Embattled Nation

Patrice Dutil is professor of politics and public administration at Ryerson University and the president of the Champlain Society. He is the author and editor of many books on Canadian politics. He lives in Toronto.David MacKenzie is professor of history at Ryerson University and the author of several books on Canadian history and international relations. He lives in Toronto.

Embattled Nation is a timely re-examination of the hard-fought and bitter election campaign that shaped modern Canada by two exceptional historians, who have spent their careers immersed in the Laurier-Borden era. Presented in breezy and accessible prose, their frenzied account is the first sustained study of Canada’s first wartime election, and taps an extensive range of new private and public sources in its detailed look at the string of blunders and missed-opportunities that put Canada’s national unity on the line in 1917. A sobering reminder that politics matters!

• Preface Acknowledgements 1 The Conundrum: Robert Borden, War, and the Call for an Election2 The Response of French Canada: Henri Bourassa, Schools, and Nationalities3 The Issue: Conscription 4 The Liberals in Opposition: Wilfrid Laurier’s Leadership Tested5 Creating Divisions, Choosing Sides: The Great Gerrymander6 Framing the Campaign 7 The Campaign: French Canada 8 The Campaign: English Canada 9 The Results 10 The Aftermath: Union without Unity 11 Conclusion Appendix 1: Results of the 1917 Election Appendix 2: Winners of the 1917 Election Appendix 3: Electoral MapsAbbreviations Notes Bibliography Image Credits Index