The%20Post%20War%20Years

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The Post War Years
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(No Transcript)
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Germany Surrenders

• In November 1918, Germany is forced to
  unconditionally surrender
• Germany had no capacity to continue fighting
• Unconditional surrender means Germany could not
  seek favourable terms for the surrender they
  would have to accept whatever terms the Allies
  offered
• With the war over Britain, France, USA, Italy
  meet in Paris to determine the terms of peace
  Treaty of Versailles

• The allied representatives at the signing of the
  armistice. Ferdinand Foch, second from right,
  seen outside his railway carriage in the forest
  of Compiègne.

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Canada Steps onto the World Stage

• It was expected that Canada would be represented
  by Britain
• Prime Minister Borden felt that Canada should
  have her own seat and voice at these talks due to
  our heroic achievements and sacrifice of over
  60,000 lives
• USA opposed this feared Canada would side with
  Great Britain
• In the end Canada was allowed to send its own
  delegation to these talks (2 delegates were
  permitted)

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Significance

• Canadas inclusion was a recognition of the
  contribution of the Canadian Corps to the War
  effort
• Recognition of our new autonomous status as a
  result of our participation in the war
• Canada had matured as a nation it would no
  longer be satisfied with being represented by
  Great Britain

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The Paris Peace Talks
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The Treaty of Versailles

• Formally ends WWI
• Germany is forced to accept full blame for the
  war
• Germany must
• Limit army to 100,000
• Very limited navy (6 cruisers 2 battleships),
  no submarines no air force or large artillery
• Alsace Lorraine regions returned to France
• All its overseas colonies to be handed over to
  Allies
• Rhineland would be occupied by Allies
• Germany had to reparation payments to pay for all
  the damage caused by the war (officially 132
  billion gold marks, but only 50 billion had to
  be paid in cash)
• War Guilt Clause Germany must accept full blame
  for the war

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The New Face of Europe

• Europe 1914

• Europe 1919

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Discontent Disease
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Discontent

• With the fighting in Europe over, the biggest
  challenge was to bring the troops home
• Problem more troops than transport
• Weeks turned into months troops were still
  forced to practice manoeuvres and drills
• Some Canadian soldiers rioted in frustration 5
  were killed 20 were arrrested
• Over 4000 Canadian soldiers joined British and
  American soldiers in an attempt to overthrow the
  Red Army in the Soviet Union to create a
  democratic government this attempt failed.

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Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force, 1919
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Disease

• Returning men brought the Spanish flu back from
  the trenches
• In 1919 the flu killed 30,000-50,000 Canadians
• 50-100 million people world wide more than 4
  years of war!!

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Canadas Economy 1919

• Post-war economy began to shrink immediately
  after the armistice is declared
• Economy had to adjust to peacetime production ?
  munitions factories needed to retool to produce
  something civilians could use
• Transition was slow ? unemployment increased ?
  soldiers who had fought for 4 years of war now
  had no job
• Returning soldiers also faced few jobs, low wages
  high inflation (cost of goods up 38 per year)!
• Union ? an organization of workers that have
  banded together to achieve some common goals
  (wages, working conditions, job security, etc)
• Small trade unions had limited influence ? Many
  small trade unions had merged to become large
  unions - One BIG Union more power for the
  common worker

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The Winnipeg General Strike - 1919

• Winnipeg had grown rapidly but lacked adequate
  housing sanitation
• Labour groups sought improvement to working
  conditions and wages
• May 2 ? metal workers went on strike demanding
  union recognition
• Next ? Building trade unions go on strike ? seek
  support from Winnipeg Labour Congress
  (organization representing all unions)
• May 15 ? General Strike ? over 20,000 union
  members go on strike (including police and
  firefighters)
• May 17 35,000 on strike Winnipeg is essentially
  shut down!

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Opposition to the Strike

• Employers and government see strike as a
  communist threat
• June 6 ? government passes law allowing it to
  deport any citizen not born in Canada ? feared
  plot to overthrow authorities
• June 17 ? strike leaders are arrested
• June 21 ? supporters of union leaders become
  violent ?army moves in and shoots on crowd ?
  leaders of the strike are sent to prison ? strike
  is broken
• A settlement soon followed that addressed some of
  the issues

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Conclusion

• Short term ? strike was not a success
• Royal commission found strikers were not part of
  communist plot
• Long term ? laws were eventuall changed to
  recognize the right of workers to collective
  action ? strike did demonstrate that collective
  action could be very effective

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Women and Political Change

• 1918 Borden extends suffrage (right to vote) to
  most women
• 1921 Agnes Macphail 1st woman elected to
  Parliament
• By 1919 most women in Canada could vote and hold
  elected office
• Think and Apply
• Examine cartoon on page 152 what does this
  suggest about the issues that were important to
  women in 1918?
• What does figure 6-5 say about the success of
  womens struggle for equality?

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The Persons Case

• 1916 Emily Murphy appointed police magistrate
  (judge)
• Some refused to accept her rulings Alberta
  courts ruled she was qualified to hold post.
• 1917 Murphy is nominated for Senate post Borden
  refuses to appoint her ? not a qualified person
  according to interpretation of British law
• Famous Five Murphy, Henrietta Edwards, Nellie
  McClung, Louise McKinney Irene Parlby ? take
  case to Supreme Court of Canada
• Supreme Court ? rules against the Five ? appeal
  to British Privy Council
• 1929 British Privy Council ? constitution is a
  living tree ? must be interpreted according to
  the values of the time and NOT according to the
  values of a past generation