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Who was the minister of militia What controversy was he involved with?

Who was the minister of militia What controversy was he involved with?

Energetic and Controversial Many of his favourite equipment projects were embarrassing failures. Hughes had championed the purchase of the Canadian-made Ross rifle, carried by Canadian troops at the outbreak of war, and drew serious criticism when he defended it against growing evidence of its deficiencies in combat.

Who was Sir Sam Hughes and what was his job?

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Sam Hughes/Professions

What happened to Sam Hughes?

Unfortunately, favouritism, confused civil-military functions, disrespect of Cabinet, administrative incompetence and scandals such as the Ross Rifle fiasco ( see Armaments) forced Borden to fire Hughes in November 1916. He died in 1921, a reluctant and sometimes bitter Conservative-Unionist MP for Victoria-Haliburton.

What was the Sam Hughes scandal?

Failures. Hughes’ wish to provide his “boys” with Canadian equipment was admirable in principle but partially unsuccessful. The boots leaked, the disparate vehicles lacked spare parts, the military belts were irregular and the trench equipment was unusable. The manufacture of munitions was the subject of scandal.

What did Sam Hughes do in ww1?

He returned to Canada in 1900 and was made a full colonel in 1902. Hughes became minister of militia and defense in 1911, and, with the outbreak of war in 1914, he proceeded to organize, train, and equip the Canadian Expeditionary Force for service in Europe.

What was the conscription crisis in ww1?

It was mainly caused by disagreement on whether men should be conscripted to fight in the war, but also brought out many issues regarding relations between French Canadians and English Canadians. Almost all French Canadians opposed conscription; they felt that they had no particular loyalty to either Britain or France.

What was Sam Hughes role in ww1?

Sir Samuel Hughes, KCB PC (January 8, 1853 – August 23, 1921) was the Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence during World War I. He was notable for being the last Liberal-Conservative cabinet minister, until he was dismissed from his cabinet post.

Who was Billy Bishop and what did he do?

William Avery Bishop, VC, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC, ED (8 February 1894 – 11 September 1956) was a Canadian flying ace of the First World War. He was officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian and British Empire ace of the war. He was an Air Marshal and a Victoria Cross recipient.

Why was Sam Hughes fired from his job?

Hughes published most of his own accounts of the war, often saying that when he left, the British commander was “sobbing like a child.” In fact, Hughes was dismissed from Boer War service in the summer of 1900 for military indiscipline, and sent back to Canada.

How were soldiers trained at Valcartier?

Men from all classes and ages rushed to enlist at armories and militia bases across the country. They all traveled to a single, hastily prepared camp at Valcartier for equipment, training, and preparation for war. Eventually, the camp held over 35,000 troops.

Who opposed conscription in ww1?

The 1917 conscription debate was one of the fiercest and most divisive in Canadian political history. French-Canadians, as well as many farmers, unionized workers, non-British immigrants, and other Canadians, generally opposed the measure.

Who supported conscription in Australia ww1?

It was also supported by most of the Commonwealth Liberal Party including the Liberal state premiers, by the major Protestant churches and the Universal Service League, which had many prominent Australians as members. The result was that there were 1,087,557 votes in favour and 1,160,033 in opposition.

Who was the Canadian Minister of militia during World War 1?

Sir Sam Hughes, Canada’s Minister of Militia and Defence from October 1911 to November 1916, was the driving force behind Canada’s early war effort. Hughes increased the efficiency of the pre-war militia and, after 1914, led the Canadian war effort with enormous personal energy and drive.

Who was Minister of militia and defence in 1911?

In November, Borden accepted the resignation of his unhappy and increasingly disruptive minister, who remained a government back-bencher until his death in 1921. This portrait captures the pugnacious temperament of Sir Sam Hughes, Minister of Militia and Defence from 1911 to 1916.

Why was the Ross rifle not used in World War 1?

Sam Hughes, Minister of Militia and Defence, wanted Canadian troops to carry the Ross rifle into battle in the First World War – a decision that contributed to his eventual dismissal. The cause of the jamming in the Ross was eventually corrected, but this came too late for the rifle to be maintained in use.

What kind of rifle was used in World War 1?

In the early 20th Century, the Ross rifle, a Canadian-made infantry rifle, was produced as an alternative to the British-made Lee-Enfield rifle. The Ross rifle was used during the First World War, where it gained a reputation as an unreliable weapon among Canadian soldiers. By 1916, the Ross had been mostly replaced by the Lee-Enfield.