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Research Question: Why were people in Canada for or against conscription during World War Two?
Possible Significance Granatstein, and J.M. Hitsman. 1977. Broken Promises: A History of Conscription in Canada. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
During both the First World War and the Second World War, conscription was enacted in various forms by the federal government – in essence bringing about serious discord between Francophones and Anglophones. The latter were in support of the ‘call-up’, while the former group generally opposed the same. The need to determine the motivation behind those opposed to the conscription, and those in support of the same cannot be overstated. This is more so the case given the need for policy makers to avert a present or future situation that would trigger sharp divisions as was the case during the Second War compulsory enlistment debate. Ensuring that a course of collision between warring factions is not set well in advance not only works as a political measure to promote sensitivity to pertinent views, but also functions as a strategic military measure to promote tactical commitment. This would help in a more efficient organization of manpower were Canada to find itself in a conflict situation such as the one encountered in World War 2. It is important to note that today, various factors of geopolitical significance further increase the risk of a large-scale military conflict. Were this to happen, Canada could use the lessons from the World War 2 enlistment conflict to better organize its manpower.
This book provides a rather interesting and detailed account of Canada’s conscription history. By dint of their background, the two authors are qualified and fit to write on the subject matter. While Granatstein has been variously described as an accomplished historian and has extensive knowledge of the Canadian history (having headed the Canadian War Museum), Hitsman has authored a number of war pieces focusing on military history. The text, therefore, passes the validity and relevance test. In essence, the compulsory enlistment of civilians into military service has been a thorny issue. I will be using this text to define the conduct of the Canadian Government in the operation of World War 2, while at the same time highlighting some of the issues that arose out of the imposition of conscription. In so doing, the book will come in handy in seeking to assess the impact of the conscription issue and how it affected the very fabric of the country’s unity. Thanks to the book’s extensive coverage, it will provide a setting for the determination of if (and how) the handling of the First World War and the conscription issue at the time may have prepared the ground for ‘sins’ of omission or commission during the Second World War. It is also important…
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