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Sam Hughes, 1911-1916 (Involved in WWI, 1914)
-1 For Decline in Canada. Sam Hughes was the Minister of Militia in Canada but was also a stubborn, overly self-assured fool. He had passion and unshakeable beliefs which initially drew people to him, but that ended up being his downfall. When the war began, he threw away all plans for mobilizing the army for war and instead sent out a call to arms. Because he was so involved in everything, the first Canadian Division was recruited, ill-equipped and shipped to Britain. -
World War I, 1914
-2 For Decline in Canada. At the beginning of World War I, Canada was already in debt. By the end of the war, Canada was in even heavier debt than it was before. Because of this debt, Canada's economy was in shambles, as at the end of the war they had to pay $164 million dollars a year, making their grand total of debt $1,665,576,000. -
Arthur Currie, 1915-1919
+2 For Progress in Canada. Lieutenant-General Arthur Currie hadn't led anything more than a regiment before the war in 1914, however, he proved himself to be useful, and in 1915, his brigade played a pivotal role in The Second Battle of Ypres. Much unlike Sam Hughes, he never sent his men into battle without thorough preparations. He rose to the position of Commander of the Canadian Corps in June 1917 and led successfully for the next two years. -
Battle of Ypres (Apr. 22 - May 25, 1914)
-1 For Decline In Canada. The Battle of Ypres was the first major battle fought by Canadian troops and was a dreadful loss for Canada, Britain, and France. This battle introduced a new chemical weapon, chlorine gas. This gas would travel across the battlefield in a green cloud that would burn soldiers' throats, filling their lungs with foam and mucus. At this time, soldiers were underprepared as no one carried gas masks, not foreseeing such an attack. -
Women's Suffrage
+2 For Progress in Canada. Women had deserved rights for years before even beginning to protest, and before helping in the war. Manitoba became the first province of Canada to extend that right to women in 1916. Thanks to that first step, women have gotten the chance to help shape our country and the world today. -
Vimy Ridge (Apr. 9 - 12, 1917)
+1 For Progress in Canada. The Battle on Vimy Ridge was a victorious battle for Canada, bringing in the new tactic dubbed, "the creeping barrage". This was more than a victory, it was a union. All 4 divisions of Canada were present in the battle, and all regions were represented. It was properly credited by Brigadier-General A.E Ross as "the birth of a nation". -
Military Services Act
-2 for Decline in Canada. The Military Service Act passed the law of conscription, which forced all young men at the age of 16 to register for enlistment and forced them into war. This caused a huge civil uproar, bringing about protests and riots as people felt as though they were being stripped of their rights. Being forced into anything, especially the risking of one's life, is a restriction of rights, and makes Canada feel like less of a free country. -
Battle of Passchendaele (Jul. 31 - Nov. 10, 1917)
-2 For Decline in Canada. The Battle of Passchendaele was a battle that was only chalked up to being a symbol of the senseless violence that was World War I. The battle had no positive outcome for the Allied Forces, and resulted in the deaths and injuries of 16,000 Canadian men. -
The Red Baron is Taken Down
+2 For Progress in Canada. Manfred von Richthofen, otherwise and more commonly known as "The Red Baron", a German ace pilot, was shot down the day after getting his 79th and 80th kill, by a Canadian pilot by the name of Arthur Roy Brown. This could bring Canada some notoriety, and respect, letting other countries know that Canada is not to be messed with. -
Influenza Outbreak (1918 - 1919)
-2 For Decline in Canada. At the end of World War I, Canadian soldiers began returning to Canada with influenza (also known as the Spanish Flu). This flu was a contagious respiratory disease, that caused many of its victims to catch pneumonia as well. It killed a total of 50,000 Canadians, only 10,000 less than the number of those who died in the war in the span of 4 years.
