CANADA AND WWI

21 QUESTIONSPLEASE CHECK YOUR ANSWERS AS

WE REVIEW IN CLASS.

Question 1

1.Explain what is meant by the term “total war”.

Answer 1

1.Total War : A war that involves all citizens- civilians are fair targets. All the resources of the country are directed toward the war effort.

Question 2

a) Find the following statistics for Canada in WWI: number who went to war, number who died or were wounded

b) What effect did this have on some communities?

Answer 2

2. a) number who went to war = 600 661 died=61 000wounded=173 000b) This changed cities and towns. In

rural communities almost everyone was touched by loss, in some communities entire generations were lost (The Newfoundland Regiment at Beaumont Hamel)

Question 3

3. If one could not serve in the war how could one serve at home?

Answer 3

3.Women volunteered overseas to drive ambulances and served as nurses.

Women at home worked for the Red Cross and knitted socks. They wrapped food, packed medical kits, wrote letters and fundraised.

Young people aged 15-18 worked on farms to fill in the gap.

Question 4

What was the state of the Canadian military and navy at the beginning of the war?

Answer 4

Unprepared for war military = 3110 men navy= 2 old ships 74 000 in reserves

Question 5

Why did Canada have such high troop casualties?

Answer 5

Canadians had a reputation for bravery and were often sent into battle first.

Question 6

List 3 battles in which Canadians made significant sontributions.

Answer 6

Ypres- Chemical warfare (gas) The Somme- Over the Top Vimy- Canadians took a ridge that

the French and British were unable to successfully assault.

Passchendaele- incredible loss of life

Question 7

Read the box on trench warfare.Define “stalemate” and “no man’s land”.

Answer 7

Stalemate- both sides settle in to trenches- no progress.

“No man’s land” the territory between

the trenches that both sides were fighting to obtain.

Question 8

How did Canada’s navy change with the war? Note its size at the end of the war.

Answer 8

Navy at the end of the war 5500 and fleet of over 100 warships

Question 9

How did Canadians contribute to the war in the air?

Answer 9

40% of the British air force / Royal Air Force (RAF) consisted of Canadian pilots.

Initially pilots flew on reconnaissance at first and later planes were equipped with guns for combat.

Question 10

What powers did the War Measures Act give to the Canadian government?

Answer 10

The War Measures Act allowed the government to:

arrest people without warrants Those classified as “subversives and

enemy aliens” had their democratic rights suspended

Possessions and money of those detained was confiscated

established internment camps publications in enemy languages banned

Question 11

a)What were internment camps? b) Which groups were targeted?c) What were these people expected

to do?

Answer 11

Internment camps- detained those of Austro- Hungarian, German Italian, Ukrainian descent

Those interred were treated like POWs forced to work without pay in steel mills, logging camps and coal mines, clear land and build roads

The camps were not shut down until 2 years after the war

Question 12

Read “Connections” and the section on Aboriginal soldiers (both on pg 52). Explain the connection.

Answer 12

The connection is racism and discrimination.Racism was rampant in Canada - The War

Measures Act sanctioned this. Aboriginal soldiers were not recognized for

years although their statistical representation in the armed forces was equal to white men

Question 13

Why was WWI called “ A White Man’s War”? Provide some detail.

Answer 13

WWI White Man’s War: Women were considered too weak to

serve Until 1915 aboriginal men denied the

right to serve African-Canadians served under the

command of white leaders and segregated from whites when possible

Contributions of minorities unrecognized until much later

Question 14

a) Define conscription. b) When and why was it used? c) What impact did it have on

Parliament in 1917? d) How did it impact Canadian unity?

Answer 14

a) Conscription means forced service in the military (the draft)

b) In 1917 it was invoked because people were not signing up for the CEF high employment at home and good pay and battle conditions were not incentives to leave for war.

c) It became the election issue of 1917 d) Some Liberals(Laurier) crossed the floor to

support the Conservative government’s (Borden)Military Service Act.

e) This issue pitted Catholics against Protestants, farmers against factory workers and pacifists vs military

Question 15

Distinguish between the Military Voters Act and the Wartime Elections Act. Explain the dramatic social change and political strategy involved with the latter.

Answer 15

1917 Military Voters Act- men and women in the armed forces could vote but conscientious objectors were not allowed to cast their ballot

The Wartime Elections Act allowed widows, wives, mothers, adult sisters and daughters of servicemen to vote in order to see conscription supported

Women now had the federal vote permanently.

Question 16

How did the role of women in Canadian society change during WWI?

Answer 16

Role of women went to work, munitions factories, fish

canneries and transportation vote- to support conscription no longer appendages of their

husbands

Question 17

List 3 other social changes occurredrelating to the government andworkers?

Answer 17

Social changes development of unions daycare for working mothers Canadian civil service- new jobs victory bonds and income tax

“temporary measure”

Question 18

How did the government raise money to fund the war (2 ways)?

Answer 18

Victory bondsIncome tax (was supposed to be a

temporary measure!)

Question 19

What 4 significant steps related to the war led to international recognition of Canada as a nation?

Answer 19

4 steps to nationhoodCanada entered the war as a self-governing colony of

Great Britain with Dominion (autonomous) status a) 1917 David Lloyd George (British PM) Canada given

an active role in military decisionsb) Resolution IX- Canada was now an autonomous

nation with control over foreign affairs- British Empire turned into British Commonwealth

c) Canada at peace talks and signed Treaty of Versailles

d) Canada had an independent Seat at League of Nations

Question 20

What did the end of the war mean for Canada’s economy?

Answer 20

Canada’s economy at the end of WWI: The country had an industrial economy

but it slowed down People returning to their pre-war jobs had

a hard time The national debt had jumped from$463

million to $ 2.46 Billion To pay war debts income tax became

permanent

Question 21

What was gained with the Statute of Westminster in 1931?

Answer 21

Statute of Westminster- signed in 1931

Independence of Canada from Great Britain was made official- no longer under British colonial control in any form.