Causes of WWII— Treaty of Versailles, Failure of the League of Nations, and Policy of Appeasement

The Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles made at the end of WWI was a major cause of the Second World War. The Treaty of Versailles had severe conditions and demanded Germany to pay a huge amount of money for the damages that they had done to the victorious countries. The treaty also demanded Germany to give up a fairly large amount of industrial land, making it harder for Germany to earn the money that it needed to pay the victorious countries. Germany could not pay off the enormous debt, and was in economic ruins. As a result, there was political instability, and this allowed the Nazi Party to rise because the socialist party seemed to have had the solution to hunger and economic problems. Also, one of the clauses in the Treaty of Versailles was that the Germans had to accept full responsibility for the First World War, and this was a huge humiliation for the Germans. As a result, the Nazi Party—a party that made calls to the German pride and blamed the problems on minority groups—gained more support from the proud Germans. In short, the Treaty of Versailles created a context in Germany in which the Nazi Party was able to gain more support from the people. And by allowing the Nazi Party to rise, the Treaty of Versailles had planted the roots of the Second World War.

The Failure of the League of Nations

The failure of the League of Nations also contributed significantly to the Second World War. After WWI ended, countries such as Canada, France and Britain

Canada and the First World War—Changes in Women's Role

Women used to be considered as far less capable and inferior to men, but this totally changed after the first world war. During the war, about 2000 Canadian women went overseas and became nurses. They treated wounded soldiers and a lot of times had to protect these soldiers from rats and insects. Their work was also dangerous as they often needed to treat soldiers near the front and hospitals were sometimes the targets of attack. They proved to be capable as they bravely helped to save the lives of thousands of soldiers.

At home, women also proved their ability, but by a different means. Since at the time workers were predominantly male and a lot of men volunteered to go to war, there were not enough workers left in the country. As a result, over 30000 women were hired by munition factories and they were able to carry out tasks that were usually done by men. This made them more confident and disproved the beliefs that women could not do anything important.

Furthermore, in 1917 the War Times Elections Act was passed, which granted many Canadian women the right to vote.  This gave them a lot more power and allowed them to have a voice in politics.

Overall, in the first world war women proved themselves to be just as capable as men and were no longer seen as people who wore dresses that couldn't complete difficult tasks.  After the war, women became more confident, more powerful, and more equal to men.

Canada and the First World War—War the Home Front

The first world war was a total war that affected not only the lives of Canadian soldiers in the battlefield, but also the lives of Canadians at the home front. During the war, food supply was limited and rationing was introduced to the Canadian society to ensure that there was food for the soldiers fighting overseas. Families would receive food vouchers every week, which regulated the amount of food that they could purchase. For example, they could only have 1.8 kilograms of meat and 26 litres of oil per week.

Also, women at the home front contributed to the war significantly. Since many men volunteered to become soldiers, there was a lack of male workers and women filled this gap by working in munitions factories, where they would make artillery shells and other weapons to be used in the battles. They also made organizations to contribute to the war in other ways. For example, in the Dorcas Club, they would sew socks and pyjamas for the soldiers at war.

Furthermore, even the children participated in the war. They were given boxes to collect unwanted metals, bones, glass, and paper, which would be recycled to produce war materials. They also went through meatless and heatless days to save food and fuel, which were both essential for the army.

Overall, the first world war significantly affected the lives of Canadians living at the home front, and it was a war to which every Canadian made contribution, a war that brought all Canadians together to fight for one single cause.

Canada and the First World War—Changes in the Economy

 

The First World War changed the Canadian economy significantly. Since during the war there were large demands for food, Canada’s farmers had to produce a lot more wheat and other agricultural products to supply the army, and as a result Canada saw an agricultural growth with a 300% increase in agricultural output. The farmers also purchased more advanced machineries to help them with farming, and this allowed the farming industry to be more efficient and increased the agricultural capacity of the country.

The country saw an even larger increase in the industrial output. During the war the manufacturing of ammunition was very much needed, and hundreds of new factories were built to increase the amount of ammunition that the country could manufacture. As a result, Canada saw a 500% increase in the industrial output! Even though the demand for ammunition was only temporary, and the industrial output would soon decline after the end of the war, the industrial capacity of Canada was increased significantly and Canada turned from a more agricultural-based country to a more industrialized one.

Furthermore, to raise money for the war, the government introduced many new taxes, such as the income tax, business tax, and taxes on products like tea, tobacco and alcohol. Although some of these taxes were intended as temporary measures for the war, all the taxes remained in the society until today. These taxes were the foundation of our taxation system today and they had a huge impact on the lives of Canadians.

Overall, the First World War had a tremendous impact on the Canadian economy. It significantly increased the Canadian productive capacity, and it set the foundation of our taxation system. It revamped Canada economically.