World War I's Influence on Canadian Society

World War I’s Influence on Canadian Society As quoted by U Thant, a former General of the United Nations, on the aftermath of World War I, “The war we have to wage today has only one goal and that is to make the world safe for diversity. [2]” World War I is one of the most influential events known to Canadian society. During and after the war, there was a major turning point in society for women. Canada felt like more of an independent country because of the sense of unity and status they gained after the war. Unfortunately, the Canadian soldiers who returned home from the war did not find many positive outcomes in society, especially for the Aboriginal soldiers. The war changed Canadian society in many ways, but not all the changes were positive. World War I was the first time women were given the opportunity to make significant contributions within society, both on the war front and at home. Women enrolled in the armed forces typically worked as ambulance drivers and nurses. If they weren’t on the front, women were hired in the area of industrial production for the first time, having their jobs ranging from working on farms to grow food for the troops to filling artillery shells. Women at home also joined organizations such as the Red Cross. The women were overjoyed to be able to contribute to the war effort in any way they could. One woman who worked in the factories made a statement about her motivation on the job, “There was everybody, every single class … [T]here’s nothing that draws people together more than mutual trouble … You just rolled up your sleeves and you didn’t care how tired you were or anything else. [1]” The Wartime Elections Act in 1917 allowed women related to servicemen the ability to vote during the war. After the war ended, all of the effort women put into their contributions resulted in them receiving suffrage. Beginning in January of 1916, women in Manitoba were given the right to vote, with Saskatchewan and Alberta following a few months later. It wasn’t until the following years that other provinces gave women suffrage. Finally, in 1918, women were given the right to vote in federal elections, excluding immigrants that were associated with enemy countries and Aboriginal peoples. After being victorious at Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele, Canadian soldiers found themselves overwhelmed with national pride. As a result of their outstanding efforts during the war, Canada gained an international status by winning their own seat and participating at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. Although some country’s representatives, including US President Woodrow Wilson, opposed the idea of Canada signing independently, Canada still got its own signature on the Treaty of Versailles indented under “British Empire”. Canada also obtained a separate seat on the League of Nations, an international organization that was established at the Paris Peace Conference. Canada fought long and hard to receive the international recognition they deserved. As George Woodcock, a famous Canadian writer, said, “The emergence of Canada… as a nation among nations within the broader world context, caused people to think less of what divided them than of what united them. [2]” With these factors, World War I was evidentially an important part of Canada’s emerging autonomy. When the Canadian soldiers returned from a grueling four years of war, they were expecting a peaceful, relieved feeling. However, that was not the case for those soldiers. They returned to Canada to find themselves with no jobs, unsteady pensions for veterans and poor special medical services. Many veterans were affected by shell shock, now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and no one knew how to deal with it. Aboriginal peoples didn’t find much relief after the war, either. Their expectations were quickly let down as they found out their social status didn’t improve one bit, along with losing their right to vote. The tense issues between Anglophones and Francophones that developed during the war were never forgotten. The conscription crisis caused bitter tension between them, resulting in the French Canadians turning against federal government and causing riots. Canadian society became more discriminatory after the war, causing conflict among many people in Canada. Many Canadians argue whether World War I had a positive or negative impact on Canadian society. Women became more significant within society with their jobs and their right to vote during and after the war. Canadian soldiers felt a sense of national pride and unity following their victorious battles, and Canada was seen as more of an independent country for the first time after the war. Although World War I resulted in a few positive outcomes, reality set in for a lot of people when the soldiers began to come home. There were multiple unresolved issues within the country, and many were left with severe injuries and psychological trauma that could not be dealt with professionally. The fighting may have been over, but the war of finding peace between Canadians was certainly not.

Bibliography
“Canada And The Treaty of Versailles.” http://worldwaronescanadianimpact.weebly.com/the-treaty-of-versailles.html
[1] Cranny, Michael. Counterpoints: Exploring Canadian Issues. Toronto: Pearson Canada Inc., 2010.
“Women’s Suffrage.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/womens-suffrage [2] "World War One Quotes." World War One Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.