Canadas Emerging Identity

Canada’s Emerging as a Country
Canada at the turn of the twentieth century was an emerging new country eager to make life in Canada one to be envied across the world. This was not an easy task. Canada did not separate on violent terms like their neighbor to the south. They had done so on diplomatic terms which left them a country still part of the British Empire unable to handle her own foreign affairs. Though this was a success, in later years it was cause for many problems. Britain was unable to let go of her colony. How was Canada expected to emerge as a country on a global scale if she could not even handle her own foreign affairs? Over and over again Canada was forced into wars that almost split the country. With such a delicate population of two dominating cultures (English and French) Britain was slowly tearing the country they created apart. Canada 's emerging identity was hindered by Great Britain 's inability to let go of her former colony as shown in the Bohr War, the Alaska Boundary dispute, and in the Great War.
On October 11th 1899 the second Bohr War broke out in South Africa. This was a direct result of Britain’s failure to sign the Transvaal Ultimatum which called for the disputes to be settled with an arbitration.[1] Almost immediately Britain called on Australia for support. Throughout the war Australia alone supplied more than 16000 men, most trained as militia.[2] In the first few months of the war the British military suffered huge losses, this caused for her to call on her colonies for more reinforcement. The war from then on out turned and a lot of that was credited to Lord Kitchener’s leadership.[3] He followed a threefold plan to end the war, first a scorched earth policy to deprive the enemy of food, second was to create concentration camps to keep women and children in hopes to lure their husbands, and third to keep all black peoples confined so that the Bohr 's loose their cheep labor.[4] This three-fold plan eventually worked in favor of the British, and is considered a success.
In Russia a popular song proclaimed; “We don’t want to fight, But by jingo if we do, We’ve got the shops, we’ve got the men, we’ve got the money too”, this gave rise to the term jingoism meaning intense patriotism.[5] This term and its meaning scared Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier who was trying to keep two distinct cultures at a balance, and the French weren’t displaying any jingoism at all.[6] The French had no ties to Britain, no reason to feel compelled to fight with her. The majority of Canada however was English and many people were recent immigrants from Great Britain. They felt great jingoism and felt it was their moral obligation to fight with their mother country. Britain expected her colony to come to her rescue and held great influence on the military officers of Canada at the time.[7] Laurier thought up a compromise to please both sides of his country, he would sent voluntary troops, only if Britain paid for them. Unfortunately this still put strain on English-French relations, The Montreal Star headline after the statement was released read: “Canada Disgraced”.[8] Also working against him was Canada’s own military who had already promised Britain troops before Laurier had announced his decision.[9] Britain singlehandedly pulled a country apart in her expectations and her tremendous influence over Canada.
Britain 's negative influence over Canada can not be seen more than in the Alaska Boundary dispute. The boundary was established by a poorly worded treaty between the Russian Empire and Great Britain. When Russia sold its land to the United States there was no question of the oblique boundary; not until Klondike gold rush that is. Both the Canadian and American governments wanted the panhandle since it served as excellent access to much of the gold. To resolve this issue both parties involved were expected to sent three delegates to discuss the issue. There were three Americans, and two Canadians, all well versed in the case. Being as Canada did not handle her own foreign affairs Lord Alverstone from Britain was also present to ‘stand with the Canadians’. To Canadian misfortune Lord Alverstone stood with America on all points raised.[10] He was instructed to do by the British government since Britain was first and foremost concerned with gaining support from the growing United States of America and not concerned with the repercussions of Canada because she felt Canada would always be there.[11] Canadian’s everywhere were astonished and angered at Britain 's betrayal, especially after supporting them in the Bohr war. One newspaper in the weeks to follow claimed Britain had led them “like a lamb to slaughter”, and an audience in Vancouver booed when ‘God Save the Queen’ was played.[12] Even Laurier spoke out in the House of Commons by saying, “... we are living beside a great neighbor who... are very grasping in their national acts, and who are determined upon every occasion to get the best in every agreement which they make.”[13] This could not be made more obvious than in years to come.
The events leading up to the Great War were not immediately obvious to those living in Canada. Many causes of the war were slow moving, and to many Canadians the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in some far away place wasn’t breaking news. However, when Britain declared war on August forth 1914 Canada was automatically at war, only her level of participation could be determined. The response across the country was in overwhelming favor of sending whatever troops could be offered, meanwhile in Quebec the response to war was only lukewarm.[14] Again we can see a country dividing over loyalty to Britain, or lack there-of. The Great War was becoming more and more an English man’s war. The language of the Canadian military was English, and this segregated a mass French population from even being able to understand basic instructions.[15] A Montreal newspaper, La Passe strongly suggested that the French population enlist with the army of France, so they may experience teaching in their own language.[16]
The French population for the most part did not outright object the war, in fact many felt it was a war worth fighting - from home. Most French Canadians felt they could do their part by farming and providing food for the troops.[17] According to Borden this agricultural sacrifice was not good enough. On May 18th 1917 he called for conscription, a bill which over half of the country opposed, and Great Britain pressured him to put through.[18] The opposition was most heard from farmers and leaders from Quebec. Bourassa, and Liberal Leader Wilfred Laurier both stood up against conscription and inspired a riot in Montreal. Laurier conscious of French interests warned “... we [may] face a cleavage which may rend and tear this Canada of ours down to the roots.”[19] The interests of a great influential group in Canada is once again lost in the great shadow of Britain and her might. Though she may have had a great part in creating the country that is now Canada, she seems to have no remorse is ripping her at the seems. Even the military costs and costs of production fell to the burden of Canada. She was now borrowing money from London and New York and as a result Canada was a stronger but more dependent nation.[20] The last thing Canada needed to stand strong on a world stage was more dependance.
Great Britain demonstrated a complete disregard for the politics and people of Canada and again and again used her former colony to her own advantage. At the turn of the twentieth century Canada was trying to emerge on a global scale. This however is difficult when there are two major ethnic groups, even more so when one is disregarded by a dominant mother country. When one such country is managing Canada’s foreign affairs how is Canada ever supposed to be seen as a country? Especially when the mother country, Great Britain, has its own agenda. Without the stronghold that Great Britain had over the country Canada could have more easily shown her presence to the world.

Bibliography
Bothwell, Robert. The Penguin History of Canada. Toronto, ON: Penguin Group (Canada), 2006. Print.

Brown, John. "Second Bohr War." Military History Oct. 2001: Print.

Hay , John, and Michael H. Herbert. Alaska Boundary Treaty. Grey House Publishing, Inc., 1903. Print.

Hill, Duncan, ed. Chronicle of War 1914 to the Present Day. Hertfordshire, UK: Atlantic Publishing, 2009. Print.

Newman, Garfield, et al. Canada, A Nation Unfolding. Ontario ed. Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited, 2000. Print.

Pretorius, Fransjohan. "The Boer Wars." BBC History (2011): Web. 2 Dec. 2012. .

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[1] Fransjohan Pretorius. (2 Dec. 2012), The Boer Wars. BBC History. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/boer_wars_01.shtml.
[2] John Brown, Second Bohr War (Military History, Oct. 2001)
[3] Pretorius.
[4] Pretorius.
[5] Robert Bothwell, The Penguin History of Canada (Toronto, ON: Penguin Group (Canada), 2006) 268.
[6] Bothwell 268.
[7] Garfield Newman, et al. Canada, A NAtion Unfolding Ontario ed. (Toronto On: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited, 2000) 64.
[8] Bothwell 269.
[9] Newman 64.
[10] John Hay and Michael H Herbert. Alaska Boundary Treaty (Grey House Publishing, Inc., 1903)
[11] Newman 66.
[12] Newman 66.
[13] Bothwell 269.
[14] Bothwell 282.
[15] Duncan Hill, ed. Chronicle of War 1914 to the Present Day (Herfordshire, UK: Atlantic Publishing, 2009) 23.
[16] Bothwell 291.
[17] Bothwell 291.
[18] Newman 94.
[19] Newman 94 - 95
[20] Bothwell 307.

Bibliography: Bothwell, Robert. The Penguin History of Canada. Toronto, ON: Penguin Group (Canada), 2006. Print. Brown, John. "Second Bohr War." Military History Oct. 2001: Print. Hay , John, and Michael H. Herbert. Alaska Boundary Treaty. Grey House Publishing, Inc., 1903. Print. Hill, Duncan, ed. Chronicle of War 1914 to the Present Day. Hertfordshire, UK: Atlantic Publishing, 2009. Print. Newman, Garfield, et al. Canada, A Nation Unfolding. Ontario ed. Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited, 2000. Print. Pretorius, Fransjohan. "The Boer Wars." BBC History (2011): Web. 2 Dec. 2012. . [2] John Brown, Second Bohr War (Military History, Oct. 2001) [3] Pretorius. [5] Robert Bothwell, The Penguin History of Canada (Toronto, ON: Penguin Group (Canada), 2006) 268. [7] Garfield Newman, et al. Canada, A NAtion Unfolding Ontario ed. (Toronto On: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited, 2000) 64. [10] John Hay and Michael H Herbert. Alaska Boundary Treaty (Grey House Publishing, Inc., 1903) [11] Newman 66. [15] Duncan Hill, ed. Chronicle of War 1914 to the Present Day (Herfordshire, UK: Atlantic Publishing, 2009) 23.