Canada divided
Find primary evidence: How did Canadians feel about conscription? Who supported it and who didn’t?
1) There had two opinions about the conscription. Bordon who was the prime minister believed the conscription will be the answer to Canada’s contribution to the war effort. HE promised Britain he would increase the size of the Canadians force for the war effort. But some people opposed it and didn’t like it. Most of the English Canadians supported the conscription. Most of the English Canadian were from Britain and they are proud of their parent’s home country. However, French Canadian opposed the conscription. Some workers also opposed conscription. French Canadians didn’t have pride in France that much, and they believed that they were punished for not enlisting.
What are the messages in the political cartoons?
2) This cartoon tells us about the conscription. We can see, his wife and kid are waving their hand to him, and he is holding the British flag. When Bordon proposed the Convention, most English Canadians responded positively and actively joined the military. The French Canadians who opposed the draft thought their country was Canada, not Britain or France, while the English Canadians thought their home country is British and they were very proud of their country.
Was the Khaki Election rigged or just better democracy?
3) The Khaki Election was rigged. Many Canadians who participated in the war as soldiers in WWI were killed and wounded. These losses have led to more people joining the military. But people’s passion for war has gone away more than ever. This is because they needed a father and a son in their family. Bordon promised the Canadians not to conscript, but after seeing wounded soldiers in Europe that spring, he felt that their sacrifices should not be in vain and should end this war. So he thought conscription was the answer. Bordon thought of elections as a way to bring in conscripts. On December 7, a referendum on conscription began. But just months before the election, Borden manipulated two bills and collected votes from the coalition.
Was the government acting in the interests of the public when enacting conscription?
4) No, it wasn’t. Many people weren’t very interested in war and didn’t want to participate in it. But the government refused to listen to these citizens and was accepted conscription for their benefit. I think if Bordon really thought about the civilians, he wouldn’t make a fabrication in the 1917 election. Bordon only thought Canada would gain a stronger voice in international matters after the war.