The outbreak of a world war and its effects on Canada are influential aspects of the country's history. Each challenge represents an obstacle overcome by the men, women and political leaders of their respective times. The First and Second World Wars notably had profound repercussions on the country and its population. It can be argued that while the leadership of Robert Borden and WLM King can be compared and contrasted, the reality of their time leading the war was based on completely different circumstances. In this article, Robert Borden's wartime leadership will be described, and then the changes made possible through experience and advancement will be noted through the contrasting leadership style of WLM King twenty-one years later. Robert Borden's leadership as Canadian Prime Minister, a half century after Confederation, was very practical since his cabinet was well organized despite his lack of experience. Borden found himself at a time when the destiny of the nation was still being constructed, at a stage when “few people thought in terms of Canadian independence; most felt that the country was not yet strong enough or united enough to be independent. Borden came to government after a long period as leader of the Liberal Party, so his actions were very new. He did not have a French-Canadian champion in his cabinet, which greatly prevented him from dialoguing with the province of Quebec. Borden was so attracted to British behavior that he "never got over his idea that Canada was part of the British Empire and that Quebec had to adapt to the nation as a whole." French Canada remained a mystery to Borden throughout his life. Borden's Conservative government soon weakened, but it was hanging by a thread. It was the... middle of paper ... front, those at home should do it too. Not only had the troops been sent into unknown territory, but so had Borden and his government. It was about maintaining the protection of the country and the service of the troops was what was needed. It would probably not be easy for a leader to be forced to send his own men into battle. This was a new role for Borden and, despite his lack of support, he did what he believed was in the best interests of the country. Canadians played a key role in the final assault that ended the war, with the surrender of the Germans – the “Great War” was over. At the end of the war, we knew that the Canadians would hold on, that they would be forced to be destroyed. The number of men who volunteered and enlisted helped build Canada's military reputation – in big strides, but at the cost of countless lives..