Chapter 9 IntroductionHochelaga 1500-1642Ville-Marie 1642-1665French Empire 1699-1763Small French Town 1665-1760Conquered City 1760-1800British Commercial Takeover 1800-1850Industrial City 1850-1896Canada's Metropolis 1896-1914North-American City 1914-1929Depression and War 1930-1945Modern City 1945-1960Québec's Metropolis 1960-1992ConclusionQuizEducational Resources

The First World War

A painful adjustment

The return of growth

A better life

   
Chapter 9 / NORTH-AMERICAN CITY / The First World War  Previous pageNext page
A LARGE NORTH-AMERICAN CITY 1914-1929  

The steady growth Montréal had been experiencing since the end of the 19th century was curbed by the First World War, heralding the beginning of hard times to come. However, the 1920s brought a return of growth, and Montréal now resembled other large North-American cities.

The First World War
An economic recession could be felt as early as 1913. The situation was exacerbated by the outbreak of war, as Great Britain stopped financial support to its colonies in order to devote all its resources to the war effort.

The economy began to recover in 1915. Manufacturers benefitted from generous war contracts. The jobs left vacant by thousands of enlisted men created opportunities for others, including a growing number of women.

One political consequence of the war was a heightening of the conflict between English-speaking Montrealers, who favoured full participation in the war, and their French-speaking counterparts, who opposed it. In 1914, populist politician Médéric Martin exploited this opposition in his campaign for Mayor, and the French-speaking masses gave him an overwhelming victory.

The federal government’s decision to impose the draft in 1917 provoked strong reactions in French-speaking circles.

All things considered, however, many young Montrealers perished on the battlefield or came home wounded, or injured by toxic gases.


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