1. The End of an Empire & Turmoil in Canada

2. Overview
 Background: WWI & WWII
 On the Home Front: The changing face of Canada
 The atmosphere in Quebec
 Revolution & Crisis in Canada: the 1960’s

3. Causes of WWI:
Imperialist Tension
 Imperialism had led to incredible tension in Europe,
as superpowers Britain, France & Germany competed
for territory and resources to fuel the Industrial
Revolution.
 In response to the rising tension, alliances were made
and treaties signed:
 The Triple Alliance: Germany, Italy & Austria-Hungary
 The Triple Entente: Great Britain, France & Russia

4. British Empire, 1914

5. Alliances: The Domino Effect
1. Heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne is assassinated
by a member of the “Black Hand” (a Serbian
nationalist group). Austria-Hungray declares war on
Serbia, July 28, 1914.
2. Russia mobilizes against Austria-Hungary, in support
of Serbia.
3. Germans respond to Russian mobilization: on
August 1st they declare war on Russia, two days later,
on France.
4. Germany violates Belgium’s claim to neutrality,
bringing Great Britain into the war.

6. WWI: At Home
 During the war, leaders of the Canadian government
advocates that “success at war will mean greater
autonomy for Canada” (Robert Borden, 8th Prime
Minister).
 However, when conscription is introduced in 1917,
divisions between English and French Canada are
widened.

7. WWI: In Quebec
 When Britain declared war in 1914, Canada was
immediately implicated as a dominion of the empire.
 Reluctance to create a French regiment added to
feelings of estrangement from a cause strongly tied to
Britain and English Canada.
 Throughout Canada, feelings of resentment grew:
people felt that Quebec was not ‘carrying her weight’

8. The Conscription Crisis, 1917
 While Borden had promised that he would not instate
conscription, volunteer numbers were low...
 In order to gain the support needed to introduce
conscription, Borden formed a coalition
government and held elections in 1917...
 To ensure the vote turned out in his favour, Borden
redefined who could and could not vote.

10. Wartime Elections Act
 Who could vote:
 Every man and woman serving overseas
 Mothers, wives and sisters of soldiers (dead or alive)
 Who could NOT vote:
 “Citizens of enemy origin”
 Why do you think Borden defined the voting population
as he did?
 Do you see anything wrong with his actions? Why?

11. The Conscription Crisis in Quebec
 Anti-conscription feelings ran high throughout
Quebec, French Canadians argued that they felt no
loyalty to Britain or France – their loyalty was to
Quebec, to Canada, alone.
 Anti-conscription = Anti-government
 The conscription crisis forever changed French –
English relations in Canada.

12. The New Canada: Post WWI
 As Borden had said, success at war meant greater
autonomy for Canada...
 At the 1919 negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles,
Canada was represented as a separate nation.
 Similarly, Canada had her own seat at the League of
Nations.

13. Imperialism?
 The Treaty of Versailles:
 France, Great Britain and the United States were the
superpowers involved in the treaty negotiations
Main Points of the Treaty:
 War Guilt Clause
 Reparations
 Disarmament
 Territorial Clauses
 The League of Nations:

15. Failure Following WWI
 The conditions laid out in the Treaty of Versailles added to
the atmosphere of discontent that was brewing in
Germany...
 Adolf Hitler, who had fought in WWI and then gotten
involved in politics, created the Nazi Party in 1920.
 Hitler swore to tear up the Treaty of Versailles, appealing to
national feelings of dissent surrounding the conditions of
the treaty.
How might feelings of dissent in Germany at this time echo
feelings of other countries affected by imperial rule?

16. WWII: Something Familiar
 As happened in WWI, the Canadian government,
(now led by Mackenzie King), had promised not to
introduce conscription.
 The Blitzkreig (lightning war) that the Nazi’s were
inflicting on Europe led to the surrender of France,
Demark, Netherlands and Belgium.
 Would North America be next?

17. Lessons of the Past
 King remembered the backlash that had come from
Borden’s introduction of conscription in WWI.
 He tried everything to increase the number of
volunteer recruits, including firing his defence
minister in favour of someone less ‘pro-conscription’
 When the numbers still did not increase, King and his
government passed an order allowing conscription...

18. Terrace B.C. Mutiny
 When word of conscription reached soldiers stationed
in Terrace, B.C. riots erupted
 The men seized an anti-tank gun to defend themselves
against officers trying to send them overseas.
None of the demonstrations that occurred in response
to the introduction of conscription reached the public –
the press was subject to strict censorship during the
war... How might this relate to imperialism?

19. Betrayal in Quebec
 Similar to the conscription crisis of WWI, the
introduction of conscription in this war added to the
feelings of betrayal among French-Canadians
 However, it was clear the King had done everything
possible to avoid conscription prior to introducing it,
saving him in the next election.

20. Lasting Impacts of the World Wars:
The New Face of Canada
 A “Middle Power”
 Expanding role in international affairs
 Distinct Canadian citizenship officially emerges
 Symbols of national pride, such as the flag of Canada
(still the Union Jack at this time) were on the agenda
as a distinct Canadian identity emerged.

22. Lasting Legacies of Imperialism:
Quebec
 Since the early 1500’s, French populations in Canada
have been confronted with an overwhelming British
majority.
 The Seven Years War was only one of the first steps
leading to the large divide between French and English
Canada.
 In both of the World Wars, Quebec stood apart from
the rest of the provinces and territories in it’s
opposition to conscription and loyalty to the British
crown.

23. The Quiet Revolution...
 Following WWII, people living in Quebec experienced
rapid social changes
 Prior to the 1960’s, Quebec was characterised by
traditional values, conservatism, and a general
rejection of contemporary ways
 When the Quebec government changed hands and
became liberal in 1960, rapid and incredible changes
began in the province.

24. Quiet Revolution Cont’d...
 There was a large scale rejection of values of the past
 More secular, rather than religious
 Traditional, conservative values were replaced with new
and more liberal ones
 High marriage and birth rates were rapidly reversed
What technological development of the early 1960’s
would have contributed to this shift?

25. Quiet Revolution Cont’d...
 There were also intense social changes:
 Movements of decolonization and civil rights made it
hard to ignore national inequalities in Canada
 The role of the state increased dramatically as:
“the only lever of significance in the hands of French
Canadians and capable of effecting the great
transformations that seemed to be required” (Belanger,
2000)
 In 6 years Quebec went from being the lowest taxed and
least in debt province, to the highest.
 Pension plans & the Hydro-Quebec monopoly

26. Quebecois are born...
 As the Quiet Revolution unfolded, there was a growing
number of Quebecers that had become sovereignists,
in support of a sovereign Quebec nation.
 In 1968 the Parti Quebecois was formed, their
platform was to create an independent nation out of
Quebec, one that would maintain economic ties to
Ottawa.

27. Federal Responses to the
Quiet Revolution
 In 1963 the government launched a Royal
Commission (an investigation) on Bilingualism and
Biculturalism
 The commission revealed that the rate of assimilation of
French Canadians outside of Quebec was so alarming
that Quebecois claims that something had to be done to
protect their culture were legitimate.

28. Federal Responses to the
Quiet Revolution Cont’d...
 In 1969 the government passed the Official
Languages Act, making French the second language
of the federal government.
 Throughout Canada this was largely resented by English
speaking Canadians, who now had to learn French if
they wanted a job with the federal government

29. Terrorism in Quebec...
 In Quebec, the Front de Libération du Québec
(FLQ) was responsible for over 200 bombings from
1963-1970.
 In October of 1970, the group turned to new tactics:
the following CBC news report details the events:
http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/civil_unrest/topics/1
01/

30. The Governments Response
 War Measures Act: An act to confer extraordinary
powers upon the Governor in Council in the event of
"war, invasion or insurrection, real or apprehended”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Measures_Act )
 “But, how far is the government willing to go?”
http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/civil_unrest/topics/1
01/

31. The Final Chapter: Your Turn
 Why was the government’s response to the FLQ crisis
considered controversial?
 How did the FLQ crisis of October, 1970 come to a
close?
 How does the FLQ crisis illustrate the legacies of
imperialism in Quebec?

32. Resources
 Causes of WWI:
http://www.cusd.chico.k12.ca.us/~bsilva/projects/great_war/cau
ses.htm
 Causes of WWII:
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/index.htm
l
 The October Crisis:
http://history.cbc.ca/history/?MIval=EpisContent&series_id=1&episo
de_id=16&chapter_id=1&page_id=4&lang=E
http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/events/qui
et.htm
 The October Crisis: Civil Liberties Suspended
http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/civil_unrest/topics/101/