Originally posted by Hortlund
And again you seem utterly unable to understand what we are discussing here.
Of course I do, I'm not the one that seems utterly unable to stop using sweeping generalisations.
Oh so now the conscription act was unnecessary? Why was it unnecessary?
In a word, yes. It was estimated that 15,000 reinforcements were needed. But there were 30,000 soldiers readily available by remustering soldiers in support services. And no that wouldn't have caused a problem with support as, the Canadian military was support heavy. The Canadian military had %13.6 percent of it's soldiers assigned to staff posistions, were the US military had %4.
Then why did Prime Minister MacKenzie-King inact it? Like MJHerman state, politics. MacKenzie-King's Liberals were losing approval ratings in spades, as the country turned to the right. It was a way to pick up votes from the right and also pick up votes from all the soldiers serving already, at the cost of Quebec votes that he probably wasn't going to get anyway.
Part of the reason that MacKensie-King got elected in 1942 in the first place was on an promise that he would limit Canada's participation in the war and not consript.
A large part of the reason that French-Canadians didn't sign up is because the military was pighead and wouldn't start up more French units!