Secondary IV • 2yr.
Hi,
Was there any conscription during the First World War in Canada?
Thank you
Hi,
Was there any conscription during the First World War in Canada?
Thank you
Explanation from Alloprof
This Explanation was submitted by a member of the Alloprof team.
Hello TomateSupra7536,
I'll start with a little reminder in case someone reads your question and doesn't know what conscription is.
Conscription is the obligatory enlistment of all male citizens in age to participate in the fighting.
During the First World War (1914-1918), the government first appealed to voluntary recruitment. This means that no one had an obligation to go and fight. On the other hand, the Canadian government did not succeed in sending enough men to come in support to the United Kingdom. The government therefore thinks of conscription. The majority of English-speaking Canadians were in favor, while French-Canadians disagreed. This is called the conscription crisis, an event which increased tensions between Anglophones and Francophones and which caused a major rupture within the Canadian population.
Conscription will be officially put into force on January 1st 1918.
So the answer to your question is : yes, there was conscription in Canada, but only towards the end of the First World War.
Thank you for your question,
- Noémie