1. King’s Conscription Crisis

3. Conscription Crisis
• Kingpromised= no conscription
• Germany quickly occupied much of Europe
• 1940- National Resources Mobilization Act
(NRMA)
– Government could mobilize
=conscription (home defence)

4. Conscription Crisis
• Conservatives wanted overseas conscription
• King held referendum- April 27, 1942
1) All provinces except Quebec majority “yes”
2) overseas conscription
King- “Not necessarily conscription, but
conscription if necessary”
• Failed to satisfy either side
• Quebec felt betrayed
• Minister of Defense-J.L. Ralston resigned, and
then changed his mind

5. James Layton Ralston

6. Conscription Crisis
• King avoided conscription issue for 2 years
• 1944 Invasion of Europe
– Canada lost 23,000 soldiers
– Infantry shortage
• Ralston went to Europe
– Concluded more troops were needed
– King refused, and announced Ralston’s resignation
(from resignation letter Ralston had given 2 years
before)

7. Conscription Crisis
• King replaced Ralston with General Andrew
McNaughton
– King hoped McNaughton could convince men
conscripted under NRMA to volunteer to go overseas
– McNaughton unsuccessful
• Finally, King agreed to send conscripts overseas in
final months of war12,000
– Not all went peacefully
• Riots in Montreal & Quebec legislature
condemning King’s actions
• 2463 conscripts reached the front

8. General Andrew
McNaughton