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