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The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand (^)
Franz Ferdinard from Austria and his wife were killed by a Serbian nationalist. This then sparked a war between Austria and Serbia. Germany sided with Austria. In fear of Germany, Britain allied with Russia and France. What made Britain participate in the war though, was when the Germans wanted to take control of Belgium. Since Belgium's ports were close to the British Coast, Britain felt threatened. Canada was part of the British empire so that meant they took part in the war as well. Score -2 -
Pegahmegabow and First Nation Soliders (* and #)
First nations were said to remarkable marksmen and brilliant snipers. However, they faced discrimination. Quoted from Adrian Hayes, "when in uniform they were considered equals by what he could do. When he came back, he just went back to being Indian." In a note written by Ahenakew, he talks about how hard Indians must work to stand beside white people. Even Ottawa hesitated to allow Aboriginals in war because of their prejudice. Looking at all of this, they had a -2 in terms of progress. -
The War Measures Act (^)
The War Measures Act limited freedoms as it was then allowed to arrest and imprison people without charging them. People that were not born in Canada and were born in enemy countries could be deported easily without being able to prove themselves innocent. "Enemy aliens" were then sent to camps to be imprisoned where they went through hard labor with very little pay. People were also physically assaulted by the guards. This was a low period of time for Canada, so I gave it a -2. -
Bishop and Canadian Pilots (* and #)
The pilots really outdid themselves in this period of time. They went from having no air force to even begin with, to have a quarter of all British flyers being Canadian. Bishop was an indefinite example of a reputable flyer, as he flew across enemy territory and shot down three German planes. However, pilots always tried to kill as quickly and efficiently as possible, so its a very risky job. I gave their progress a 1. -
War Artists (* and #)
Many Canadian photographers and painters seized the chance at finally getting the recognition they deserved during World War 1. Artists depicted different roles in the war as some painted women working in factories and some of the men in trenches. They would use this media to show what the war was like for those who were at home. This was a pivotal time for artists to get started in their careers. For the artists, I'd say this was a big moment of progress so I scored them a 2. -
Period: to
1914-1929: A Period of Progress or Decline?
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Military Service Act (^ and #)
After the battle of Vimy Ridge, Canada was in desperate need to replenish their forces as many soldiers were dead and wounded. However, no one saw war as exciting anymore but as dangerous. In order to get these soldiers the Military Service Act was passed which made military service compulsory for men between the ages of 20 and 45. This made many Canadians angry. French Canadians felt as the government has no right to involve them in a war that had nothing to do with them. Score: -2 -
Battle of Vimy Ridge (#)
A moment of national pride and a very much celebrated battle victory the Battle of Vimy Ridge was. The battle was stationed on the Western Front in northern France. The four divisions fought and captured the ridge from the German army. It was the largest territorial advance from any allied force so far. However, it resulted in many deaths. 3598 Canadians died in this battle, which is a lot for a Canadian army. I scored this a 1 in terms of progress. -
Halifax Explosion ($)
As Canada had to accommodate to the war and its necessities, the harbor was always busy. So naturally, there was traffic and collisions we constant. A Norwegian ship was leaving the harbor with supplies and a French ship from the opposite direction was carrying explosives. They collided and the explosion was huge, to say the least. More than 1500 unfortunate people were killed instantly and many died from serious injuries. -
The Balfour Report (^)
The Balfour Report being passed was a monumental moment history for us Canadians. It was an important document in Canada becoming a self- governing nation with its own parliament and prime minister. We were linked to Britain politically but we had our own legal power! We proved our strength with our Canadian troops. This was a period of progress as I gave it a 2. -
The Persons Case (* and ^)
Canadian women were not seen as "persons." However, they were able to reverse the court's view. Who were "they'' you ask? The Persons Case was initiated by women activists called the "Famous Five." The Persons Case was a constitutional rule that made it eligible for women to sit in the senate of Canada. Women couldn't be denied rights. During the war, women proved themselves to be hardworking, as they had to endure long hours with lots of labour. This was a time of progress for women. Score: 2
