Canada 1919

With compelling insight, Canada 1919 examines the year following the Great War – a war that was, for Canada, completely unexpected in its magnitude. In the midst of relief that the killing had ended, economic and political tensions were fraught as the survivors attempted to right the country and chart a path into the future. The Canadian Corps had played a significant role in the war and were hailed as the “shock troops” of the British empire. They came home full of both sorrow and pride in their accomplishments, wondering what they would do and how they would fit in with their families. The military stumbled through a massive demobilization. The government struggled to hang on to power. Labour seethed, and the threat of Bolshevism emerged. At the same time there were positive changes, and a new Canadian nationalism was forged. This book offers a fresh perspective on the concerns of the time: the treatment of veterans, including nurses and Indigenous soldiers; the place of children; the influenza pandemic; the rising farm lobby; the role of labour; Canada’s international standing; and commemoration of the fallen. Canada 1919 exposes the ways in which war shaped Canada – and the ways it did not.