3.3 French Canadian Legacies of World War I

World War I for the Francophone people of Canada was also a polarizing experience. For many French Canadian people, the war was strictly a confrontation between imperial powers, not one that Canada should participate in. Others, however, did sign up for service in the Canadian military. Those who signed up thought they should serve in Francophone battalions.

Some were formed, most notably the Twenty-Second Infantry Battalion, which was named "The Van Doos," an English rendering of the French vingt-deux. This unit was sent to France and served with great honor in every engagement until the end of the war. Captain Talbot Papineau, the grandson of Louis Joseph Papineau (a leader of the movement for responsible government in Canada) died while leading his men in the battle of Vimy Ridge. However, most French-Canadian units were broken up to serve as reserves for the 22nd Regiment as they arrived in France. This regiment suffered roughly 4,000 casualties during the war. Many French Canadians resented the unwillingness of the predominantly English Canadian War Department to create Francophone units.

Van Doos regimental symbol on the Citadelle de Québec
Source: Wikimedia Commons

As the war progressed, the meat grinder of trench warfare in Europe created huge casualties as unimaginative generals threw men into battles unprepared to deal with the killing power of new war technologies. Many units were on the verge of mutiny, and reinforcements were in great demand. However, as the horribly-mutilated men returned from the war and the casualty list grew, fewer volunteers came forward. Also, many Canadians felt no identification with the British Empire, and in fact, some were experiencing prosperity they had never known. Sir Robert Borden had committed Canada to produce more soldiers for Britain in the hopes that Canada would gain greater recognition. In desperation he adopted a highly controversial policy of conscription, which allowed men to be called to action by law.

The reaction of many people in Canada was not favorable. French Canadians and Westerners were angry with the government. Francophones were upset because the government had ignored their requests for French Canadian regiments and because they did not all support the cause of imperialism. They felt that they were being discriminated against and that their wishes were being ignored. Meanwhile, in the West, many farmers, who were experiencing greater demand for their produce and who were finally making some profit, felt it was important to keep their sons working on the farm. Farm work was highly labour intensive so farmers had to rely on the efforts of all members of the family to keep the farms working. In addition, they felt that they were being taken advantage of, because many industrial entrepreneurs were making large profits from the war effort while the farmers were having to shoulder more of the burden.

Finally, after much bitter debate the government used its powers to enact The Wartimes Election Act to take the vote away from some citizens, such as newly arrived Ukrainians in the West, while giving the vote to only those women whose husband or sons were servicemen. The Military Voters Act allowed soldiers overseas to vote, including British servicemen serving in Canadian units. Borden's government succeeded in winning the election and then passed the War Measures Act, which allowed them to suspend citizen rights. After this act, they passed the Military Service Act, thus enacting conscription.

People were furious about the bill, and there were large demonstrations against the government particularly in Quebec. For many Québécois, this was a betrayal they could not accept.

French Canadian people were unhappy with the predominately English-speaking government before the war. The government had refused to recognize the right of French people to have their children educated in their language and had actually forbidden it in some jurisdictions. They did not feel any close affinity to France or Britain in the war, and in fact, saw it as strictly a conflict of imperial powers. They did not want to serve king and country in a war of foreign powers.

Some men from larger centers, such as Montreal, did volunteer. Many were descendants of English soldiers who had settled in Quebec after the conquest, and others were from wealthier Francophone families who had a legacy of activity in the government.

However, as the war continued, fewer and fewer French Canadian people volunteered to serve.

Issues like the refusal of the Canadian government to create French-speaking units and the conscription crisis left lasting scars for many Francophones and for Canada.