Why did Canadian men volunteerto fight in the Great War?

What reasons can you think of which might explain why nearly 32000 Canadians and 750,000 Britons volunteered to fight in only the first two months of the war (August and September, 1914)?

The reasons for volunteering were varied. They included:

Patriotism – love for Canada Patriotism – love for Canada and British Empireand British Empire

Peer group pressure – sign up to Peer group pressure – sign up to be with your friendsbe with your friends

A sense of shame or cowardice A sense of shame or cowardice if you didn’t volunteerif you didn’t volunteer

Revenge for German atrocitiesRevenge for German atrocities A desire for adventureA desire for adventure Escape from unemployment and Escape from unemployment and

a chance to earn money – $1 per a chance to earn money – $1 per day for infantry men and 3 day for infantry men and 3 meals a daymeals a day

Convincing propaganda and Convincing propaganda and effective recruitment posterseffective recruitment posters

Look at the following six posters and decide which category of reason for volunteering they fit in: patriotism / peer pressure /shame / revenge / adventure / unemployment. Explain in three or four sentences why you have made your choice. In some cases, two or more reasons could apply to the same poster.

Poster A Poster B

Poster C Poster D

Poster E

Both the British and the Australian governmentspromised groups of men who volunteered together that they would be allowed to serve together in the same battalions. Thesespecial units were called ‘Pals Battalions’.

This poster showsLord Kitchener.He was a hero from an earlier war andwas the British Minister for War until he was drowned when his ship was sunk in 1916.

Poster F

1. Which reason for fighting wasn’t in any of the posters. Why do you think the government didn’t use this a reason to persuade men to enlist?

2. Now write a couple paragraphs explaining why so many men volunteered to fight in the very early stages of the war.

3. Why do you think recruitment numbers gradually began to decline after 1914?