French Canadian Opposition to Imperial War Contributions(Boer War era)

[Scho]

Hi,

      I am new to these forums and am currently researching reasons for which French Canadians were opposed to Canadian War contributions
to the Imperial Power during the Boer War/WW1 era. If you have any knowledge of this topic it would be greatly appreciated.

                                                                                                                                                                            Scho

 

[Edward Campbell]

How much have you read thus far?  Lower's 'Colony to Nation'?  He spent a fair amount of time on that. I think.

 

[Scho]

Thanks Edward. I will give that a read. I have been reading from Morton and Milner thus far and they touch the basics but nothing too extensive.

 

[Old Sweat]

Scho,

A couple of works that examine the attitudes re the Boer War, and were published almost a century apart, are, J. Sanford Evans, The Canadian Contingents and Canadian Imperialism, (n.p., 1901), (reprinted circa 1990 ISBN 0-9698857-2-5) and Carmen Miller, Painting the Map Red, Canada and the South African War 1899-1902, (Montreal, 1993), ISBN 0-7735-0913-5.

 

[PPCLI MCpl]

Welcome to Army.ca Scho.   Wonder if I've seen you around.  

http://www.lermuseum.org/ler/mh/boerwar/ has an interesting idea as to the reasoning behind the French Canadian opposition to involvement in the Boer War:

Military History: The Boer War

Canada's army participated in its first major overseas campaign during the Boer War in South Africa in 1899. The decision to send troops split Canada along French-English lines, foreshadowing the problems that would arise during the two world wars.
Ethnic groups, perhaps even more so than they do today, commonly saw themselves as superior. Hence, French Canadians commonly believed that the blending of their Catholic faith and rural way of life made them superior to materialistic English Canadians. French-Canadian nationalists sought to isolate themselves from both Europe and English Canada by building a strong Quebec based on the French language and Catholic leadership.
On the other hand, English Canadians commonly believed that the blending of British civilization and enterprise made them superior to backward French Canadians. What was needed was a Canada based on just one language and one culture and with closer ties to Britain. Many English Canadians also embraced militarism, or the belief that a nation could be strengthened through warfare.
Not surprisingly, when the Boer War broke out, the tremendous enthusiasm in English Canada to fight for the mother country was met by an intense reaction in Quebec against the conflict.

Edit - Spelling

 

[54/102 CEF]

See - http://www.nipissingu.ca/faculty/davidc/History/lecture_4.htm - not all the answers but some of the flavour

What I recall is as follows:

Sam Hughes had called for unilingual non-Catholic English Schools pre-war and was identified with this issue when he needed troops for WW1. The Church was against recruiting - being a defacto government (my words) and it was generally a failure to recruit Franco Canadians - R22ER excepted.

A Cdn War Museum Link - http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/disp/dis001_e.html - it has the stuff I mentioned.

Key facts

Why defend France when France did not defend them against the Brits in 1759 - 1760 (or for purists - two thirds New Englanders). France was Anti - Catholic Church at the time as readings on the French Army pre 1914 will tell you. And why fight for someone willing to take your education in your own language away? Imagine a government saying no more English Education in your home town. Would not go over too well.

But don`t take my word for it there are more sources for you if you put this into GOOGLE

recruiting quebec "sam hughes"

Enjoy!