Building a Canadian Identity and Sense of Nationhood

Causes of WW2  Rise of Fascism and Nazism Italy-Mussolini Germany-Hitler  Tension in the Pacific Japan trying to expand its empire  Failure of the League of Nations Approached Germany with a policy of appeasement

Germany invades Poland  Hitler and Stalin signed a non- aggression pact  Britain and France refused an alliance with the Soviet Union  The pact enabled Germany to invade Poland without worrying about a Soviet attack

WW2 Begins  Sept.3, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and France declared war on Germany  Canada officially declared war on Sept.10  Alliances: Axis Powers- Germany, Italy, Japan Allied Powers- Britain (+ Commonwealth), France, Poland

Early Years of the War  German forces used a strategy called blitzkreig “Lightning war” Large numbers of tanks, artillery, and airplanes moved quickly through enemy lines forcing a quick surrender  By June Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France had fallen to Germany

Battle of Britain  Hitler knew that Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) would inflict severe damage on German forces  Hitler ordered the Luftwaffe to gain control of the air.  The Luftwaffe was unable to destroy Britain’s air defence  Hitler postponed his planned invasion of Britain indefinitely.

Canada and the War in the Pacific  Dec.7, Japan launched a surprise air attack on Pearl Harbor  Dec.8- US, Britain, and Canada declared war on Japan  Soldiers from Canada had arrived in Hong Kong to help the Commonwealth troops stationed there. They were inexperienced and forced to surrender. Those who survived were sent to POW camps.

Normandy  Allied leaders began planning their attack on the coast of France.  Fooled the Germans into thinking the invasion would take place at Calais.  Invasion included Canadian, American, and British troops at 5 beaches.  Canadians took pride that they were able to push past German forces.

Germany Surrenders  Canadian forces freed the Netherlands and marched into Northern Germany  April Soviet troops entered Berlin and Hitler committed suicide  May 7- German troops surrendered unconditionally

The Holocaust  Nazi’s deliberate murder of millions of European Jews during the Second World War  Tried to eliminate millions of other people they considered undesirable: Ethnic minorities Communists Homosexuals Roma Jehovah’s Witnesses

People killed in extermination camps  Hitler and the Nazis blamed various groups for perverting German culture.  Many people from these groups were put into concentration camps and killed