History

Definitions

Prohibition: a policy that forbid bylaw, the manufacturing sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages

Blitz Creek: a swift military offense, using ground and air forces 

Conscription: to enrol somebody compulsory in the Armed Forces or for military service

NATO: an international organization established in 1949 to promote mutual defense and collective security that was the primary Western alliance during the Cold War

Cold War: a relationship between two people or groups that is unfriendly or hostile but does not involve actual fighting or military combat

Iron curtain: an impenetrable barrier to understanding, awareness, or agreement

Civil defence: the organization and training of civilian volunteers to help the armed forces, police and emergency services in the event of a war, a national emergency, or a natural disaster

NORAD: a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for North America 

Imperialism: the policy of extending the rule or influence of a country over other countries or colonies

Militarism: a government policy of investing heavily in and strengthening the armed forces

Nationalism: excessive or fanatical devotion to a nation and its interests, often associated with a belief that one country is superior to all others

The Great Depression: a period in which an economy is greatly affected by unemployment, low output, and poverty

Communism: the political theory or system in which all property and wealth is owned in a classless society by all the members of a community

Democracy: the free and equal right of every person to participate in a system of government, often practiced by electing representatives of the people by the people

Appeasement: the political strategy of calming a potentially hostile nation in the hope of avoiding war, often by granting concessions

Deterrence: the policy of discouraging enemy attack by maintaining sufficient military force to retaliate

Totalitarianism: relating to or operating a centralized government system in which a single party without opposition rules over political, economic, social, and cultural life

Fascism: any movement, tendency, or ideology that favors dictatorial government, centralized control of private enterprise, repression of all opposition and extreme nationalism

Flapper: young modern woman who was of questionable moral and behavior

Recession: significant deadline in economic activity that lasts for a prolonged period of time

Munich agreement: the agreement that allowed Germany to annex the sudetenland (czechoslovakia)

Anschluss: the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938

Buying on margin: the practice of borrowing money from a broker to purchase stock or other securities, using investment as collateral

War measures act: a federal law enacted by Canadian Parliament for the declaration of WW1.

Famous People 

Woodrow Wilson: 

• Us president during World War I. 

• Kept america, neutral for as long as they could

Benito Mussolini: 

• Italian Prime Minister in 1922 to 1925

• Founder of Italian fascism

• Fascist dictator 1925 to 1943 “il Duce”

Frederic Banting:

• Created the formula for insulin 

Gavrilo Princip:

• Bosnian-Serb

• Shot and killed archduke Franz Ferdinand and set World War I in motion. 

• Part of a Serbian secret society called the black hand.

Joseph Stalin:

• Communist Soviet leader (1924-1953)

Arthur Von Schlieffen:

• German field marshal 

• Created schlieffen plan which failed 

Franz Ferdinand:

• Archduke of Austria-Hungary

• His association was one of the key events that led to WW1

Richard Bennett:

• 11th Canadian prime minister (1930-1935)

• Blamed for canada's poor economy 

Kaiser Wilheim:

• Emperor of Germany in WW1

• Feared Britain 

• Wanted to outdo Britain in ship building 

Franklin D Roosevelt:

• Us president (1933-1945)

• Created the “the new deal” to help America economy, acted fast to starve farmers 

Winston Churchill: 

• British prime minister (1940-1945)

• Led the allies to victory over the axis powers in WW2

Robert Borden:

• Eight Canadian prime minister (1911-1920)

Adolf Hitler:

• dictator of Nazi Germany (1933-1945)

• Responsible for starting WW2

• Leader of “National Socialist German Workers Party ( NAZIS)

Arthur Currie: 

• Canadian senior officer during WW1

• Responsible for the Canadian victory in Vimy Ridge 

Sam Hughes:

• Canada’s minister of militia 

• responsible for moving Canadian tips to Europe in WW1

Alexander Graham Bell:

• Invented the telephone 

Igor Gouzenko:

• Soviet Cipher clerk 

• Fled the Soviet embassy in Ottawa 

John F. Kennedy:

• Us president (1961-1963)

• Fought to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all Americans 

• Assassinated in 1963

Nikita Khrushchev:

• 1st secretary of the USSR (1953-1964)

• great catalyst of political and social change 

Amelia Earhart:

• Became the most famous Canadian female pilot of the era.

Lusitania 

Lusitania was a tourist ship from America that was hit by a torpedo by a German submarine. This caused America to join the war against Germany in alliance with Britain and France in April 6th, 1917

Stock Market Crash

Black Tuesday- October 29, 1929

Stock prices started to decline, and investors began to sell their stocks before they further drop in value.

The Great Depression 

A time of sadness and unemployment. 

Life in the 20s and inventions and role of women

Was a happy prosperous time 

Inventions include: insulin, the telephone, first commercial radio station, created assembly line. 

Women’s clothing became more revealing. Some women broke the social rules and hung out all night with men at clubs, drank, smoked, cut their hair short, wore provocative clothing and danced the Charleston.

Pros and Cons of Prohibition

Not allowed to produce,sell, transport, import or export alcohol

Pros: Prevented drunkenness and abuse to women and children 

Cons: the outspread of illegal production and sale of alcohol and increase in gangster

US and SU during the Cold War/tensions

A state of political conflict between the two superpowers was the deliberate actions arrivals to frustrate, criticize undermine and spy on opposing forces without openly declaring war

Steps of World War II in detail 

1. Japan conquers Manchuria, 1931: Japan, facing severe economic problems and overcrowding, invades Manchuria and the League of Nations (LN) take no action. 

2. Germany rearms, 1933: Hitler immediately begins expanding the German army and air force beyond the limits stat|ed in the Treaty of Versailles (TV).

3. Mussolini invades Ethiopia, 1935: Italy invades Ethiopia in Africa to expand territory and obtain resources, LN takes no action. 

4. Hitler occupies the Rhineland, 1936: German troops march into the Rhineland despite the T.V forbidding it. No one stops the Germans advance. 

5. Germany annexes Austria (Anschluss), 1938: Nazi soldiers occupy Austria,(The Nazis aimed to re-unite all Germans who were either born in the Reich or living outside it in order to create an "all-German Reich". Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf (1925) that he would create a union between his birth country Austria and Germany by any means possible.) With other nations making no attempt to stop Hitler to avoid another war. 

6. Munich agreement signed, 1938: Britain and France meet with Hitler to sign the agreement that allows Germany to have the Sudetenland (a part of Czechoslovakia)Hitler's wish to occupy Czechoslovakia was primarily caused by the foreign exchange crisis as Germany had run down its foreign exchange reserves by early 1939, and Germany urgently needed to seize the gold of the Czechoslovak central bank to continue the Four Year Plan. This policy is the “appeasement.”  

7. Rome-Berlin Axis pact is signed, 1938: Hitler signs a pact with Mussolini allowing Hitler to take territories in northern and central Europe and Mussolini to take over southern Europe. Japan then joined the alliance in 1940 and these 3 countries are known as the Axis Powers. 

8. Hitler occupies Czechoslovakia, 1939: Nazi troops occupy all of Czechoslovakia. 

9. Germany and Soviet Union sign non-aggression pact, 1939: The 2 countries promise not to fight each other in the event of a war, and they secretly agree to divide Poland between them. Hitler can now freely attack France and Britain. 

10. Hitler invades Poland, 1939: Hitler demands that the Polish corridor be handed back to Germany, Poland declines, and Nazis launch a Blitzkrieg (lightning war) on Poland, Poland falls. 

11. Britain and France declare war, 1939: Britain and France realize there can be no more appeasement, they declare war on Germany, and WWII begins. 

12. Canada declares war on Germany, 1939

On-to-Ottawa trek

1935 – the economic situation had still not improved, so relief camp workers in British Columbia went on strike demanding better working conditions and higher wages. In Vancouver 1000 strikers boarded trains and headed to Ottawa, hoping to present their demands to Bennett. Bennett refused the delegation's demands and many speakers were arrested. This act prompted a riot, with the marchers throwing stones at

the police officers. The marchers were ordered to return to their camps. The failure of the "On to Ottawa" Trek was a tough blow for the career of Prime Minister Bennett, who was criticized for his handling of the situation. 

Winnipeg General strike 

Started: May 15, 1919 Ended: June 26, 1919

Returning soldiers had gone overseas to fight for a better world but came to a country of limited jobs, poor working conditions, and rising costs. Since there were no benefits such as compensation for injured workers, unemployment insurance, or pensions many people joined unions to get their voices heard. There were no labour laws that forced employers to discuss and bargain with employees so many workers had no other choice but to STRIKE. For employers and the government they saw this as an attempt at a revolution. On June 17th the strike leaders were thrown in jail; protests started all over the country.

The strikers marched in Winnipeg; the police met them with bats and guns. Two people were killed; the day is known as Bloody Saturday.

• Immediately after the strike very little changed. Some workers returned back to their jobs working for the same pay.

• The long term result was that unions did develop and they began to work together. Strikes broke out all over Canada.

• Today we have labor laws that protect a worker's right to join a union and bargain with employers.

Battles of World War I and World War II

Battles of WWI

• Invasion of Poland, 1939: Germany wanted to seize the German provinces that were taken from them after the treaty of Versailles. A dive bomber dropped bombs on enemy units and artillery dropped behind enemy lines to destroy communication. 

• Dunkirk, 1940: With Allied forces pinned down by German forces at Dunkirk, Hitler hesitated while he decided whether the German army or air force should finish the attack. But the Allies used this brief pause to achieve what few expected: a dramatic rescue. Their boats, along with 222 naval vessels, were sent across the English Channel. Four Royal Canadian Navy destroyers also joined the fleet. About 200 of these small boats were attacked and sunk. Hitler stopped the attack because their lack of men and equipment outweighed the gains. The British had 3 problems: their ships were too small to evacuate all soldiers, water was too shallow for the ships to pass, and the channel was blocked by the broken ships.

• Battle of Britain, 1940: Luftwaffe (German air Force) wanted to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Luftwaffe appeared to have the advantage in numbers of planes, BUT the RAF had radars, a priceless tool for detecting direction, distance and speed. Germans had to fly lower because of the bad weather (fog)- not used to it. The British repaired their planes quickly because they were flying above their country. 

• Invasion of the Soviet Union, “Operation Barbarossa,” 1942:  Despite the nonaggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union, Hitler attacked the Soviet Union with 3 million troops and 3000 tanks. This ensured that the Soviet Union joined the Allies.

• Pearl Harbour, 1941: US and Japan in Oahu, Hawaii, South Pacific. The sneak attack on Pearl Harbor (used by the US Navy) was to bring Americans to their senses by demonstrating that if they enter the war, they will automatically have to deal with the Axis Powers. Admiral Yamamoto planned the surprise attack, because at the time being, they did not have the resources to win a long war. The attack meant to destroy the US fleet in one blow. The next day after the attack, US president Roosev elt declared war on Japan.

• Battle of Dieppe, 1942:  During the summer of 1942, the Soviets were urging the Allies to attack German-controlled Europe from the west. The Allies wanted to test new equipment, gather intelligence, and they were looking for a success that could boost morale. Allied leaders decided that the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division should spearhead a raid on Dieppe, a French seaport on the English Channel. The Allies lost the element of surprise when their ships encountered a German convoy during the night. Dieppe was the greatest sacrifice of Canadian lives during the war.

• Battle of Stalingrad, 1943: Soviet union vs Germany in the city of Stalingrad, soviet union. Objective was to capture the city and cut Soviet transport links with southern Russia, cutting them off from supplies. The Russian army stopped in the middle of winter from advancing. Germans were not ready, still in summer uniforms. Bloodiest battle of World War Two, turning point in the war. The Soviets pushed Germans out of Russia. Hitler & Stalin wanted to fight to the last soldier.

• D-Day, 1944:Britain, Germany, US, Canada, and France. It happened at Normandy, Northwestern coast of France. The objective was that the allies needed the French coast from which to supply and sustain a successful invasion force. Within 24 hours there were 100,000 soldiers that landed on the beaches of Normandy. Paratroopers led the first invasion with 80% losses expected.

Japanese internment

• There were 10 official internment camps established in Canada during World War II. 

• Living conditions were harsh, with inadequate heating and limited access to essential services like medical care and education. Interned Japanese Canadians were forced to endure overcrowded and unsanitary conditions while working on manual labor projects.

• Racial prejudice, War hysteria, and Political pressure were the 3 major factors that led to the internment of Japanese Canadians. 

• The “Custodian of Aliens” was a government body responsible for managing the property of Japanese-Canadians during their internment. However, instead of protecting these assets, the Custodian of Aliens sold them at auction, often for far below their value. 

• “Forced repatriation” refers to the act of sending people back to their country of origin against their will. After World War II, approximately 4,000 Japanese-Canadians were forcibly repatriated to Japan, even though many had been born in Canada and had no ties to Japan.

• In 1988, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s government issued a formal apology to Japanese-Canadians and offered financial compensation. Each surviving internee received $21,000 as redress for their losses and suffering. 

Holocaust

• The Holocaust was the annihilation of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and their collaborators as a central act of state during World War II. 

• Once in power, Hitler moved quickly to end German democracy. He convinced his cabinet to invoke emergency clauses of the Constitution which permitted the suspension of individual freedoms of the press, speech, and assembly.

• The Special State Police (the Gestapo), the Storm Troopers (S.A.), and the Security Police (S.S.) murdered or arrested leaders of opposition political parties (communists, socialists, and liberals).

• In 1933, new German laws forced Jews to quit their civil service jobs, university and law court positions, and other areas of public life. Between 1937 and 1939, new anti-Jewish regulations segregated Jews further and made daily life very difficult for them: Jews could not attend public schools, go to theatres, cinemas, or vacation resorts, or reside, or even walk, in certain sections of German cities. 

• The final solution was a Nazi plan to eliminate Europe’s Jewish population. The “final solution” was implemented from 1941 to 1945 and resulted in the systematic murder of 6 million Jews across 21 countries.

• At the concentration camps, they were treated like animals, they were given rations, they were starved, given minimal amounts of food everyday, they were beaten if they did not comply with German soldiers instructions. 

Difficulties after World War I

• Unemployment

• Injuries

• Mental illness

• Physical dis

• Spanish flu

• Social stigma

• PTSD

Us and Canada Cooperation After WWII

The US and Canada deepened cooperation in defense (NATO, NORAD), trade (Auto Pact, NAFTA), and global diplomacy (UN peacekeeping). Cultural exchanges also increased post-war.

Mood of Young Men Before and After WWI**

- Before: Enthusiastic, patriotic, and eager for adventure.

- After: Disillusioned, traumatized, and cynical, part of the "Lost Generation."

Communism versus capitalism

Treatment of enemy aliens Ukrainians versus Japanese