CHAPTER 17
Canada on the World Stage Since 1914
Page 451 – 484
INTRODUCTION
 Canada’s emergence onto the world arena was gradual and cautious
 World War I brought a wider recognition for Canada
 The Statute of Westminster (1931) put an end to Canada’s colonial status
 Britain and the United States remained Canada’s closest allies
 World War II convinced Canada to play a more active role in international affairs
CANADA AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR
 The causes of the First World War are:
Border Disputes in Europe
 Germany and France disputed the border of Alsace-Lorraine
Arms Race
 The construction of the HMS Dreadnought by the British began a competition
between Britain and Germany of who could build more Dreadnought-class battleships
Competition for African Colonies
 Germany wanted colonial territory in Africa however, there was no territory was
available
 Therefore, Germany encroached on British and French areas
Militarism
 The governments of most major European powers believed problems should be
solved militarily rather than diplomatically
Extreme Nationalism
 In the early 1900’s, many European counties had very strong feelings for their own
country
Alliances
 Most of Europe was involved in military alliances
 The two major alliances were the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance
 The Triple Alliance involved Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy
 The Triple Entente included Britain, France and Russia
Balkans War
 In 1912, Serbs rebelled in an effort to gain independence from Austria Hungary
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
 During a political visit to Sarajevo, Serbia, Archduke Ferdinand of the AustriaHungary Empire was killed by local nationalists
 Austria-Hungary threatened Serbia with military consequences
Mobilization of Forces
 As war loomed over Europe, countries began to mobilize troops along their borders
German Invasion of Belgium and France
 Fearing an invasion, Germany decided to invade Belgium and France (August 1,
1914)
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In 1914, western Canadian farmers faced drought for the second year in a row; an
economic depression created mass unemployment in Central Canada; and, two
transcontinental railways, the Grand Trunk and the Canadian Northern, were on the
verge of bankruptcy
Prime Minister Borden, although not very popular because of Canada’s economic
state, promised that Canada would make every sacrifice to the war effort
Following German invasion of Belgium and France, Britain’s declaration of war
against the Triple Alliance plunged Canada into the conflict without say
Enthusiasm for the war quickly mounted
British-born men, the unemployed quickly filled the ranks. Later Canadian-born men
and native men volunteered
Canadians were eager to “do their bit” but they did not fully understand the
seriousness of the conflict
No war had broken out in Europe for two generations and the last time Canada was
involved in a conflict was the Boer War (1899), when 7000 men saw action in South
Africa
After limited training, the first division of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)
sailed for Britain