Military Service Act

E222995

The Military Service Act was a Canadian law enacted during World War I that introduced compulsory military conscription, sparking deep political and social divisions known as the Conscription Crisis of 1917.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Military Service Act (Canada) 2
Military Service Act canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Canadian federal statute
conscription law
affectedGroup farmers and agricultural workers
ageRange 20 to 45
aimedTo increase number of soldiers for overseas service
appliedTo male British subjects in Canada
appliesTo Canadian Expeditionary Force
associatedEvent Conscription Crisis of 1917
cameIntoForceInYear 1917
caused Conscription Crisis of 1917
constitutionalBasis federal power over militia and defence
controversy fairness of exemptions and tribunals
country Canada
created appeal tribunals
local exemption tribunals
dateRoyalAssent 1917-08-29
enactedDuring World War I
surface form: First World War
exempted clergy
conscientious objectors (under certain conditions)
those in essential war industries (subject to boards)
historicalSignificance key episode in development of Canadian nationalism
major turning point in Canadian civil–military relations
justifiedByGovernmentAs necessary to maintain Canadian forces at the front
languageTension heightened English–French Canadian tensions
ledTo protests and riots in Quebec
legalStatus federal law
legislativeBody Parliament of Canada
linkedTo 1917 Canadian federal election
opposedBy Wilfrid Laurier
surface form: Sir Wilfrid Laurier
politicalContext Borden government
politicalEffect formation of Unionist government
split Liberal Party
purpose introduce compulsory military conscription in Canada
relatedConcept conscription in Canada
relatedLegislation War Measures Act
repealContext end of World War I reduced need for conscription
repealed yes
resultedIn tens of thousands of men being conscripted
socialImpact deep political and social divisions in Canada
stronglyOpposedIn Quebec, Canada
surface form: Quebec
stronglySupportedIn English-speaking Canada
subjectMatter conscription
military service
supportedBy Robert Laird Borden
surface form: Prime Minister Robert Borden
warRelatedTo World War I
yearEnacted 1917

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Conscription Crisis of 1917 relatedLegislation Military Service Act
Unionist Party notableLegislationSupported Military Service Act
subject surface form: Unionist Party (Canada)
this entity surface form: Military Service Act (Canada)
Canadian home front during World War I hasMainSubject Military Service Act
this entity surface form: Military Service Act (Canada)