He had decided that compulsory service was In May 1917, he returned to Canada from the Imperial War Conference in London and from visits to the trenches. ( See Canadian Command During the Great War Ĭanadian Expeditionary Force.) Recruitment at home was slowing, and the manpower and enlistment system was disorganized.įor Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden, the first necessity was to assist the men in the trenches. From 1914 to 1915, some 330,000 Canadian willinglyĮnlisted to fight against the Germans in France and Belgium.īy late 1916, however, the relentless human toll of the war and the horrific number of casualties were beginning to cause reinforcement problems for the Canadian commanders overseas. The same was true during the early years of the First World War. In South Africa had therefore not been necessary. Conscription for Canada’s limited war effort This experience has contributed to deep unease about the practice among Canadians.ĭuring the South African War (1899–1902), several thousand Canadians volunteered to fight for the British Empire overseas.

During the First and Second World Wars, conscriptionĬreated deep divisions in the country. Some countries have mandatory military service (e.g., Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Norway, Turkey, Switzerland, Sweden, Israel). This could include people in certain occupations or who suffer from physical or mental illness or disability.Ĭanada does not currently have conscription. Some people may be exempt (excused) from mandatory military service.

In some countries, females are also conscripted. Under conscription, all males of a certain age must register with the government for military service. Previous Next How Does Conscription Work?

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