War on the Home Front:

1
War on the Home Front

• War in Canada

2
Support for the War Effort

• People on the home front were encouraged to do
  all they could to support the troops overseas.
• Posters
• Patriotic community groups
• victory gardens
• Reduced the amount of food they ate
• Community fundraisers

3
Terror on the Home Front

• Fears of sabotage and suspicion of spies.
• Halifax Explosion, 1917
• Enemy Aliens
• Pressure of war encouraged suspicion, blind
  intolerance, and personal greed.
• When war broke out 500,000 citizens were from
  areas within the Triple Alliance.
• War Measures Act put restrictions on Enemy
  Aliens.
• Many rounded up and put in labour camps.
• Also introduced the idea of censorship.

4
Changing Role of Government

• With the hardships of war the Canadian Government
  introduce various controls on the people of
  Canada.
• heatless days to preserve coal.
• Eat less and waste nothing (honour rationing)
• Victory Bonds to help support the war effort.
• Income Tax

5
A Booming Economy

• Prior to 1914 few factories were capable of
  producing munitions.
• By 1918 300,000 Canadians were employed in
  factories that produced airplanes, shells, and
  ships. 1/3 of all shells fired by the British
  Empire in WW1 were made in Canada.
• Farmers encouraged to produce as much as they
  could.
• War Trades Board formed to work with US.

6
New Roles for Women

• As soon as the war began, hundreds of women
  volunteered to work on the front-lines.
• 30,000 women worked in munitions factories and
  other war industries.
• Few men left to work on farms women had to
  compensate.

7
Struggle for Womens Rights

• Women wanted a share in making decisions for the
  country.
• Suffragists Nellie McClung certainly women
  belong in the home, but not 24 hours a day. They
  should have exactly the same freedom as men.
• Main goal was to win the right to vote. Wartime
  Elections Act, 1917.
• Dominion Elections Act, 1920.

8
Conscription

• Conscription means that all able-bodied men would
  be required to join the army.
• In 1917, PM Robert Borden concerned about the
  slaughter of men on the front-lines but convinced
  it was essential to send men to win.
• French/English Split
• The Military Service Bill, 1917. This bill made
  conscription a law. Men 20-45.

9

• Election of 1917
• Allowed Soldiers to vote.
• Wartime Elections Act
• Took away the right from anyone born in enemy
  countries.
• Union Government
• Conservatives and Liberals who believed in
  conscription joined forces. Who would the
  Germans vote for?
• Borden retained power.
• Support for the war grew and resentment for
  non-supporters and pacifists also grew.

10
Did Conscription Work?

• Didnt start until 1918.
• Thousands of men claimed exemption.
• By the time the war ended in November, 1918, only
  45,000 conscripts had reached the battlefield.
• Is 45,000 conscripts worth the division of a
  Nation?