Prior to the 1917 federal election in Canada, the Liberal Party of Canada split into two factions. To differentiate the groups, historians tend to use two retrospective names: * The Laurier Liberals, who opposed conscription of soldiers to support Canada's involvement in World War I and who were led by former Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier; and * The Liberal Unionists who joined Sir Robert Borden's Unionist government. Of the 235 seats in the Canadian House of Commons, only 82 returned Laurier Liberals in the election held December 17, 1917: See also: List of Canadian political parties