Conscription In Canada Essay

Mackenzie King, Canada’s Prime Minister who served during the Second World War, once said during a speech: “Let it be remembered, too, that at a time of war, nearly everyone is under great strain.” This single comment directly reflected on Canadian experiences during the Second World War. The straining events of the war stretched to the highest rank in Canada when the Prime Minister dealt with the Conscription crisis, and even to the lowest undesirable rank in Canada’s wartime society, enemy aliens with their struggles. It was also during this global conflict that Canadians witnessed change in their ideologies and methodologies as well as new introductions in these areas. Attitudes towards women matured to higher statuses, and the high demand

A main issue Canadians faced politically during the Second World War was the Conscription Crisis. Conscription, or mandatory military service, divided the nation similarly to the Conscription Crisis during the First World War and threatened the survival of political leaders. Conscious of the opposition the French-speaking Canadians had towards conscription during the First World War, Mackenzie King promised in 1939 that there would be no conscription for overseas service. However, in mid-1940, there was enormous pressure from English Canada for a mobilization of manpower, and so, King introduced the National Resources Mobilization Act in June of that year, which encouraged registration of eligible men and authorized conscription for home defense. Thus, Canadians, mainly younger males, were required to serve during the war on home defense duties. By 1942, demand and agitation for overseas conscription in the English-speaking parts of Canada led King to hold a plebiscite on releasing him from his pledge. The result was a heavy majority vote for conscription in every province except Quebec. Now, King had to perform a great political balancing act. He could not afford to anger English Canada by ignoring their call for