Conscription Crisis: A Nation Divided
"Aye, ready, Aye"~ Wilfred Laurier, 1914
At the beginning of the war, many Canadians charged to the recruitment stations in order to volunteer to fight. The majority of those were English Canadians, however the overwhelming feeling was that this was a good decision - most notably since the war would be over soon.
As time passed and the casualties mounted, the number of Canadians volunteering to go to war dropped dramatically, and Prime Minister Robert Borden was faced with the difficult decision of deciding whether or not mandatory military service would be a good way to provide reinforcements for his troops.
The decision divided Canadians, and many of these tensions are still in existence within the fabric of today's society. The "Khaki Election" of 1917 was decided on the basis of conscription, and many people believe that part of the reason that the Conservative Party has struggled historically in Quebec stems back from Borden's attempts to "rig the election" and force conscription upon French Canadians.
Two handouts from today's lesson have been uploaded to the blog including:
1. Conscription Notes: A Nation Divided
2. Conscription Role Play Characters - Summaries of all of the historical characters exemplified in today's lesson.
Test Preparation: Main Themes
1. Give specific examples of how the pressures of Militarism, Alliance Systems, Imperialism and Nationalism led to the outbreak of WWI.
2. In what ways did Canada contribute to the war effort giving examples from trench battles, the war in the air, the war in the sea, and the home front.
3. How did Canada increase its independence and status on the world stage by through our actions during World War One?
4. What were some of the tragedies of WWI and who were some of our heroes?
5. How did the end of the war (Paris Peace Conference, Treaty of Versailles, League of Nations) contribute to the instability in Germany and increase the likelihood of a future world war?
6. How were minorities treated during World War One, and how did the status of women change as a result of their involvement in the war effort?
7. In what ways did the war unite Canadians and bring them together... in what ways did the war divide Canadians and tear them apart?
At the beginning of the war, many Canadians charged to the recruitment stations in order to volunteer to fight. The majority of those were English Canadians, however the overwhelming feeling was that this was a good decision - most notably since the war would be over soon.
As time passed and the casualties mounted, the number of Canadians volunteering to go to war dropped dramatically, and Prime Minister Robert Borden was faced with the difficult decision of deciding whether or not mandatory military service would be a good way to provide reinforcements for his troops.
The decision divided Canadians, and many of these tensions are still in existence within the fabric of today's society. The "Khaki Election" of 1917 was decided on the basis of conscription, and many people believe that part of the reason that the Conservative Party has struggled historically in Quebec stems back from Borden's attempts to "rig the election" and force conscription upon French Canadians.
Two handouts from today's lesson have been uploaded to the blog including:
1. Conscription Notes: A Nation Divided
2. Conscription Role Play Characters - Summaries of all of the historical characters exemplified in today's lesson.
Test Preparation: Main Themes
1. Give specific examples of how the pressures of Militarism, Alliance Systems, Imperialism and Nationalism led to the outbreak of WWI.
2. In what ways did Canada contribute to the war effort giving examples from trench battles, the war in the air, the war in the sea, and the home front.
3. How did Canada increase its independence and status on the world stage by through our actions during World War One?
4. What were some of the tragedies of WWI and who were some of our heroes?
5. How did the end of the war (Paris Peace Conference, Treaty of Versailles, League of Nations) contribute to the instability in Germany and increase the likelihood of a future world war?
6. How were minorities treated during World War One, and how did the status of women change as a result of their involvement in the war effort?
7. In what ways did the war unite Canadians and bring them together... in what ways did the war divide Canadians and tear them apart?
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