Canada and the Second World War: Summary

Canada and the Second World War (1939-1945)

Timeline

• 1939: Germany invades Poland; Britain, France, and Canada declare war on Germany.
• 1940: Germany invades Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France; Evacuation of Dunkirk; National Resources Mobilization Act passed; France surrenders; Battle of Britain begins and Battle of the Atlantic commences.
• 1941: Germany invades the Soviet Union; Japan bombs Pearl Harbor; the U.S. declares war on Japan; Battle of Hong Kong.
• 1942: Internment of Japanese Canadians; Canadians vote in support of conscription; Allied raid on Dieppe.
• 1943: Allies begin bombing German cities; Sicily and mainland Italy invaded; Canadians win Battle of Ortona.
• 1944: D-Day (Normandy Invasion).
• 1945: Netherlands liberated; Germany surrenders; Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Japan surrenders, ending the war.

Rise of Totalitarianism

• Totalitarianism: Political philosophy placing the state above individual rights, with total government control.
• Stalin's Soviet Union:
  • Collectivized agriculture and industrialized via five-year plans.
  • Government controlled media, imposed censorship, and used secret police.
  • Great Purge eliminated perceived threats.
• Mussolini's Italy:
  • Fascist Party emphasized nationalism, challenged democracy.
  • Blackshirts intimidated opponents.
  • Mussolini (Il Duce) seized total control.
• Fascist Germany (Hitler):
  • Nazis criticized the Weimar Republic, promising solutions to economic struggles.
  • Hitler (Führer) ruled with intimidation via Gestapo (secret police).
  • Defied Treaty of Versailles by rebuilding military and stimulating the economy.
  • Believed in a "master race" of Aryans, persecuting non-Aryans, especially Jewish people.
  • Kristallnacht: Nazi mobs attacked Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues.
  • Instituted the "Final Solution" and the Holocaust.
• Fascism in Spain (Franco):
  • Fascist rebels, led by General Franco, initiated a civil war.
  • Franco won with support from Hitler and Mussolini, becoming a dictator.
• Totalitarianism in Japan:
  • Military and Zaibatsu (large corporations) gained control.
  • Gestapo-like police force, Kempeitai, suppressed dissent.
  • Militarists strengthened the empire through conquest.

Causes of the Second World War

• Totalitarian leaders aimed to expand territory and resources.
• Germany and Italy sought to overturn treaties from the First World War.
• Japan desired more resources.
• Other countries favored avoiding conflict at all costs.
• Hitler's Imperialistic Ambitions:
  • Planned to unite Germanic people and reclaim territory.
• Appeasing Hitler:
  • Britain and France did not respond when Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles.
  • Munich Agreement: Leaders ceded Sudetenland to Hitler in exchange for peace, which Hitler broke.
• Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact (1939):
  • Germany and the Soviet Union agreed not to attack each other and to divide Poland.
  • Germany invaded Poland, triggering Britain and France to declare war.
• Failure of the League of Nations:
  • Ineffective in preventing aggression by Japan and Italy (e.g., Japan's invasion of Manchuria, Italy's invasion of Abyssinia).

Canada's Response to the Threat of War

• Policy of Isolationism:
  • Prime Minister Mackenzie King sought to avoid involvement in another European conflict.
  • Fear of dividing Canada, especially regarding conscription.
• Response to Jewish Refugees:
  • Canada maintained isolationist policies, limiting Jewish refugees.
  • Anti-Semitism influenced immigration policies.
  • The S.S. St. Louis was denied entry, leading to tragic consequences for passengers.

Canada Declares War

• Following Germany's invasion of Poland, Canada declared war on September 10, 1939.
• Parliament voted in favor after King and Lapointe assured no conscription.
• J.S. Woodsworth (CCF) opposed the war.

Mobilizing Canada's Resources

• Armed forces were initially small and ill-equipped.
• Many Canadians volunteered; British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) was established.
• Total war: Government controlled the economy; C.D. Howe directed production.

Axis Advances

• Allies (Britain, France, Commonwealth) vs. Axis (Germany, Italy, Japan).
• Germany used blitzkrieg tactics, conquering Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, and France.
• Evacuation at Dunkirk:
  • Massive Allied evacuation from Dunkirk.
• Battle of Britain:
  • Luftwaffe bombed Britain; RAF defended with radar and fighter planes.
• North African Campaign:
  • Axis and Allied forces fought for control of resources and strategic positions.
• Operation Barbarossa:
  • Germany invaded the Soviet Union, breaking the non-aggression pact.

The War in the Pacific

• Japan aimed to control resources by invading American and European colonies.
• Pearl Harbor: Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, prompting the U.S. to join the Allies.
• Battle of Hong Kong: Japan attacked Hong Kong; Canadian troops were defeated and captured.

Canada's Contribution to the War Effort

• Battle of the Atlantic:
  • Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) grew significantly.
  • Canada escorted convoys and built corvettes.
  • Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service ("WRENs") served in shore-based roles.
• War in the Air:
  • Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) grew; aircrews participated in bombings.
  • Women's Division (WD) of the RCAF trained in various roles.
  • Bomber Command: RCAF participated in night bombings over Germany.

The Tide Turns

• Allied forces gained strength with the U.S. entry.
• Dieppe Raid:
  • Canadian troops raided Dieppe, France but suffered heavy losses.
• Italian Campaign:
  • Allies invaded Sicily and mainland Italy, and Canadians fought in the Battle of Ortona.
• D-Day: The Normandy Invasion:
  • Allies launched Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944.
  • Canadian soldiers landed at Juno Beach.
• Battle of the Scheldt:
  • Canadians cleared enemy troops from the Scheldt River.
• Battle of the Rhineland:
  • Allies pushed Germans back over the Rhine River.
• Liberating the Netherlands:
  • Canadians liberated the Netherlands and were hailed as heroes.
• Victory in Europe:
  • Germany surrendered to the Allies on May 7, 1945 (VE Day).
• Japan Surrenders:
  • U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
  • Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945.

Crimes Against Humanity

• World became aware of human rights issues due to atrocities.
• The Holocaust:
  • Nazis systematically killed 6 million Jewish people and 5 million others.
• The Nuremberg Trials:
  • Nazi leaders were prosecuted for war crimes at the International Military Tribunal.

The War at Home

• Under total war, Canadian factories produced supplies.
• Women joined war industries.
• Canada's Wartime Economy:
  • Increased production and employment led to more money to spend.
  • Government took steps to prevent inflation (Victory Bonds, increased taxes, wage/price controls, food rationing).
• National Selective Service Program: Registered women for war work.
• Growing Demand for Social Change: Labour shortages and the popularity of the CCF party led to expanded social assistance programs and increased rights for unions.
• The Conscription Crisis:
  • National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA) allowed conscription for home defense only.
  • Plebiscite: King asked Canadians to release the government from its promise not to send conscripts overseas. Quebec voted against.
  • King amended NRMA to allow conscription for overseas service.

Racism and Japanese Canadians

• Japanese Canadians were relocated and detained under the War Measures Act.
• Government officials confiscated and sold their property.

What the War Meant to Canada

• Economic Growth:
  • Value of goods produced rose; all sectors boomed.
  • Agriculture overtaken by manufacturing.
• Societal Changes:
  • Women employed in great numbers.
  • War brides and displaced persons immigrated to Canada.
• Building an Identity:
  • Canada emerged as major player; efforts of minority groups furthered civil rights