The roles of women were also changed because it was the beginning of a new era of feminist movements. Great women such as Nellie McClung, who was an active female suffragist, had a lot of impact on the modern world today and this great movement was created by the impact of World War One on Canada. These feminist promoted equality between men and women, they believed that women should have the rights to job as much as men have; they should be admitted into government jobs and they should be able to vote. Many of these acts were completed through events that they did, such as Nellie McClung who produced a mock play about the equality of genders. Governments had to agree that the war would have never been won without the constant support of women all around Canada.
Many people believed that the 1900s was the turn of the century, however this is not true in the case for Canada, World War One was its turn of the century. In the years of the war in-between 1914 to 1919, Canada experienced more development in its economy, technology and world trading, then the country had experienced in all of its lifetime. In the beginning years of the war, the economy of Canada was very weak, one-third of the labour force had enlisted, moreover wheat production fell because of drought5 and debt was soaring every month of the war. However these poor economic times started to change when industries and factories were funded to provide for war. Factories quickly make war supplies such as ammunitions, shells, airplanes and ships as well as factories expanded that made textile, pulp, and paper, steel and food, unemployment virtually disappeared in these years.6 In addition, Canada’s agricultural industry output increased and Canada exported huge quantities to United Kingdom as well as Untied States. In 1915 Canada established the Imperial Munitions Board (IMB), which produced war supplies for the allied armies producing items such as shells, ships, explosives and training planes and by 1916 IMB was Canada’s largest employer, employing over 250, 000 people, this truly was a step up from factories and industries before war.7
War brings out the best and the worst out of people and this leads them to do expand their horizons, one of them being the introduction and advancement of technology. The most widely used technology during the war was the use of airplanes as fighter planes which was used by both the Allies and the Central Powers. In Canada alone, they were over 100 plants and training fields that manufactured and trained air force pilots. In addition, submarines were a very deadly weapon that was used by Germany during the war. The Allies had to counteract this weapon, and thus they had developed a device with sensitive microphones, which could detect engines noise and react quickly to an attack.8 Another advancement in technology that contributed a great amount to the war was the development of the radio. This device was essential for communication between the soldiers and it advance till the point where soldiers could send transmissions of voice rather than code.9 Electricity also made a huge impact on war by using electrical lights in submarines, having electrically powered turning guns and turrets and creating search lights for night-time navigation to illuminate enemy ships.10 Other technology developments are the armoured tanks, machine guns, antiaircraft, many different types of rifles and garros. Many of these inventions were fabricated in Canada and were sent out to the Allies. Many of these weapons such as airplanes and radios were very beneficial even after the war. Radios, for example, were used by many Canadians to provide for entertainment as well as a source for information and airplanes later on became a mean of transportation or used in reconnaissance missions. Without many of these advancements, the war would have never progressed and neither would have Canada’s economy or scientific intelligence.
Devastation struck Europe after the end of World War One. Many European countries relied on outside help to retrieve from their war-torn status, one of these countries being Canada. During the war Canada manufactured a significant amount of supplies and continued to do so after the war ended, thus increasing its export rates. In 1919, field crops productions increased by 163 %, fisheries increased by 74%, forest products increased by 70% and minerals increased by 19%.11 Overall Canada’s exports increased by and outstanding 223%12 and they were moreover seen as a nation of great economic growth. Canada was one of the few countries in which the economy was very stable after the war, this caused Canada to take a greater stand with the rest of the world and become recognized by many countries all around.
On August 14th 1914, Britain had officially declared war on Germany, Canada being no more than a colony of Britain automatically declared war also. However, on September 3rd 1939, a mere 25 years later, Britain had once again declared war on Germany, and Canada’s declaration was not followed until a week later on September 7th, where Canada declared war, as an independent nation. There were many events which lead to the major development in World War Two, however the most directly connected to World War One, are the following: serving as an independent nation during war, joining the League of Nations apart from Britain and signing the treaty of Versailles separate from Britain. Mackenzie King, prime minster, at that time followed this trend and was able to receive full autonomy by 1931. During wartime, Britain had a great degree of dependence on Canada for food, supplies and men. Canada responded to these requests as effectively as they could which was more than Britain could ask for. Industries such as the Imperial Munitions Board produced solely for the war, one of their more numerous ones being shells. One third of the shells that were used in the British Army were being manufactured in Canada.13 In addition, Canada sent large amount of wheat for food for the soldiers and send around 600,000 men, a huge contribution for a country of just a population less than 7 million. During these tough times Canada acted no less than an independent nation and Robert Borden was determined to get credited for it.
The Treaty of Versailles in 1919 brought the official end to World War One. The terms of the treaty affected Canada in a slight way, by only receiving a small portion of the reparations Germany had to pay.14 However, the treaty was able to improve Canada’s national status. Robert Borden insisted that Canada should have the same representations as Belgium and other small countries and also insisted that the treaty should be signed on behalf of Canada. Though they signed underneath the British Empire alongside with the other Dominions, Canada was already seen as a nation that would fight for their independence. This in turn became true, when the League of Nations were set up, to prevent another war from occurring. Robert Borden strongly felt that Canada should be a part of the League of Nations’ General Assembly as well as eligibility for membership in the governing council of the new international body.17 As a result, Canada received a separate representation and it was its first official contact with foreign governments. These affairs, as well as events such as The Chanac Affair and The Balfour Report were able to steer Canada towards the path of independence and prosperity. The war was able to enhance Canada’s independency, had it never happened it would have taken a much longer time for Canada to transform from a colony to a nation.
Only soldiers know the real authenticity of the Great War, only they can realize the positives and negatives of it, the wrongs and rights, the truths and lies. The rest of the world has no idea the horrors soldiers have gone through and we have no right to judge so critically war, when we have only seen the 2nd perspective of it. To say that one has studied war, so one knows war, is not equivalent to actually fighting at the front. All we can provide is that the war was not a complete waste, and that the lives of so many benefited the world. Countries such as Canada, should be thanking these soldiers for changing the way that women’s roles were viewed, they should be thanking them for helping their economy and technology grow and they should most of all be thanking them for aiding Canada’s independent status. In the end, no matter who you are, we are all just pawns, waiting patiently, for the actual war to start.
ENDNOTES
1Jane Marcellus, Moderns or Moms? : Body Typing and Employed Women Between Word War Years (Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group, 2005), p. 201.
2Ibid., p. 203.
3John English, “Wartime Election Act”, The Canadian Encyclopaedia.(Historica-Dominion,)<http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0008455>
4Dawn Monroe, “Historical Timeline”, Famous Canadian Women. 11 Sept. 2009. <>
5Desmond Morton, “World War 1”, The Canadian Encyclopaedia. (Historica- Dominion) < >
6R.D Francis and Richard Jones, Journeys: A History of Canada (Toronto: Cengage Learning, 2009), p. 399.
7Ibid., p. 400.
8“World War 1 Technology”, IEEE Global History Network. 5 Feb. 2009. <http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/World_War_I_Technology.
9Ibid.
10Ibid.
11J. Bradely Cruxton and W. Douglas Wilson, Spotlight on Canada (Don Mills: Oxford Press Canada, 2000), p. 171.
12Ibid., p, 17.
13Morton.
14W. Stewart WALLACE, The Encyclopaedia of Canada, (Toronto, University Associates of Canada 1948), p. 236.
15Ibid, p. 237
16Ibid, p. 237
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cruxton, J. Bradely and Wilson, W. Douglas. Spotlight on Canada . Don Mills: Oxford Press k Canada., 2000.
Francis, R.D. and Jones, Richard. Journeys: A History of Canada. Toronto: Cengage Learning., k 2009.
Keegan, John. The First World War. Toronto: Key Porter Books Limited.,1998.
Marcellus, Jane. Moderns or Moms? : Body Typing and Employed Women Between Word War j j Years. Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group, 2005.
WALLACE, W. Stewart, The Encyclopaedia of Canada. Toronto, University Associates of k jj jjjjjjjjCanada 1948.
Websites
English, John. “Wartime Election Act”, The Canadian Encyclopaedia.Historica- kjjjjjjDominion.<http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A kkkk1ARTA0008455>
Monroe, Dawn. “Historical Timeline”, Famous Canadian Women. 11 Sept. 2009. kkkk<>
Morton, Desmond. “World War 1”, The Canadian Encyclopaedia. Historica- Dominion. kkkk< >
“World War 1 Technology”, IEEE Global History Network. 5 Feb. 2009. kkkkk<http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/World_War_I_Technology.
The Political, Economic and Social Impacts of the First World War on Canada
Sanjika S.
January 14th 2011
Mr. Palazzo
