HIST-261 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: 1918 Flu Pandemic, Class Conflict, Maritime Rights Movement
28 Jul 2020
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Document Summary
In workplaces across the country, a class struggle ensued between workers and employers. Between 1914-1916 there had been high working-class support for the war, as self-sacrifice and national service took priority over economic interests. Growth in the industrial economy resulting from wartime production also meant more jobs and an improved quality of life. But according to historian craig heron, 1917 represented a turning point in labor relations. The implementation of conscription marked a shift from volunteer efforts to authoritarian state intervention, and was resented by many working-class people. Moreover, morale deteriorated as the war dragged on and runaway inflation increased the cost of living. As a result, the last two years of the war were marked by increased strike activity, political unrest, and a sharp increase in union membership. In the immediate aftermath of the war ongoing dissatisfaction with pay and working conditions helped fuel large-scale working-class organization and resistance across.
