Accomplishment of Robert borden

Answer 1

Robert Borden, PC GCMG KC (June 26, 1854 - June 10, 1937) was Canada's 8th Prime Minister and served between 1911 and 1920. He served throught the First World War and although he was initially considered to be a rather ineffectual Prime Minister he led the country ably and successfully throughout the war.

In 1919 at the Paris conference, Borden firmly established that Canada had a role in international affairs. His political leadership, together with the Military leadership Maj-Gen Arthur Currie demonstrated that Canada not only had a voice in post war Europe, it also sowed the seeds of Canada's ultimate independence from Britian. Following the war Canada established an independent Foreign policy for the first time.

Answer 2

As Prime Minister of Canada during the First World War, Borden transformed his government to a wartime administration, passing the War Measures Act in 1914. Borden committed Canada to provide half a million soldiers for the war effort. However, volunteers had quickly dried up when Canadians realized there would be no quick end to the war. Borden's determination to meet that huge commitment led to the Military Service Act and the Conscription Crisis of 1917, which split the country on linguistic lines. The unpopular conscription issue would likely have meant defeat in the election of 1917, but Borden recruited members of the Liberals (with the notable exception of Wilfrid Laurier) to create a Unionist government. The 1917 election saw the "Government" candidates (including a number of Liberal-Unionists) crush the Opposition "Laurier Liberals" in English Canada resulting in a large parliamentary majority for Borden.

The war effort also enabled Canada to assert itself as an independent power. Borden wanted to create a single Canadian army, rather than have Canadian soldiers split up and assigned to British divisions as had happened during the Boer War. Sam Hughes, the Minister of Militia, generally ensured that Canadians were well-trained and prepared to fight in their own divisions, although with mixed results such as the Ross Rifle. Arthur Currie provided sensible leadership for the Canadian divisions in Europe, although they were still under overall British command. Nevertheless Canadian troops proved themselves to be among the best in the world, fighting at the Somme, Ypres, Passchendaele, and especially at the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

During Borden's first term as prime minister, the National Research Council of Canada was established in 1916.