Canada In The First World War
Life In The Trenches
During WW1, Canadian soldiers were forced to stay in long, narrow excavations, known as trenches, where life was brutal. Soldiers were killed, infection was spreading, food supplies were contaminated, and there was little time for rest. It is important to note these terrible living conditions because it demonstrates the strength possessed by Canadian soldiers, both physically and mentally. Each day, these soldiers pushed themselves to fight their hardest and to not give up, reminding themselves repeatedly that their effort would improve the lives of all Canadian citizens, which proves Canada is strong in force and strong in will and will not settle for defeat, even when that was the easiest option.
Canadians have since learned from this, and have invested millions into improved living conditions for our soldiers.
Land Transportation of the Armed Forces
When WW1 began, the invention of the automobile was about to begin mass manufacturing in Canada. Before this, getting around by horseback was the main mode of transportation, and this war helped contribute to the technological change. When comparing engine power to horsepower, 25hp was significantly better. The advancement of the car unquestionably shows Canada’s innovation because they were continuously inventing new and necessary products that would make it easier for them to engage in combat, in this case by improving something that would make transport more efficient and effective.
Taking Care of the Injured
During WW1, many soldiers suffered from a variety of diseases and infections. Because of the severity of the injuries, and the many deaths, the warfront decided to set up field hospitals, which were essentially mobile medical units. The conditions in a WW1 hospital were difficult as the people working there had to deal with horrible injuries with very limited equipment. Due to this, Canadian nurses demonstrated their ability to overcome serious obstacles because although thousands of soldiers came in with life-threatening injuries, many would often leave with a simple scar and continue fighting. It is because of Canadian’s quick thinking and problem solving, that so many soldiers got to return home practically unscathed, physically. Since then, Canada has improved their healthcare systems to ensure that soldiers have a faster treatment and a better chance of surviving their wounds.
Aerial Warfare
At the start of the war, there was a combined total of only a few hundred aircrafts, which were mainly used for viewing enemy lines and directing artillery fire. Because of the high demand, Canada produced more aircrafts and created dozens of training establishments so more soldiers could learn how to fly. Canada didn’t have its own air force until 1924, but nearly 23 thousand served in the British Flying services. This shows that Canadian soldiers possessed great bravery because these were dangerous positions, due to the fact that enemies could shoot these planes down from the ground or sky, and yet many soldiers still voluntarily risked their lives for the well-being of the rest of Canadian citizens.
As the war went on, the technology and sophistication of aircrafts grew and many new types of planes were introduced, all of which resulting in the modern day airplane and other such air vehicles.
Animals Role in the War
Over the course of the war, a wide variety of animals served, suffered, and died with the nation’s soldiers. There were pigeons acting as communication devices, horses used for combat, and dogs used for hunting down enemy grounds, finding fallen troops and carrying heavy loads.
During this, large amounts of animals were being killed and injured. Canadian troops, however, knew that these animals were just as susceptible to the effects of the war as they were, and because of this, our soldiers put much effort into ensuring they were as safe as possible, by giving them customized gas masks and bringing in veterinarians to treat the ill. This shows that Canadian troops valued everybody’s lives, as equally as they could, regardless of if they were human or not, because they knew that without them, the soldiers wouldn’t have fought as effectively. This war changed the face of medicine for animals, which has led to the current technology that is available to all veterinarians and those who wish to provide support for these creatures.
Food Shortage and Rationing
The war provided the homefront with many challenges, one of which being a shortage of food. The fighting nations in WW1 limited trade volume with their enemies in order to weaken them, preventing essential items from reaching some nations, such as Canada. To reduce food shortages and hoarding, the government decided to put rations or limits on food and goods to ensure every citizen had an equal share. The government believed that most of their foods should be sent to the soldiers because they needed more energy and fuel to fight, than those at home would require, which the homefront agreed made sense. The use of propaganda, as shown in the picture, convinced citizens to ration by making them believe that their efforts would help win the war. This shows how Canadian citizens self-sacrificed for the well-being of the soldiers in the front lines. Without this selflessness, many soldiers would have died due to malnourishment and starvation.
Employment Opportunities for Women
The war had an important effect on women because it led to the opening up of a vast range of new jobs for them. When millions of men left their work to become soldiers, roughly 2 million women were needed to replace them in the workforce. Before this change, Canadian women had been a part of the workforce and had been employed in factories or clerical jobs, however they were limited in the jobs they were able to perform. The war helped change the type of jobs women were able to get, such as working on the land, on transport, in hospitals and most significantly, in industry and engineering. This shows that Canadian citizens, more specifically women, are risk-takers and are open to new experiences because many were used to being in a position of comfort and following in their husband’s shadow. This change, however, pushed women past their limits and allowed them to take on leadership roles. Without their open minds, Canadian women may not hold the position that they currently do in Canada’s modern-day workforce. 8. Women’s SuffrageWW1 had a big impact on the women’s suffrage movement, meaning the right to vote. During the war, women took on more active roles in the economic, cultural, and political transformation of society because many positions were left vacant. Because of this growth in women’s public roles, suffragists became more aggressive in support of their cause as they developed stronger bases of support in the settlement houses, temperance organizations, labor unions, and reform movements that began to come up across the country. Using daily parades, street speakers, petitions, and rallies, The National American Women’s Suffrage Association fought for suffrage. This shows that Canadian civilians, more specifically women, are not afraid to speak up for what they believe in and voice their opinions because each day, while men were fighting, women were protesting for their rights. They only stopped once they officially earned their vote in 1920. Without the war’s impact on this movement, our society could still be fighting for suffrage to this day.
Supporting the War: Propaganda
Propaganda was essentially used during the war to influence the public on the home front and boost morale. Posters prompted enlistment and other forms of war support. They asked citizens to contribute to charitable campaigns, buy Victory Bonds, and ration scarce items such as meat or fuel. Their imagery relied on patriotic symbols, recognizable icons, and historical figures to identify the war with well-known and worthy causes. Canadian propaganda helped recruit millions to join the war. This proves that Canada, and it’s government, are inspirational and motivational because many citizens didn’t want to fight when the war was first introduced, however, as the propaganda grew deeper and more meaningful, many were convinced that they should, in fact, contribute to their country by participating in the combat. Without propaganda, there may not have been enough soldiers fighting for our country and consequently, we wouldn’t have won or have had a chance to win the war.
