post war Flashcards
what are the 6 main post war issues?
full reestablishment the Spanish flu disability pension shell shock (PTSD) demobilization repatriation camps
full reestablishment
by the end of the war, when were most Canadians expected to be sent home?
6 months
full reestablishment
once home, what did veterans have to deal with?
adjusting to civilian life while the government did little to repay them
full reestablishment
what happened to disabled veterans and their families?
they were left in poverty
full reestablishment
what happened to women once soldiers returned?
they had to reexamine their roles in society
the Spanish flu
when did the Spanish flu occur?
spring of 1918
the Spanish flu
what was the flu capable of?
killing its victim in a few days
the Spanish flu
how many people died in WWI within 4 years?
14M
the Spanish flu
how many people died from the flu within a few months?
100M
the Spanish flu
what happened to returning soldiers?
many came home to find friends and family dead; many became ill themselves
disability pension
regardless of a veteran’s ______________, the government did not help disabled veterans and their families living in poverty
income before the war
disability pension
what were the disability pensions based off of?
wages of unskilled workers
disability pension
what was the belief of the government regarding returning soldiers?
soldiers had become accustomed to being cared for and having everything done for them (in the hospital)- not providing pensions was an incentive for disabled veterans to seek employment
disability pension
veterans who qualified for pensions received __% of a full pension
25
disability pension
how did widows qualify for survivor’s pension?
demonstrate need, remain unmarried, prove they are worthy of a pension
shell shock
what were veterans told regarding their PTSD?
they received no support-
“a manifestation of childishness and femininity”
shell shock
what did returning veterans have to put up with at home?
complaints about “Meatless Fridays” and “Fuelless Mondays”
demobilization
rather than immediately bringing troops home, when was demobilization planned?
in the spring
demobilization
what were some difficulties of bringing soldiers home?
railways were worn from use in the war, ports would freeze in winter, Halifax’s port had not yet recovered from the explosion in 1917
demobilization
what did businesses and unions plan to do and why?
fix the economy in the meantime to better absorb soldiers in the spring
repatriation camps
what was the function of these camps?
returning soldiers to their country
repatriation camps
what happened to Canadian troops in the camps?
they lost their patience and rioted throughout the spring of 1919
repatriation camps
what happened as a result of the riots?
the government brought almost all the troops home by the summer
