The First World War: The Power of the State

In August of 1914 Britain declared war on Germany. Being an integral part of the Empire, Canada was automatically at war with Germany.

• There was enthusiasm for the war effort in both English and French Canada. There were expectations that the war would be short. The large number of enlistments prompted Prime Minister Borden to declare that there was no need for conscription for overseas service.

The federal government moved quickly to give itself extraordinary powers to supervise both the nation's economy and population. The War Measures Act, passed in 1914, gave the federal government full authority to do everything deemed necessary "for the security, defence, peace, order and welfare of Canada."

• The Act permitted the government to direct the nation's economic activity toward producing the necessities of war. All segments of society had to be mobilized to support the war effort.
• The Act suspended the right of habeas corpus by permitting the government to arrest and detain persons without bringing specific charges before a judge, and gave the government the authority to deport without trial.