CANADA HISTORY

Conscription Act

The introduction of conscription in Canada during the First World War marked a turning point in the country’s political and social landscape, particularly as it intensified divisions between English and French Canadians. What began as a war supported with youthful enthusiasm turned into a bitter, divisive issue, especially as the brutal realities of the Western Front escalated. French Canadians, deeply conflicted about fighting in a war for the British Empire, stood in stark contrast to much of English Canada, which saw military service as a duty. This clash, culminating in the 1917 Conscription Crisis, significantly reshaped Canadian politics, exposing fault lines that would reverberate throughout the 20th century.

Initial Enthusiasm and French Canadian Reservations

When war broke out in August 1914, many young Canadians, particularly those of British descent, eagerly enlisted, driven by a sense of adventure, duty, and loyalty to the British Empire. For many, this was an opportunity to prove themselves on the world stage and to support the "mother country" in what was then expected to be a short conflict. In the early years of the war, recruitment efforts were largely successful. Tens of thousands of men volunteered, spurred on by patriotic fervor, local recruitment drives, and promises of glory.

However, the same sense of loyalty to the British Empire was not universally shared across Canada. In Quebec, where French Canadians made up the majority of the population, there was widespread ambivalence toward the war effort. Memories of British dominance following General Wolfe’s victory on the Plains of Abraham in 1759 still lingered, casting a long shadow over Quebec’s relationship with the rest of Canada and the British Empire. For many in Quebec, the war in Europe seemed distant and irrelevant to their lives. Unlike British Canadians, who often saw themselves as part of a larger imperial family, French Canadians had no deep connection to Britain, nor did they feel any great affinity for France, despite their shared language. As a result, many French Canadians questioned why they should fight in a war that did not directly concern them.

The Growing Crisis of Recruitment

By 1917, the war had dragged on far longer than anyone had anticipated, and the brutal realities of trench warfare on the Western Front were beginning to take their toll. Canadian soldiers had distinguished themselves in battles such as Vimy Ridge, but the cost in lives was staggering. Casualty numbers mounted, and it became increasingly difficult to find enough volunteers to replace the fallen and maintain the strength of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Prime Minister Robert Borden returned from the Imperial War Conference in London in early 1917 convinced that conscription—compulsory military service—was the only way to sustain Canada’s military commitment to the war. Borden believed that Canada, as a proud and growing nation, needed to uphold its duty to the British Empire and to continue providing troops for the front lines. However, this decision would deeply divide the country.

In an attempt to present a united front, Borden reached out to Wilfrid Laurier, the leader of the opposition Liberal Party, to form a Union Government dedicated to the war effort. Laurier, a shrewd politician and the first French Canadian prime minister, understood the political landscape well. He recognized that conscription was a profoundly unpopular idea in Quebec, where the majority of his support lay. Faced with the prospect of alienating his base, Laurier rejected Borden’s offer, knowing that supporting conscription would destroy his standing among Quebec voters.

The Conscription Act and Political Fallout

On July 11, 1917, Borden pushed through the Military Service Act, which introduced conscription, requiring all able-bodied men between the ages of 20 and 45 to register for military service. The Act provided some exemptions for conscientious objectors, men employed in vital industries, and those whose service would cause serious hardship to their families. But the general mandate was clear: Canada needed more men, and those who had not yet enlisted would be required to serve.

To shore up support for his government, Borden also introduced the Military Voters Act and the War Times Election Act. These laws extended the right to vote to women who had close relatives in the military, such as mothers, sisters, or wives of soldiers, while excluding conscientious objectors and immigrants from enemy nations who had arrived in Canada after 1902. These measures were intended to tilt the balance in favor of the pro-conscription, English Canadian-dominated Conservative Party in the upcoming federal election.

The passage of these Acts triggered a political crisis. Quebec, which had long harbored reservations about the war, erupted in protest. Anti-conscription rallies were held across the province, with political leaders and citizens alike expressing their anger at what they saw as an unjust imposition. For many French Canadians, conscription was the final insult, a symbol of English Canada's disregard for their culture, language, and values.

The 1917 Election and the Union Government

The 1917 federal election became a bitter contest over the issue of conscription. Borden, now leading a Union Government made up of Conservatives and pro-conscription Liberals, campaigned on the promise of winning the war and supporting Canada’s troops. He framed conscription as a necessary sacrifice for the nation’s honor and duty. In English Canada, this message resonated deeply, particularly in Ontario and the Maritimes, where many families had already sent sons, brothers, and fathers to fight.

In contrast, Laurier and his Liberals campaigned on an anti-conscription platform, particularly in Quebec, where opposition to compulsory military service was overwhelming. Laurier argued that conscription was not only unnecessary but would tear the country apart along linguistic and cultural lines. He maintained that Canada’s contributions to the war effort should remain voluntary, and that forcing men to fight in a foreign war for the British Empire was an affront to Quebec’s autonomy and identity.

The election results starkly illustrated the deep divisions within Canada. Borden’s Unionists won a decisive majority, securing 153 seats in Parliament, while Laurier’s Liberals were reduced to just 82 seats. However, in Quebec, the anti-conscription sentiment was so strong that Laurier’s party won 62 out of 65 seats, an overwhelming rejection of Borden’s policy. This clear regional divide underscored the growing tensions between English and French Canada, tensions that would take decades to heal.

The Aftermath: Riots, Rebellion, and the Conscription Legacy

The imposition of conscription did little to resolve Canada’s manpower issues. Although 400,000 men were called up for military service under the Military Service Act, only about 24,000 actually reached the front lines before the war ended in 1918. The logistical challenges of organizing and training conscripts, combined with the strong opposition to the draft in Quebec, meant that the impact of conscription was far less than Borden had hoped.

In Quebec, the reaction to conscription was fierce. In March 1918, tensions boiled over into violence, culminating in the Quebec City riots, where anti-conscription protesters clashed with military and police forces. Over several days, the city was gripped by unrest, with rioters attacking government offices and symbols of the military. The government responded by sending in troops to quell the rebellion, and four civilians were killed in the ensuing violence. The Conscription Crisis deepened the rift between Quebec and the rest of Canada, fueling a sense of alienation and distrust that would persist for generations.

Long-Term Consequences for Canadian Politics

The political fallout from the Conscription Crisis of 1917 was profound and long-lasting. For the Conservative Party, which had relied heavily on support from Quebec in earlier elections, the decision to impose conscription proved disastrous. The party's popularity in Quebec plummeted, and it struggled to regain a foothold in the province for decades. Many of the anti-conscription feelings that emerged during the First World War would resurface in 1944, when Prime Minister Mackenzie King introduced conscription during the Second World War, reigniting the tensions between French and English Canada.

The war also marked a turning point in Canadian politics. Borden’s Union Government brought together elements of the Conservative and Liberal parties, laying the groundwork for the realignment of political forces in the post-war years. Meanwhile, Laurier’s Liberals, despite their losses in 1917, remained a strong political force, and Wilfrid Laurier’s successor, William Lyon Mackenzie King, would go on to lead the country through much of the 20th century.

Conclusion: The Conscription Crisis in Canadian Memory

The Conscription Crisis of 1917 remains one of the most divisive moments in Canadian history. It exposed the deep cultural and linguistic divides between English and French Canada and fundamentally reshaped Canadian politics. While the war effort ultimately succeeded, and Canada emerged from the conflict with a greater sense of national pride, the scars of the Conscription Crisis lingered for decades. Quebec’s resentment of federal policies perceived as favoring English Canada contributed to the rise of Quebec nationalism in the 20th century and set the stage for future conflicts over language, culture, and identity in Canada.