Settling into peace
How would you describe the first few years after WWI in Canada? Who was happy, who wasn’t, and why? Evidence?
1) After the WWI, Canada was proud of the victory. Bordon the prime minister, was happy after the war. Because the Allied powers ask Canada to sign the Treaty of Versailles. That means now Canada sees the country, not a colony. Canada’s industries were much stronger than before. Women were also happy because they got more women’s right (vote, more women were in the workforce). However, there was a disagreement. Because there had a lot of conflicts. The soldier who went from WWI or veterans were got a conflict with civilians who never went to the war. Workers were in conflict with employers, farmers were unhappy with the government’s economic policies, many Canadians did not appreciate immigrant, and French Canadians were still angry because about the conscription. Many people were disappointed for the government because they brought little peace than people thought. The soldiers who came from the war needed jobs. And some factory which produced weapons, Uniforms, stuff like that, didn’t need anymore. So that means there are fewer jobs and more people. That’s why the soldiers and civilians got a conflict and Winnipeg is the evidence.
Was there any point to the Winnipeg General Strike?
2) Winnipeg general strike in 1919 was one of the most influential strikes in Canada and was based on labor reform in the future. Large-scale unemployment and inflation, the success of the Russian Revolution in 1917, and the growing alliance of revolutionary industries all contributed to this historic strike as causes of postwar labor unrest. Before the Winnipeg general strike happens, the WWI just ended. That means that there are factories that produce products that are no longer needed due to increased bankruptcies and inflation, and it also means that people who went to war as soldiers are looking for jobs. Moreover, although the strike was caused by economic inequality rather than idealism, the success of the Russian Revolution increased interest in socialism. All this has created the necessary conditions for the Winnipeg general strike.
Why did the Liberals win the election of 1921?
3) Mackenzie King, who was in the Liberal Party, had a good campaign strategy. In the 1921 election, managing the economy and taking responsibility for Canadians around the world were emerging as a major problem. The debate over free trade and tariffs played an important role in this election. Mackenzie King focused on the negative aspects of their governance. He accused the Union government of securing victory through corrupt means in 1917 by granting suffrage to voters supported by the election law. He focused on increasing taxes and public debts. Mackenzie King focused on the fall of the government to divert his attention from his position on tariffs. By 1921, Canadian politics was mainly about French / English and Catholic / Protestant divisions. Successful governments like Wilfred Laurier managed to balance those benefits for the common good