canada and wwi 21 questions please check your answers as we review in class
TRANSCRIPT
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.