How Did The Great War Affect Canada

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In a time of disillusionment and pride, Canada faced many horrors and atrocities of “The Great War” and yet, it was for these same horrors that allowed Canada to grow and persevere as an independent nation for the first time. World War 1 was a conflict that Canada did not need to partake in; a war fought solely because Canada had pledged its allegiance to the mother country, Britain. With the aftermaths of the war taking its toll on Canada, one must wonder how much these effects would impact the nation in the long-run. Despite the fact that the war provided Canadians with a sense of national pride, it is important to note however, the extremity of casualties that had occurred, and the suspension of civil liberties. In the face of a common enemy and fighting for a shared cause, Canadians saw this as a reason to unite and bond together. From coast to coast, Canadians, who may not have even spoken the same language, gathered together to form the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Together as a group, they would share both victories and losses. With each passing victory, these soldiers would begin …show more content…
When Canada joined the war, Prime Minister Borden and officials saw the need to impose stricter government control on country affairs, this would lead to certain civil liberties such as habeas corpus being suspended. To the displeasure of the mass, the Canadian government passed “The War Measures Act” in which it suspended civil rights, as well as allowing the government to imprison and detain anyone they deemed a “potential threat” to national security. This led to thousands of immigrants, specifically Germans, being harshly and wrongly held in internment camps where they were kept in detention for the duration of the war. This act, in spite of efficiently increasing the security of Canada during wartime, severely damaged the nation’s constitutional and multicultural