Canadian soldiers including 4,000 indigenous and 1,000 of black heritage fought in World War I. In fact more Canadians died in this war, (over 70,000) than any other war.

On 10 September 1939 Canada declared war on Germany and played an important role in the D-Day Landings in 1944 and in liberating the Netherlands. Compulsory service or conscription was instituted in June 1940 which included peoples of the First Nations but not the Inuit.