrage in both provincial and federal elections. Meanwhile, the economy began to boom through a need for new industries to provide war supplies. Everyone had a job. Finally, Canada gained a sense of independence. It attended the peace conference in France as a nation separate from Britain. This was the first step in its journey to achieving full autonomy. When the 1910s finally ended, there was a notable change in politics. Wilfrid Laurier died due to a stroke, Henri Bourassa became less involved in politics, and Robert Borden resigned as prime minister. They would be replaced by William Lyon Mackenzie King, Arthur Meighen, and J.S. Woodsworth.

If we don't end war, war will end us-H.G. Wells

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