WWII HISTORY NOTES (Part 1)
Topic 1: On the Eve of War
- Case study – Germany
- Treaty of Versailles
- germany surrendered in WWI
- implement peace treaty from allies
- lost over a tenth of its land
- dismantled their army
- had to take full responsibility
- pay all war reparations
- Economic Problems
- treaty affected already weakened economy
- seen as humiliation by nationalists & war veterans
- believe they could have won the war
- politicians & protesters betrayed them
- Depression and Unemployment
- american banks withdrew loans from germany
- already struggling german economy collapsed overnight
- Political Instability
- imperial government collapsed
- civil unrest & worker strikes
- feared communist revolution
- major parties joined to suppress uprisings
- parliamentary weimar republic
- hitler took advantage of the people’s anger
- offered convenient scapegoats
- promised to restore germany’s former greatness
- mainstream parties unable to handle the crisis
- left-wing opposition too fragmented by internal squabbles
- frustrated public flocked to the nazis
- increased parliamentary votes
- under 3% to over 18% in 2 yrs
- Hitler Rise to Power
- 1919-1929
- hitler became obsessed with certain views
- bigotry & paranoid delusions
- pinned the blame on jews
- his words found resonance
- society had mostly anti-semitic people
- 100s of 1000s of jews integrated into germany
- many germans still viewed them as outsiders
- jewish success after WWI
- accused of subversion & war profiteering
- conspiracy theories born out of fear, anger, bigotry
- hitler joined nazi party
- manipulative public speaking launched him into its leadership
- drew increasing crowds to his speeches
- combined anti-semitism with populist resentment
- denounced capitalism & communism
- said they were international jewish conspiracies to destroy germany
- nazi party not initially popular
- made an unsuccessful attempt at overthrowing the government
- party was banned
- hitler jailed for treason
- when released, began to immediately rebuild the movement
- 1932
- hitler ran for president
- had 36% of votes
- demonstrated his support
- lost election to general von hindenburg (decorated war hero
- 1933
- january -> hindenburg appoints hitler as chancellor
- convinced by advisors & business leaders
- hoped to channel popularity for their own goals
- steadily expanded the power of his position
- hitler’s supporters formed paramilitary groups
- fought protesters in the streets
- raised fears about a communist uprising
- said only he could restore law & order
- parliament building set on fire
- young worker was convicted
- hitler’s doing
- government grants him emergency powers
- freedom of press was abolished
- other parties were disbanded
- anti-jewish laws were passed
- early radical supporters & potential rivals of hitler
- arrested & executed
- 1934
- august -> president hindenburg died
- no new election
- hitler became dictator
- Steps to War
- 1931
- japan conquers manchuria
- north of korea
- japan suffered from;
- economic problems
- overcrowding on its islands
- league of nations takes no decisive action
- hitler ordered a programme of rearming germany
- many germans grateful for jobs after depression
- 1935
- mussolini invades ethiopia
- done to expand territory
- obtained region’s rich oil resources
- league takes no action
- 1936
- march -> german troops march into rhineland
- region that was demilitarized
- was not allowed to have troops there
- actions showed how he was willing to directly challenge the peace treaty
- 1938
- march -> nazi germany annexed austria
- broke terms of the peace treaty
- was banned from uniting with austria
- arrival of troops were met with great enthusiasm
- **ANSCHLUSS = the occupation and annexation of austria into nazi germany
- september -> the munich agreement
- britain & france meet hitler
- allows germany to have sudetenland
- tries to save the world from war
- known as appeasement
- the policy of granting concessions to potential enemies to maintain peace
- october -> rome-berlin axis pact
- hitler & mussolini
- hitler to take austria & other territories in northern & central europe
- mussolini to take southern europe
- 1939
- march -> germany invades czechoslovakia
- hitler ordered occupation of all land
- first aggressive step
- suggested a war may begin
- august -> germany & russia sign non-aggression pact
- molotov-ribbentrop pact
- nazi-soviet pact
- promised neither country would attack the other
- hitler promised stalin a part of poland
- 7 days later, hitler invades all of poland
- september 1st -> germany invades poland
- september 3rd -> britain & france declare war on germany
- september 10th -> canada declares war on germany
Topic 2: Why Canada Slept
- Canada Declares War (1939)
- one week after britain’s declaration of war
- as an independent dominion, canada is not automatically at war
- consults parliament first
- a formality to please quebec
- emphasizes canada’s autonomy
- hitler & mussolini were establishing fascist governments
- canada paid little attention to what was happening
- in political & military sense, canada was sleeping
- 1. memories
- losses of WWI were still fresh
- did not want another conflict on foreign soil
- 64, 976 casualties in WWI
- 2. pacifism
- canadians worked tirelessly to promote peace
- films revealed the tragic waste of war
- “all quiet on the western front”
- political leaders attempted to convinced house of commons
- wants to declare canada’s neutrality in future wars
- 3. canada in 10th year of depression
- over one million people on public assistance
- foreign politics took a back seat
- food, clothing & shelter were more important
- 4. isolationism
- followed a policy during 1930s
- joined league of nations
- never played active role
- wanted to avoid conflict at all costs
- when italy invaded ethiopia
- “no interest in ethiopia, of any nature whatsoever, is worth the life of a single canadian citizen” - justice minister
- 5. political leadership
- foreign affairs carried out by prime minister mackenzie king
- only 7 diplomatic missions abroad
- canada did not have many contact
- wanted to protect autonomy of canada
- did not want to be drawn into british imperial affairs
- 6. appeasement
- king supported the munich agreement
- misjudged facist threat & character of hitler
- factor of canada’s lack of readiness
- the government had scaled back on military spending
- armed forces were total 4 000 personnel
- 51 000 reservists
- enters war with no celebration
- prepared to send roughly 40 000 troops
- anticipated a role for Canada as Britain’s main supplier
- food
- war materials
- hopes for limited canadian involvement in conflict
- government focuses on air & sea military
- reduces/avoids heavy casualties
- Mobilization
- C.D. Howe
- controls war economy
- the czar of canada’s economy
- dynamic entrepreneur
- ran government’s war production programme
- head of department of munitions and supply
- created crown corporations
- uniquely canadian public businesses
- produces new items
- e.g. synthetic rubber
- led industry to manufacture vast amounts of supplies
- ships, aircrafts
- motor vehicles,
- weapons, ammunition,
- radar & radio equipment
- made for canadian armed forces as well as allies
- october 1944 -> minister of reconstruction
- oversees transition to a peacetime free-enterprise economy
- aiming to avoid widespread unemployment & inflation
- became known as minister of everything
- Canada’s Status Before 1939
- military spending is $35 million
- navy had 10 vessels
- air force had 50 aircraft
- 14 tanks
- 29 bren guns
- 23 anti-tank rifles
- 5 small mortar guns
- Canada’s Status During & After 1939
- march
- permanent active militia
- 4169 officers & men
- non-permanent active militia
- 15 418 armed with weapons
- royal canadian navy
- 309 officers
- 2967 naval ratings
- royal canadian air force
- 360 officers & 2797 airmen
- august
- army enlisted 730 000
- air force 260 000
- navy 115 000 personnel
- thousands served in the royal air force
- naval growth
- over 400 ships
- three aircraft carriers
- two cruisers
- maritime effort helped keep shipping lanes open
- british commonwealth air training plan
- pm king had a dream
- “the power of the airplane determines ultimate victory”
- established BCATP
- army of experts were assembled
- airfields developed
- equipment obtained
- 104 113 men & women enrolled
- 154 flying schools
- 60% graduates were canadian
- canadian red cross society
- over 2 million members
- sent 10 000 food parcels each week
- by war’s end
- 1.1 million men & women had served
- war measures act
- federal statute adopted in 1914
- gave broad powers to the government
- maintains security & order during war or insurrection
- was used controversially during both world wars
- also used during the 1970 october crisis in quebec
- covered;
- censorship
- detention
- harbour safety
- transportation
- trade
- appropriation & deposition of property
- has been replaced by the more limited emergencies act
- emergencies act
- july 21, 1988
- declaration of emergency must be reviewed by parliament
- any temporary laws made are subject to the charter of rights & freedoms
- canadian auto industry
- one of world’s leading automobile manufacturers
- fourth in the world for passenger cars & trucks
- during the war, became the second largest (next to the U.S.)
- output reached 800 000
- canadian military pattern (CMP) truck
- ½ of british army’s transport requirements
- supplied by canadian manufacturers
- CMP truck was canada’s most important contribution
- according to the british government
- Blitzkrieg
- lessons of world war one;
- germans;
- defensive wars lead to defeat
- emphasis on offensive action
- blitzkrieg
- new military tactic
- allies;
- defensive wars lead to victory
- emphasis on defensive action
- maginot line
- underground network of fortifications
- germans effectively utilize technological advancements
- e.g. tanks & planes
- lightning war
- places emphasis on;
- surprise
- speed
- offensive
- german airforce (luftwaffe) to bomb the rear
- tank columns (panzer) punch through defenses
- advance is relentless
Topic 3: Battles
- Dunkirk
- 1940
- german advance is rapid & successful
- drove british & french forces back
- troops sent across the channel are trapped on the beaches
- germans flew around the maginot line
- flanked the allies & pushed them away from france
- british launches massive rescue effort
- germany halts its advance
- luftwaffe chief waiting for orders from hitler
- 300 000 soldiers are rescued
- boats of all sizes come, destroyers to fishing boats
- british heavy war equipment left behind
- france falls in six weeks
- Battle of Britain
- winston churchill called to replace neville chamberlain
- 1940-1945
- 1951-1955
- was the prime minister of war
- neville lost confidence vote in the house of commons
- britain had zero plans to surrender
- the british people trusted churchill
- hitler decided to try to take over britain
- thought it would be easy as france fell quickly
- planned to take over the world
- britain was the biggest threat
- starts june 10th, 1940
- air war starts august 12th, 1940
- raf vs luftwaffe
- luftwaffe attacked;
- airfields
- radar stations
- london
- nightly attacks
- done to destroy the will to resist
- thousands killed
- raf bombed;
- berlin
- germany
- military targets
- factories
- ports
- children evacuated to the countryside
- spent nights in bomb shelters & subways
- key players
- adolf hitler
- leader of germany
- responsible for starting WWII
- deaths of 30 million+ people
- turned attention to destroying raf
- hermann goering
- head of german luftwaffe
- raf had to be neutralized
- bombing raids
- british air installations
- cities & centers of industry
- winston churchill
- prime minister of great britain
- lead britain during the second world war
- political career; 1900-1964
- lord dowding
- air chief marshal
- commander-in-chief of fighter command
- in royal air force; 1936-1940
- responsible for;
- preparation
- conduct
- spitfire summer
- battle was fought over the skies
- in southern england
- june, july
- germans attacked convoys
- south coast ports
- dover & plymouth
- outnumbered at the beginning
- brits had advantages like radar
- most advanced warning system in the world
- in august 1940
- battles intensified
- luftwaffe launched 1 000+ attacks in one day
- raf lost 100 fighters
- germany lost 190+ planes
- raf sustained heavy losses
- german losses were greater
- by the end of august
- germans lost 600 aircraft
- damage to radar stations left britain vulnerable
- air installations had continued
- hitler shifted the focus of his attacks
- blitz (september 7 - may 11, 1940)
- british launched air attacks on germany’s industrial areas
- angers hitler
- orders luftwaffe to bomb british cities
- changes tactics & shifts attention away from british air defence
- germany attacked 1000+ aircraft on sept 15th
- heavy fighting
- raf said they shot down 175 aircraft
- was only 56
- inflated numbers were accepted
- both sides fought a propaganda battle
- keep calm & carry on posters
- determined to continue living their lives
- attacks on british cities caused;
- widespread damage
- loss of life
- hitler needed summer weather
- threat of invasion receded as winter approached
- in the end;
- hitler failed to establish air superiority
- fleet of invasion barges suffered heavy losses
- battle was over, britain was safe
- 1598 luftwaffe were shot down
- began to try to take over russia instead
- violated nazi-soviet pact
- end of battle gave luftwaffe enough time to make up some of their losses
- hitler withdrew from britain on sept 17
- didn’t stop fighting them till oct 31
- germany not able to defeat britain
- historical significance
- raf lost 902 aircraft
- luftwaffe lost 1598
- british considered themselves most powerful country in the world
- development of radar helped them track germans
- learned how to crack the german code to intercept their plans