interwar period (1920s) Flashcards
did inflation hit the country hard? (by country, specify which one?) or generally.
After WW1 many countries were poor after spending so much money on the war/less demand for war materials
Germany is an example of this, after WW1 they were very poor, they also had to pay other countries back for the damage (ex. France).
German reparation payments to France came to a head in Feb 1923 when France decided to move in on the Ruhr valley and kind of held it as collateral/hostage towards payment.
what was the spanish flu?
- how long did it last
-how did it spread
-why is it called the spanish flu?
Global pandemic
Lasted 1918-1919 (was short because it killed so many people, infected about 20-30% of the world’s population)
Beginning in Europe and then spreading throughout the world, including Canada
Called the “Spanish Flu” because the first reported death was in Spain
It arrived here on ships of Canadian soldiers returning from the war; spread through the trenches
how was the spanish flu prevented and what was its significance?
To control the spread schools, theatres, libraries, churches, and other gathering spaces were closed
Public gatherings were banned
Masks were mandated in different parts of the country, specifically Alberta
Used to prevent germs from spreading, but seen as nuisance and could spread growth of virus
significance:
500 million people in the world got it (⅓ of the world’s population)
¼ Canadians contracted the spanish flu
Growing emphasis on importance of health care
Creation of the federal health department
what led up to the winnipeg general strike?
Many factories closed down as they were mostly part of the war manufacturing industry
There was a low demand for workers
Women (who worked in factories) were forced to go back to working in the home
Pre-WWI, labour unions formed across Canada
By 1919, there were about 240 various labour unions between Victoria, BC and Winnipeg, MB
They met in 1919 in Calgary in hopes of forming One Big Union (OBU)
Goals of One Big Union (OBU)
Improve workers’ rights in Canada!
85 cents per hour
8 hour work day
Right to collective bargaining
winnipeg general strike
who, what?
where, when?
why? how?
It was the largest strike in Canadian history
Happen on May 15, 1919 at 11AM
Winnipeg’s building and metal workers went on strike for higher wages (~30000 workers)
Everything was shut down (i.e. elevators, postal and telephone communication, etc.)
On June 17, 10 strike leaders were arrested
Then, four days later was bloody Saturday
On June 21, 1919 (Bloody Saturday) protesters vandalized a street car outside of city hall
what is blood saturday?
date? place?
violent confront tation between strikers and their supporters against policy and military
-> protestors pushed a street car off of its tracks and police charged the crowd and gunfire had europted
-> June 21st 1919, downtown winnipeg
the roaring twenties…
what became new?
-> more access to luxury goods
-> electricity became part of everyday life
-> new appliances made life easier, ie telephones.
signifcance of bloody saturday?
-> impact on the labor movement, because it was a turning point to the winnipeg general strike
–> highlighted the need for labor reforms (which eventually happened, however not immediatly)
-> shfited public perceptition by spreading sympathy for the strikers (exposed harsh relaties that workers faced)
->politcal consquences (hatred towards gov and laws)
what was the riot act?
enacted after bloody saturday and was used to frame the protestors.
->threated people protesting to spend life in jail and allowed police to make mass arrests
->made unions decrease in power
Who is Henry Ford?
1920s: american automobile company
popularized the assembly line, which brought more jobs into the economy
1929, half of the canadians owned a car.
-> jobs: chauffeur, mechanics, gas station, attemdsnts
medical advancements -that happened in the 1920#
Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin
what was the economic growth that happened at this time?
-> rise in manufactured goods, however maritimees and parities were struggling
-> many got riiched quickly and their were high employmenet rates. and investments.
-> many people believed that stocks were the easiest to make money and began buying on margin and collerteral.
womens rights and freedom, how were women treated during this time?
flappers: young women who defy the social standards
-> many feminst in the world, that started advocating more for rights and equality.
prohibition: what happened, when, and where?
what: a period of time where drinking was illegal. (illegal to sell, yet okay to drink, however not socially acceptable)
when: 1917, all provinces except Quebec adopted prohibition, and lasted till 1927.
USA: 1919-1933
why and how: prohibition
what was the goal:
what is the long term effects of war:
why? Temperance movement - Women and reglipus group pushed a ban for alcohol in early 1900s
-> overall unproductiveness and safety of the nation
-> tired of seeing husbands drunk and spending money on alcohol
Goals: Make Canada safer, reduce crime and do,estic abuse
result: moonshine, bootleggors, and speakeasys
-> caused a lot of health issues (gut rot)
-> united states were more strict on alcohol, therefore canadians found a great way to make money.
->a lot of organized crime
-> bribes from officals
Long-Term Results: Most people ignored prohibition
Criminals made millions
Provinces lost tax dollars from sale of alcohol
Since it was controlled by each province, prohibition ended between 1920-1948 across the country
Significance:
Rise in organized crime in Canada
Establishment of Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO)
