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The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War I. “The Great War †redirects here. ...
Background
At the outbreak of war in 1914, over 30,000 volunteers joined the army, far more than expected. This first contingent of 30,000, which became the 1st Canadian Division of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, was assembled at a new camp in Valcartier, Quebec, grouped into numbered battalions, regardless of language or religion. The existing reserve regiments were not mobilized, due to the belief of the Defence Minister, Sam Hughes, that a new "efficient" structure was required. In the process, the new structure failed to create French-speaking units, such as those that had existed in the reserves. The Canadian Corps - 1st Canadian Division – World War I Formed in August of 1914, the 1st Canadian Division was initially made up from Provisional Battalions that were named after their Province of origin but these Provisional titles were dropped before the Division arrived in Britain on October 14, 1914. ...
26th Battalion of the Second Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1915 The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the group of Canadian military units formed for service overseas in the First World War. ...
Canadian Forces Base Valcartier is located 25 km west of Quebec City. ...
Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Official languages French Government - Lieutenant-Governor Lise Thibault - Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 75 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area Ranked 2nd - Total 1,542,056 km² - Water...
Sam Hughes The Honourable Sir Samuel Hughes, PC (January 8, 1853 – August 23, 1921) was the Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence during World War I. // Early life Samuel pooes was born January 8, 1853, at Solina near Bowmanville in what was then Canada West. ...
Seventy percent of these early volunteers were recent immigrants from Britain. Native-born Canadians provided only 9,000 soldiers, of which 11% were French-speaking. These 1,000 French-Canadian volunteers were scattered into different English-speaking units, while the English-speaking media were dramatizing the perceived refusal of French Canada to pull its weight (unaware or ignoring the fact that most of the contingent was foreign born). This dispersal of soldiers was not an oversight. Ontario (Hughes's political base) was in the process of forbidding teaching in French, or of French, in the school system (Regulation 17), causing outrage in French Canada and a lack of support for the war of the "king and country" that was perceived as seeking to destroy the Francophone community in Canada. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area Ranked 4th...
The second contingent was based, more logically, on battalions raised and trained in the various military districts in which they had been recruited, but still on an impersonal numbered basis (with the exception of some numbered battalions allowed to adopt a Highland or Irish identity). The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ...
Relatively few Quebecois volunteered. The experience of the first contingent suggested that they could expect nothing but ill-treatment as French-speaking Catholics in English-speaking battalions filled with what they perceived as mostly Protestant men and officers, unable to communicate with them, and imbued with the spirit underlying the infamous Regulation 17. Young French-Canadians seeking to serve, chose, instead, the few traditional "French" regiments of the Canadian militia, such as Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, where barracks life was in French and only the command language was in English. They had to be turned away because the minister of militia and his subordinates were obstinate in their refusal to mobilize these traditional "French" regiments or to create new ones. However, the government continued to raise its expectations for volunteers, aiming for 150,000 men by 1915. In Canadian English, a Québécois (IPA: ) is a native or resident of the province of Quebec, Canada, especially a French-speaking one. ...
Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...
Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal is one of the oldest surviving units of the historical regiments of the Canadian army. ...
Political pressure in Quebec, along with some public rallies, demanded the creation of French-speaking units to fight a war that was viewed as being right and necessary by many Quebecois, despite the Regulation 17 in Ontario and the resistance in Quebec of those such as Henri Bourassa. Indeed, Montreal's La Presse editorialized that Quebec should create a contingent to fight as part of the French Army. When the government relented, the first new unit was the 22nd (French Canadian) Infantry Battalion, CEF. While a few other French-speaking units were also allowed to be created, mostly by Reserve officers, they were all disbanded to provide replacements for the 22nd, which suffered close to 4,000 wounded and killed in the course of the war. Henri Bourassa Joseph-Napoléon-Henri Bourassa (September 1, 1868- August 30, 1952) was a French Canadian political leader and publisher. ...
Badge of Le Royal 22e Régiment The Royal 22e Régiment is an infantry regiment and the most famous francophone organization of the Canadian Forces. ...
As the war dragged on, soldiers and politicians soon realized there would be no quick end, and men stopped volunteering. There were over 300,000 recruits by 1916, but Prime Minister Robert Laird Borden had promised 500,000 by the end of that year, despite the fact that Canada's population was only 8 million at the time. Regions Political culture Foreign relations Other countries Politics Portal The Prime Minister of Canada (French: Premier ministre du Canada), is the Minister of the Crown who is head of the Government of Canada. ...
The Right Honourable Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC , KC , GCMG , DCL , LL.D (June 26, 1854 – June 10, 1937) was the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911, to July 10, 1920, and the third Nova Scotian to hold this office. ...
The Military Service Act After the Battle of Vimy Ridge Canada was in desperate need to replenish its supply of soldiers, however their were very few volunteers to replace them. The recruiting effort in Quebec had failed, and Canada turned to its only unused option: conscription. The Battle of Vimy Ridge was one of the opening battles in a larger British campaign known as the Battle of Arras. ...
Almost all French-Canadians opposed conscription, they felt that they had no particular loyalty to either Britain or France. Lead by Henri Bourassa they felt thier only loyalty was to Canada. Henri Bourassa Joseph-Napoléon-Henri Bourassa (September 1, 1868- August 30, 1952) was a French Canadian political leader and publisher. ...
After visiting Britain for a meeting of First Ministers in May of 1917, Borden announced that he would be introducing "The Military Service Act". On July 6 1917, "The Military Service Act" as passed, allowing Borden to conscript men across the country if he felt that it was necessary.
English Canada was generally supportive of the bill, Quebec However was not. Bourassa voiced the opinion of many Quebec people saying that "Canada had no business in a blatantly imperialistic European war".
The Election of 1917 To solidify support for conscription in the 1917 election, Borden extended the vote to overseas soldiers, who were in favour of conscription to replace their depleted forces (women serving as nurses were also given the right to vote). For Borden, these votes had another advantage, as they could be distributed in any riding, regardless of the soldier's regular place of residence. Women who had close male relatives serving overseas were also granted the right to vote in this election as they appeared to be more patriotic and more worthy of a public voice. On the other hand, conscientious objectors and recent immigrants from "enemy countries" were denied the right to vote. The victory was Borden's - Laurier's Liberals secured 82 seats, 62 from Quebec, while Borden's Unionist Party triumphed with 153. In the election, Borden was opposed not only by Bourassa, but also by Wilfrid Laurier, the leader of the Liberals who had been abandoned by much of his party. Laurier had opposed conscription from the beginning of the war, arguing that an intense campaign for volunteers would produce enough troops. He privately felt that if he joined the coalition, Quebec would fall under what he perceived as a dangerous nationalism of Bourassa, that could ultimately lead to a referendum. The Canadian parliament after the 1917 election The 1917 Canadian federal election (sometimes referred to as the khaki election) was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ...
John T. Neufeld was a WWI conscientious objector sentenced to 15 years hard labour in the military prison at Leavenworth. ...
Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ...
The Unionist Party was formed in 1917 by Members of Parliament (MPs) in Canada who supported the Union government formed by Sir Robert Borden during World War I. In May 1917, Conservative Prime Minister Borden proposed the formation of a national unity government or coalition government to Liberal leader Sir...
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, PC, GCMG, KC, BCL, DCL, LLD, DLitt, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier (November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from July 11, 1896, to October 5, 1911. ...
Conscription and the end of the war On January 1, 1918, the Unionist government began to enforce the Military Service Act. The Act caused 400,000 men to be liable for military service, but it was vague and offered many exemptions, and almost all of these men were able to avoid service, even if they had supported conscription. In Quebec, there were more protests and marches against the Act. On April 1, 1918, four men were killed when the army opened fire on a crowd in Quebec City. The coroner's inquest would later show that these men were pedestrians who had not been involved in the protests. January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ...
1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ...
UK Military Service Act In January, 1916 David Lloyd George introduced the Military Service Act for the UK. Previous to this Act, the British Government had been relying on voluntary registration called the Derby Scheme. ...
April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ...
Motto : « Don de Dieu feray valoir » (I shall put Gods gift to good use) Site in the province of Quebec Official logo Country Canada Province Québec Agglomeration Quebec City Statute of the city Capitale-Nationale Administrative Region Capitale-Nationale Constitution date 1833 Geographical code 24 23027 Founder Foundation...
The government then amended the Act so that there were no exemptions, which left many English Canadians opposed as well. Even without exemptions, only about 125,000 men were ever conscripted, and only 25,000 of these were sent to the front. Fortunately for Borden, the war ended within a few months, but the issue left Canada divided and distrustful of their government. In 1920, Borden retired, and his successor, Arthur Meighen, was defeated in the 1921 election. Conservatives were virtually shut out of Quebec for the next 50 years. the best school name in the world Arthur Meighen, PC, QC, BA, LL.D (June 16, 1874 – August 5, 1960) was the ninth Prime Minister of Canada from July 10, 1920 to December 29, 1921 and June 29 to September 25, 1926. ...
The Canadian parliament after the 1921 election The Canadian federal election of 1921 was held on December 6, 1921 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ...
The figure of 25,000 was recently debunked in appendix 1 of Michel Gravel's 'Tough as Nails', 3rd Edition, CEF Books, Ottawa, 2006.
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