Conscription

Conscription is a draft, which is a call-up to compulsory military service. In the early stages of World War One, there was no need for a compulsory military service because there were so many men that had volunteered. As the war entered its third year, it was apparent that Canada was losing more men than there were enlisting, and by 1917 the issue became more of a crisis when the number of recruits was less than the number of dead and injured. Prime minister at this time was Robert Borden who decided that something had to be done about the issue.
Canada entered the war prepared to fight for Great Britain. No one knew it would last for four years. Up until 1917, all those that enlisted did so voluntarily. The crisis came in 1917, when Prime Minister Borden was summoned to London, England to participate in the Imperial War Conference. British Prime Minister David Lloyd George wanted a greater manpower commitment from Canada and the other dominions, and following on Canadian success at...