Was World War 1 Worth It For Canada Essay

Was World War One Worth it for Canada?

In a war or conflict, there is no real winner. All members involved in the conflict will face many lasting negative effects. Naturally, World War One, being the largest global conflict at the time, was no exception. Despite that the fight was in Europe, Canada, being involved in the war, was both positively and negatively affected. As a result of the war, Canada did gain a reputation, pride, and a sense of nationalism. However, this came at the price of the lives of hundred of thousands of Canadians, distrust in the government, and increased cost of living and Canadian national debt. The negative effects of World War One on Canada far outweighs the benefits that were gained.

One would have to admit that World War One did give Canada a reputation and Canadians pride. Canada’s accomplishments in the war, notably the victory at Vimy Ridge and Canadian troops holding against the German attack in the Second Battle of the Ypres, not only gave Canadians a reason to be proud of their country, but also let other countries to see that Canada was a very helpful and useful. Also, Canada representing itself in signing the Treaty of Versailles increased Canadian pride and further showed Canada’s contribution to the war. However, this increased Canadian pride and reputation came at a heavy price. As

a result of the war, over a hundred thousand Canadians were directly or indirectly killed and more than 170 000 were injured, permanently affect them and their families. Canadians also started to lose trust in the government as it started to pass new laws to guarantee a win in the next election and mistreated new Canadians by taking away their voting rights and putting some, mainly Ukrainian and Germans, into internment camps. Finally, the war caused Canada’s national debt to significantly increase and increased the cost of living for Canadians, making it harder for one to feed their family. These detrimental effects on Canada and Canadians were not worth the pride and reputation gained.
The lives lost in the war were the most significant negative effect of World War One on Canada. During the war, many young Canadians went to Europe to fight or help in the war. Over 60 000 Canadians were killed and 172 000 were injured directly by the war. Those who were injured from the war often suffered an amputation or are affected by a psychological disorder known as Shell Shock. Many more Canadians were indirectly killed or injured by the war. The Easter Riots in Quebec over conscription killed four Canadians and injured dozens more. The Halifax Explosion in 1917 kill 2 000 and injured 9 000. The Spanish Influenza, which was spread to Canada as a result of soldiers with the virus coming back from the war, killed another 50 000 Canadians. The death of so many young Canadians who had a life full of potential to live not only affected them, but also affected their families. Mrs. Maria Pawel, a Canadian citizen during World War One, is an example of someone who lost a loved one to the war. She describes how it felt to lose someone to the war:

I had a boyfriend, he was a soldier.

He used to take me out quite a bit and when he went away to training he wrote to me. I don’t remember the date, it must have been 1915. He went overseas and four days later his head was blow off around Berlin, somewheres in Germany. He was killed. So I remember that and I remember soldiers desperate and I remember ... I don’t know—that’s why I’m beginning to hate wars, beginning to find out and reason with myself that there is no reason for it. We’re intelligent human beings. Can’t we find our ways and means of trying to live with us, ourselves and our neighbours, and our country with other countries’

people?

She talked about the grief that she felt and how she was losing hope in the human race. Many people felt the same way as Mrs. Pawel, grieving over their lost family member. There is no price that we can put on a human life and it is hard to be proud of the war knowing the price that came with it. This shows how the human lives lost and people affected by the loss far exceed the pride and benefits gained from the war.
World War One was not worth it for Canada; the costs of the war far outweighed the benefits that were gained. Hundred of thousands of Canadians lost their lives directly or indirectly because of of the war and thousands more were permanently affected by it. The mistreatment of groups and the skewing of votes caused some Canadians to lose trust in their government. Lastly, the cost of the war greatly increased national debt and also caused an increase in cost of living which made people’s lives more difficult. The war, having caused so much trouble for the people, the economy, the government, it is safe to say that World War One was not really victory for Canada.