responding to the call to war - vimy to juno · 2016. 6. 10. · there were even posters ......

Name:________________________________________________________Date:_______________________________

WhydidtheyfightforCanada?

WouldyougotowartodefendCanadainatimeofcrisis?Aswe’velearned,CanadafoughtaspartoftheBritishEmpireanditsalliestodefendourhonourandthelibertyofotherpeoplearoundtheworld.ThewaralsoinvolvedmanyofthoselivinginCanada,thoughtheywereexcludedfromfullcitizenshipbecausetheywerenotwhitemen.Differentpeopleofdiversebackgrounds,participatedinthewar.

1. Reviewtheevidenceprovidedasagroup.ClassifytheevidenceintoexamplesofPositiveandNegativeExperiences.

2. UsethechartbelowtogatherpositiveandnegativeexperiencesofdiverseCanadiansduringwartime.3. Drawyourownconclusionstorespondtotheinquiryquestionabove.

PositiveExperiences NegativeExperiences

Historic

alEvide

nce

YourCon

clusions

Responding to the Call to War

1. ThisisapictureofMasumiMitsui,whowasturnedawayinB.C.HewantedtoshowhispatriotismforCanada.Hisgrandsonexplainsthatthis“was[his]newlyadoptedcountryand[he]wantedtoshowthattheydeservedtobetreatedlikeotherCanadians.”ThoughhewasnotallowedtoenlistinB.C.,hetravelledwithotherstoAlberta,wheretheyenlistedwiththe10thBattalion,CanadianExpeditionaryForce.AboutonepercentoftheunitwasmadeupofJapanese-Canadiansoldiers.i

2. Jewish-Canadiansdidn’tfacethesamesortofdiscrimination.TherewereevenposterswritteninYiddishthatweredirectedatpossiblerecruitslivinginMontreal.JewishCanadianswereanimmigrantcommunitytotallycommittedtowhatwasthenaveryAnglo-SaxonattitudeinCanada.Pro-BritishopinionwasevenmorepronouncedinToronto’sJewishcommunity.DuringtheFirstWorldWar,38percentofallJewishmalesolderthan21inCanadaservedintheCanadianExpeditionaryForce.ii

3. FromtheonsetoftheFirstWorldWar,CanadiansofGermanicoriginfaceddiscriminationfromthegovernmentandthepublic.ThisdiscriminationstartedwitharollbackofcivilrightswhentheWarMeasuresActwasestablishedwithinweeksofthedeclarationofwar.PeoplefromGermany,Austria,HungaryandUkraineweredeemed“enemyaliens,”eveniftheywerenaturalizedcitizens.Theyhadtocarryidentificationcardsandwereforbiddentojoinsocialistmovements,leaveCanadawithoutapermitorpossessfirearms.ImmigrationtoCanadafromthefourcountrieswassuspendedentirely,andthosegrantedcitizenshipafter1902hadtheirstatusrevoked.iii

4. AcrossCanada,some8,579“enemyaliens”–mostofGermanoriginviaUkraine–weresenttointernmentorworkcamps.Manywereunemployedpeoplethegovernmentfearedcouldjoinradicalmovements.OnecamplaidmuchofthefoundationforBanffNationalPark.“TheGermansneverreallywantedto,ordaredto,askforanycompensation…Whentwoworldwarswerecausedbysomeonefromwhereyoucamefrom,ortheplaceyou’reassociatedwith,youfeelveryintimidated.Youdon’twanttocauseanyproblems.”iv

5. AcountrythathadopeneditsarmstohomesteadersfromEasternEuropequitesuddenlycloseditsmindaswarbrokeout.Most[enemyalien]interneesweresingle,poor,unemployedUkrainianmen,buttheyhadthecompanyofBulgarians,Croatians,Germans,Hungarians,Italians,Poles,Serbians,Turks,Romanians,andRussians.Maj.-Gen.SirWilliamDillonOtter,whooversawtheinternmentprogram,reportedthat3,138interneeswerelegitimateprisonersofwar.Another5,441wereunquestionablycivilians,including156childrenand81womenheldinVernon,B.C.,andSpiritLake.v

6. WhilethefightingstoppedwiththearmisticeonNovember11,1918,someinterneeswerekeptbehindbarbedwireuntilwellinto1920,suchwasthevalueoftheircontinuedforcedlabourtoadepressedCanadianeconomy.Whentheywerefinallyreleased,someinterneesclaimedtheirpersonalpossessionshadbeenstolen.“Thesewerenotbyandlargewealthypeople.Buttheyclearlydidlosesomevaluables.”vi

7. Beforethewar,womenfoughtforgreater

accesstoeducation,andjobopportunities.Canadianwomenalsocampaignedfortherighttovote(suffrage).Womenwontherighttovoteinprovincialelectionsfirst,andthenin1918PrimeMinisterBordenextendedsuffragetomostCanadianwomen.vii

8. WomenwerenotallowedtosignuptofightintheFirstWorldWarassoldiers,sailors,orpilots.Still,morethan3000womenenlistedasnurses.Thesenurses,called“Bluebirds”forthecolouroftheirdresses,tookcareofwoundedanddyingsoldierswithinafewkilometersofthefrontlines.viii

9. Whenmenwenttowar,manywomenassumedsolesupportforfamiliesandoperatedfarmsandbusinesses.Manywerehiredtodoskilledworkinfactories(i.e.makingsuppliesforthewarsuchasweaponsandammunition).ix

10. OnJuly5,1916,theNo.2ConstructionBattalionwasformedinPictou,NovaScotia—thefirstlargeBlackmilitaryunitinCanadianhistory.Recruitmenttookplaceacrossthecountryandmorethan600menwereeventuallyaccepted,mostfromNovaScotia,withotherscomingfromNewBrunswick,Ontario,theWestandevensomefromtheUnitedStates.x

11. ThesegregatedNo.2ConstructionBattalionwastaskedwithnon-combatsupportroles.AfterinitialserviceinCanada,thebattalionboardedtheSSSouthlandboundforLiverpool,EnglandinMarch1917.ItsmembersweresenttoeasternFrancelaterin1917wheretheyservedhonourablywiththeCanadianForestryCorps.Theretheyhelpedprovidethelumberrequiredtomaintaintrenchesonthefrontlines,aswellashelpedconstructroadsandrailways.xi

12. Anestimated2,000BlackCanadians,suchasJamesGrant,RoyFells,SeymourTyler,JeremiahJonesandCurlyChristian,weredeterminedtogettothefrontlinesandmanagedtojoinregularunits,goingontogivedistinguishedservicethatearnedsomeofthemmedalsforbravery.xii

13. Approximately4,000Indigenousmenenlistedfromacrossthecountry,morethananyotherethnicgroup,goingontoserveinthearmy,navyandairforce.Atatime,whenracismwasdeep-rootedandIndigenouspeoplewereconsidered“wardsofthestate,”thiswasnosmallfeat.“Therewereonesthatmadeittothelevelofcolonels,generals,majors,”saysL.JamesDempsey,anassociateprofessorofNativeStudiesattheUniversityofAlberta.xiii

14. Indigenoustroopsleftaremarkablerecordofwartimeaccomplishment.Severalwerecommissionedasofficers,andmanyservedasbattle-hardenedplatoonleadersandcombatinstructors.Atleast50weredecoratedforbraveryonthebattlefield.Manyacquirednear-legendarystatusasscoutsandsnipers,drawingonpre-warhuntingskillsandwildernessexperience.Themostdecorated,CorporalFrancisPegahmagabow,anOjibwafromtheParryIslandBandnearParrySound,Ontario,receivedtheMilitaryMedalandtwobarsforhisbraveryandeffectivenessasasniper.xiv

15. IndigenousrecruitsdidfaceracialprejudicebutalsohadtodealwithamilitarythatwasalmostexclusivelyEnglishspeaking–alanguagemanynativesdidnotspeak.CanadianWarMuseumrecordssuggestthatmostunitsembracedthesesoldiers,however,especiallysinceseveralexcelledintheirmilitaryroles.Somebecameofficers,whileothersservedasplatoonleadersandcombatinstructors.Atleast50weredecoratedforbravery.xv

16. OneBloodIndiancalledBumbleBeeCrowChiefallegedlyshowedupforinspectionwitha“rearrangeduniform.”He’dditchedthebootsformoccasins,shavedthevisoroffhiscaptoseebetter,hadbroughthisowngunandrefusedtocutoffhisbraids.Hewaspromptlydischarged.“Theytookonelookathimandsaid‘Thiswon’tdo.’”xvi

17. WhileIndigenoussoldiersenjoyedmorefreedomsabroadthantheydidinCanada,thingsreturnedtothestatusquooncebackathome.ThefederalgovernmentextendedmanypostwarbenefitstoIndigenousveterans,butnotasmanyasthosegiventoothervets.Allthesacrificesandachievementsonthebattlefielddidnotresultingreaterfreedomsorrights,suchasthevote,forIndigenous.xvii

18. xviii

19. xix

20. xx

21. xxi

22. xxii

23. xxiii

24. xxiv

i"Not All Canadians Were Equal at First World War Recruiting Stations."World War I. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2016. http://ww1.canada.com/home-front/not-all-canadians-were-equal-at-first-world-war-recruiting-stationsiihttp://ww1.canada.com/home-front/not-all-canadians-were-equal-at-first-world-war-recruiting-stationsiiihttp://ww1.canada.com/home-front/fear-led-to-riots-discrimination-against-immigrants-in-calgary-during-first-world-warivhttp://ww1.canada.com/home-front/fear-led-to-riots-discrimination-against-immigrants-in-calgary-during-first-world-warvhttp://ww1.canada.com/home-front/dark-memories-endure-of-canadas-internment-of-enemy-aliensvihttp://ww1.canada.com/home-front/dark-memories-endure-of-canadas-internment-of-enemy-aliensviiColyer, Jill. Creating Canada: A History - 1914 to the Present. Toronto, ON.: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2010. Print.viiiColyer, Jill. Creating Canada: A History - 1914 to the Present. Toronto, ON.: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2010. Print.ixColyer, Jill. Creating Canada: A History - 1914 to the Present. Toronto, ON.: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2010. Print.xhttp://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/those-who-served/black-canadians-in-uniform/history#firstxihttp://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/those-who-served/black-canadians-in-uniform/history#firstxiihttp://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/those-who-served/black-canadians-in-uniform/history#firstxiiihttp://ww1.canada.com/faces-of-war/first-nations-on-the-front-linesxivhttp://www.warmuseum.ca/firstworldwar/history/people/in-uniform/first-nations-soldiers/xvhttp://ww1.canada.com/faces-of-war/first-nations-on-the-front-linesxvihttp://ww1.canada.com/faces-of-war/first-nations-on-the-front-linesxviihttp://ww1.canada.com/faces-of-war/first-nations-on-the-front-linesxviiihttps://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/blogs/collecting/details.page?article=2016/01/14/black_history_no_2_c&cattype=collecting&cat=stampsxixhttp://ww1.canada.com/home-front/dark-memories-endure-of-canadas-internment-of-enemy-aliensxxhttp://www.winnipegsun.com/2014/08/01/aboriginal-soldiers-from-wwi-deserve-recognitionxxihttp://archives.queensu.ca/exhibits/archival-resources-teachers/archival-look-world-war-i/women-and-warxxiihttp://ww1.canada.com/home-front/images-canadian-propaganda-posters-from-the-first-world-warxxiiihttp://archives.queensu.ca/exhibits/archival-resources-teachers/archival-look-world-war-i/women-and-warxxivhttp://www.warmuseum.ca/firstworldwar/history/people/in-uniform/nurses/