Canadian Military History Volume 21 Issue 2 Article 5 2015 “We Germans…are British Subjects” The First World War and the Curious Case of Berlin, Ontario, Canada William J. Campbell Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation William J. Campbell "“We Germans…are British Subjects” The First World War and the Curious Case of Berlin, Ontario, Canada." Canadian Military History 21, 2 (2015) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. : “We Germans…are British Subjects” The First World War and the Curious Case of Berlin, Ontario, Canada “We Germans…are British Subjects” The First World War and the Curious Case of Berlin, Ontario, Canada William J. Campbell hen news of the outbreak of Empire, and thus the Canadian war in Europe reached Canada Abstract: In 1914 when news of war effort. But, such a response by W war erupted in Canada, some of the in 1914, most of the Dominion’s Berliners should hardly be classed loudest voices of support rang from population embraced the call-to- the largely German population of as contributing to the maintenance arms. The nation stood “Loyal Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario. But, of a strong imperial identity in and Steady” Toronto’s Daily News far from being unflinchingly united Canada, nor should it be lumped proudly announced, “united from behind the Allied war effort, the in with nationalistic sentiment that responses of the community appear ocean to ocean.”1 Canadians, Prime developed in rejection of British considerably more pragmatic.