WWI Recruitment Review of Reading French Canada and Recruitment during the First World War Dispatches: Backgrounders in Canadian Military History Dr.

WWI Recruitment• Review of Reading

French Canada and Recruitment during the First World WarDispatches: Backgrounders in Canadian Military HistoryDr. Serge Durflinger

• Recruitment messages

• Demographics of recruits• Gender• Age• Marital status• Ethnicity

• Initial surge of volunteers. Why?

• Drop off of volunteers, increase of need. Why?

• Conscription and the Conscription Crisis

WWI Recruitment• Recruitment messages

• King and Country• Borden

• Patriotism • Anthem in Dawson City

• Unity• Volunteering in Moose Jaw• La Patrie

• Dissent• Winnipeg labour paper

WWI Recruitment• Demographics of recruits

• Gender• Age• Marital status• Ethnicity

WWI Recruitment• Initial surge of volunteers. Why?

• October 3 1914 33, 000 troops departed• 1915 20, 000 troops departed• Fall 1915- October 1917 124, 000 recruited

• Drop off of volunteers, increase of need. Why?• Independent battalions authorized• Need 250, 000 then 500, 000 out of a population of 8 million• Annual replacement: 75, 000• July 1916-Ocotber 1917: 28000 volunteers

Recruitment then…

Recruitment then…

Recruitment now…

Recruitment now…

Recruitment now…

Conscription

• Military Service Act (August 28 1917)

• 400, 000 eligible • 94/98 % applied for exemption• 87/91% exemptions approved

• 620, 000 served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force• 108, 000 were conscripted• 48, 000 went overseas and of those 24, 000 served at the front

Conscription Crisis…• Articulate the reaction, views, beliefs of your identified group.• Present them as a group.• Write a summary of perspectives of two groups (other than your

own), identifying underlying economic, socio-political and cultural issues that influence this perspective. Conclude with your own assessment of the decision to implement conscription

Groups• French Canadians• British-born English Canadians• Canadian-born English Canadians• First Nations• Labour rights activists• Minister of Militia and Defense