WWII: Socio-Political Changes Resulting from the War

I. Social Change: Women on the Front Lines Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC) Separate branch for women in the army Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (Wrens) Worked as cooks, nurses, pilots, mechanics Assigned coastal defense Special Operations Executive Secret agents, saboteurs, part of top secret operations

II. Social Change: Women on the Cnd Homefront By 1944, 1 million women in workforce Inequality still existed Paid less for the same work done by men Prior to WWII, they were denied childcare provisions & tax breaks , but total war effort later allowed them this Expected to give up job to returning soldiers when war ended

III. Production & the Economy The Great Depression was over Inflation was a new problem Definition –prices rise in order due to the increased spending Cnds are encouraged to save by buying victory bonds Wages & prices were frozen to counteract inflation(recall video, “WWII: Canada’s Role” Recall the definition of Total War: Refers to the complete concentration of a nation’s industries on winning the war . Canada’s total war effort included: Manufacturing of ammunition: bombs, bullets Manufacturing of machinery: ships, aircraft, armored cars

IV. Canadian Government & War Effort More involvement than in WWI. Not just rationing (as in WWI but also…) War Supply Board Created & managed by C. D. Howe, Minister of Munitions & Supply (~ 1935) in Mackenzie-King’s Liberal Government, later Minister of Defense in 1955 Howe in total control of the war effort in Canada Goal: supply the allied fronts Increased taxes Increased sales on war bonds to ensure that people saved money

US-Canada Relations Lend Lease Act, 1941 A program of the USA’s Federal Gov’t under FDR (he’s still alive) enabled the US to provide the Allied nations with war material while the US was still officially a neutral country without requiring immediate payment program began in March 1941, 9 months before the US entered the war in December of 1941 PM Mackenzie-King & Cnd Gov’t concerned with Act… Fearful that allied nations would no longer buy from Canada Mackenzie-King then comes up with…

Hyde-Park Declaration Brainchild of Mackenzie-King & FDR The US-Cnd Clause… USA buys more raw materials (those related to defense) from Cnd USA supplies Cnd w/ US parts for weapons production The US-Cnd-Br Clause material exported to Canada (from US) for use in supplies to Britain would be charged to Britain's lend-lease account Rationale: so that Canada's debt to the U.S. would not be increased for materials going to the defense of England

Canadian Training Facilities British Commonwealth Air Training Plan Camp X --a spy training facility Conscription: A Review 1939, PM Mac-King makes non-conscription pledge 1940, Mac-King implements National Resource Mobilization Act (all men must help but need not go overseas) By 1941-1942 War is going badly, reserves low 1942 Mac-King holds plebiscite to be released from original pledge

V. Propaganda Does it provide a sound “ARGUMENT” to an issue? Definition: Information that is spread for the purpose of promoting a particular cause The next series of slides will describe the various intentions of propaganda When you look at them, consider the message Does it provide a sound “ARGUMENT” to an issue? What methods of “PERSUASION” are used? Is “PROPOGANDA” – which way has the message been distorted?

…On Recruitment

…On the War Effort

…Appeals for Discretion http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/warposters/search/search.php

Home front: War Bonds

Discrimination…

VI. Enemy Aliens definition: those considered to be a threat to national safety Forced registration by various groups Religious Groups which were deemed “conscientious objectors”/ “pacifists” (i.e. Jehovahs Witnesses) African-Canadians & Aboriginals up until 1942… (Why does the discrimination seem to end at this time?) Refugees from war-torn European countries Jews: Read about St. Louis Incident on p. 118 of Falk restricted immigration to ‘preferred’ countries (i.e Br) Japanese Internment 1942 Japanese Internment begins (sent to camps/relocated) 1943 Custodian of Aliens Act (possessions taken & sold) 1944 deportation law passed 1946 released from camps 1988 Compensation given

VII. The Holocaust Adolf Hitler and the Nazis organized an intensive effort to restrict and then do away with the Jews of Europe By 1933 it was fairly clear that Hitler’s party, the Nazis, had long been anti-Semitic The Nazis convinced many Germans that the Jews were a convenient scapegoat for many of the difficulties facing Germany in the interwar years. Between 1933 and 1939, the Nazis enacted the Nuremburg Laws. These laws restricted the Jews in many ways. See page 101 of the Student Workbook for details.

Kristallnacht (Nov 9, 1938), when the government encouraged Germans to harass the Jews, was a clear indication of where the Nazi programme was going. The Holocaust. this was a sophisticated and well-planned effort. It basically used the industrial system in an attempt to murder all the Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe. The key feature of this system was of course the death camps and the gas chambers used to mass murder the Jews. the Final Solution

VII. Canada After the War Economic Effects: Economy grew despite $10 Billion war debt. Industrial & Manufacturing production overtook agriculture as most significant sector. Political Effects: Canada gained international reputation as a middle power and played an important role in the development of the UN. Recognition of Canadian Troops. PM averted another conscription crisis. Development of social safety nets. Contributions of Black and Aboriginal people advanced civil rights in Canada. Social Effects: More tolerant of nations (acceptance of refugees) Women recognized for their contributions. “baby boom” & “war brides” Pier 21 – re-opened and processed 500,000 newcomers.