Ww1 Effects On Canada Essay

In 1914, Canada entered the international stage when the nation joined the largest conflict the world had ever seen. Canada, a colony of Britain, fought the same battles and experienced the same losses as all the other established nations in the war. For four years, the country came together and played a crucial role in bringing down the rising threat that was the Central Powers. Despite the great cost, WWI had numerous positive impacts on Canada, especially regarding its economy, unity as a nation, and status on the world stage.

The war brought tremendous economic benefits to Canada. In 1914, Canada was going through a recession, but by 1916 the economy was flourishing. From 1911 to 1916, the net exports to Britain alone rose from 22 billion

dollars to 375 billion dollars. A large amount of Canadian exports were from agriculture. Ottawa encouraged farmers and food processors to maximize their output, and with international scarcity and high prices, rural families grew wealthy. As trade to allies rose, production grew as well. Many factories and types on infrastructure had been created to accommodate the greater demand, and most of these remained in production years after the war. The Imperial Munitions Board (IMB) was created to oversee these new wartime production projects. The IMB even constructed ships and aircraft for the training programs. By war’s end, the IMB’s 600 factories completed 103 naval vessels, 2,600 training aircraft, countless artillery, shells, and general munitions. With these factories came an ever growing number of jobs, with around 300,000 factory workers engaged in wartime production in 1917. By 1916, unemployment had virtually ceased in Canada. As the war dragged on, the exports not only aided the allies, but the Canadians as well.

In addition to the economic benefits, WWI brought together Canadians from various backgrounds to support the nation.

As well as the English and French Canadians, Irish, and even First Nations men were part of the 619,000 who enlisted in the war. Although there were conflicts among the English and French, both fought together as a single force in many battles. In the battle of Vimy Ridge, all four divisions of the Canadian Corps attacked and triumphed together as a single unit.The war also brought together those left on Canadian soil. As mentioned previously, thousands worked in the the factories and many more farmed the land to produce food for the nation. Soldiers of the Soil, an initiative run by the Canadian Food Board, encouraged adolescent boys to volunteer for farm service, and recruited 22,385 young men across the country. These boys provided labour and received room, board, and spending money. However, the women were the Canadian’s on the home front who made the largest contributions to the war effort. The women were the Canadians who raised funds, knit clothing for those overseas, promoted enlistment, worked in the factories and farms and also worked in numerous volunteer organisations. A few such organisations include the Women's Hospital Corps, The Women's Volunteer Reserve, Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps, and Women's Land Army. WWI was the time period in Canada when women began to fill the roles previously held by men. Along with this movement came the seeds of suffrage in Canada, and would soon lead to equal voting rights among men and women. Over the years, the war helped remove barriers between different groups of Canadians and led to a more united

nation.

Besides the benefits to Canada’s economy and national identity, WWI led Canada to play a more active role in the world. Canada’s military was one of the most well trained allied forces and was the most feared by the Germans. The most well remembered instance of Canadian strength in WWI was during the battle of Vimy Ridge, a stronghold upon which both British and French forces had failed. Canadians showed incredible bravery and discipline in the battle and effectively took the position. The divisions not only stormed the German trenches, but were also able to take victory in a mere three days. Canada also produced one of the largest armed forces in contrast to the total population. Seven percent of the population of Canada was in uniform at some point during the war, and hundreds of thousands of Canadians worked on the home front to support the war. After four years of fighting, victory was finally achieved by the Canadians and the allies, and the war was over. After the war, Canada was given its own seat at the Paris Peace conference in appreciation of their role during the war. Here, for the first time, Canada was finally able to express a viewpoint independent of Britain. Also, the Canadian representatives signed the Treaty of Versailles independently. In 1919, Canada was one of the founding members among League of Nations, an international organization established after World War I to settle international disputes peacefully. By the end of the war, Canada had not only established themselves as an independant nation, but had also started to create their own national identity.

The war aided Canada far more than the losses crippled the nation. The country returned from the war stronger and bolder, with new infrastructure, sense of identity, and reputation. The Canadian economy benefited greatly from new markets and made Canada a key exporter in the world. Canadians now shared an unbreakable bond and felt proud to call themselves Canadian. The nation became a world power and gained the confidence to handle any conflict it may face in the future.