Essay On The Impact Of The Great War On Canada

At approximately 11:00 am on the 11th of November, 1918, the Great War came to an end. Canadians fought well for many years during World War I, contributing to help fight off enemies by making enormous sacrifices that came with high prices. The war finally come to a halt, and for the most part, Canada has forever changed.

Fighting for the war which ended in 1918, Canada’s relationship with Britain had greatly improved. The roles for men, and mostly women have been extravagantly improved.

However, the impact the Great War had on Canada was also tragic. A total of 60 661 Canadians lost their lives to the Great War (Cruxton, J.W Wilson 125). Thousands of wounded soldiers spent most of their time in Veteran hospitals. Moreover, many of the soldiers who contributed to fight for their country had to

undergo serious stress, and suffered greatly from emotional thoughts. Additionally, almost all of the soldiers returning home have lost their previous jobs. Most of these retuning soldiers are forced to look into farm and factories jobs. Canada has to pay a total of $1,665,576,000 (Brooklyn) in debt because of the war. Also, many corporations that sold victory bonds during the Great War to help raise funds, must now pay back the individuals who purchased these victory bonds.
The injured/disabled veterans who returned from war believed they should have a job, a vocational training program was then set up, many veterans got a job / farm land.

Since there was low demand for artillery, most of the factories that created weapons got shut down. Since there were few jobs left with low pay, a strike begin it was called “The Winnipeg General Strike” in this strike the people demanded for three things, a higher pay, an eight hour day and the right to bargain collectively for better working conditions. This strike was a deadly strike and is known as the Bloody Saturday.

Canada’s soldier contribution has become one of the most successful fighting forces in the whole war. Canada’s war at Vimy Ridge was considered a master piece of World War I, planned and lead by General Arthur Currie. The Canadian’s victory staggered Great Britain, and as a result, allowed Canada to become an independent nation. “Vimy Ridge, the battle of the Somme, Passchendaele and others battles. Due to this we gained a much greater sense of pride and unity, and we were finally identified as an independent nation rather than just being associated with Britain.” (Impact,

1).
Overall, the Great War had a great impact on Canada, both positively and negatively. These up’s and downs have lead Canada to where it stands today. Canada earned respect and recognition from Britain for being very successful during World War I; Canada got their own national identity, and is now an independent nation.