Canada in the First World War (1914–1918)
When Britain declared war on Germany in August 1914, Canada, as part of the British Empire, was automatically at war. Many Canadians volunteered eagerly, expecting a short war.
Canada’s contribution
- About 620,000 Canadians served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, out of a population of about 8 million.
- About 61,000 died, and more than 170,000 were wounded.
- Newfoundland, then a separate dominion, sent its own Newfoundland Regiment.
Key battles
| Battle | Year | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Second Battle of Ypres | 1915 | Canadians held the line during one of the first poison gas attacks |
| Beaumont-Hamel (Somme) | July 1, 1916 | the Newfoundland Regiment suffered devastating losses; July 1 is Memorial Day in Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Vimy Ridge | April 9–12, 1917 | all four Canadian divisions fought together for the first time and captured the ridge; seen as a symbol of national pride |
| Passchendaele | 1917 | brutal fighting in mud; Canadians took the village at great cost |
| Hundred Days Offensive | 1918 | Canadians led key attacks in the final push to victory |
The home front
- Factories produced shells and supplies; women took many jobs.
- Victory Bonds and the first federal income tax (1917, meant to be temporary) paid for the war.
- The Halifax Explosion (December 6, 1917), when a munitions ship blew up, killed about 2,000 people.
- About 8,500 people, many of them Ukrainian Canadians labelled "enemy aliens," faced internment in camps.
The Conscription Crisis of 1917
As volunteers declined, Prime Minister Robert Borden introduced conscription with the Military Service Act. Many French Canadians, as well as farmers and others, strongly opposed it. The Conscription Crisis deeply divided English and French Canada. The Wartime Elections Act gave the vote to women related to soldiers, while taking it away from some immigrants.
After the war
Canada signed the Treaty of Versailles separately and joined the League of Nations, steps toward greater independence. The Statute of Westminster (1931) gave Canada full control over its own foreign policy.
Canada in the Second World War (1939–1945)
This time, Canada made its own decision. Parliament declared war on Germany on September 10, 1939, a week after Britain.
Canada’s contribution
- More than 1.1 million Canadians served, out of a population of about 11.5 million.
- More than 45,000 died.
- Canada had one of the largest navies and air forces among the Allies by the war’s end.
Key events
| Event | Year | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| British Commonwealth Air Training Plan | 1940–45 | Canada trained more than 130,000 aircrew from across the Commonwealth |
| Battle of the Atlantic | 1939–45 | the Royal Canadian Navy and merchant navy protected convoys of supplies to Britain |
| Hong Kong | December 1941 | Canadian soldiers were killed or captured defending Hong Kong |
| Dieppe Raid | August 19, 1942 | a failed attack; more than 900 Canadians killed and nearly 2,000 captured |
| Italian Campaign | 1943–45 | Canadians fought from Sicily up through Italy, including Ortona |
| D-Day | June 6, 1944 | Canadians landed at Juno Beach in Normandy |
| Liberation of the Netherlands | 1944–45 | Canadians played a leading role; the Dutch still send tulips to Ottawa each year |
The home front
- Canada’s economy boomed as factories made ships, planes, tanks and weapons.
- Women joined the armed forces and filled factory jobs; "Rosie the Riveter" became a symbol.
- Rationing limited sugar, butter, gasoline and other goods.
- After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (1941), about 22,000 Japanese Canadians were forced from the BC coast, their property was sold, and many were sent to internment camps. The federal government apologized and offered redress in 1988.
- Canada turned away the MS St. Louis in 1939, a ship carrying more than 900 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany.
The second Conscription Crisis
Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King promised "conscription if necessary, but not necessarily conscription." After a 1942 plebiscite, he sent conscripts overseas in late 1944, again dividing the country, though less severely than in 1917.
Impact on Canada
- Growing independence and national identity
- Economic growth and expanded industry
- Changing roles for women
- New social programs after WWII, such as family allowances (1944)
- A larger role in world affairs, including founding membership in the United Nations (1945)
- Painful legacies of internment, discrimination and divisions between English and French Canada
Try it yourself
- Explain why Vimy Ridge is considered a defining moment for Canada. Do you agree?
- Compare the Conscription Crises of 1917 and 1944.
- Research a Canadian who served, or whose life changed on the home front.
- Evaluate how the wars changed Canada’s independence from Britain.
Quick recap
- About 620,000 Canadians served in WWI and more than 1.1 million in WWII.
- Vimy Ridge, Juno Beach and the Liberation of the Netherlands are key Canadian achievements.
- The home front saw women working, rationing and, unjustly, internment.
- Conscription crises divided English and French Canada.
- The wars increased Canada’s independence and international role.