Effect of World War II on Canadian Home Front

Impacts of War on Canada World War II affected Canada in three areas: Political Economic Social

Political Impact of War Federal government’s role expanded Government set up Crown corporations that were involved in all aspects of wartime production

Federal government introduced rationing – e.g., gas, coffee, tea, butter, milk, sugar, and meat

Government used War Supply Board to organize industry toward war effort Government paid for war through taxes, war bonds, and gold payments from Britain King introduced an unemployment insurance program in 1940 In 1945, King expanded Canada’s social assistance programs by bringing in the Family Allowance program to help families raise their children.

Canada in the World Canada gained an international reputation It established itself as a middle power and took on a more active role globally Played key role in establishing United Nations

Canada recognized for military contributions – Dieppe, Hong Kong, Normandy, and liberation of Holland

By end of war, Canada had the fourth largest air force and the third largest navy in the world Over one million Canadian men and women served in the armed forces

Economic Impacts of War World War II ended Great Depression Canada became known as “Arsenal of Democracy” due to the large numbers of airplanes, tanks, trucks, munitions, and amount of food produced and sent overseas

Canadian industries were part of the “total war effort”

Industrial and manufacturing production replaced agriculture as the most important sector in the Canadian economy Canadian scientists took part in the development of the atomic bomb (Manhattan Project) and Canadian uranium was used in the Hiroshima bomb Canadian economy was booming by 1945 GDP went from $5.6 billion in 1939 to $11.8 billion in 1945

Social Effects of the War Expanded roles for women Women gained greater recognition for their contributions to the war effort – both overseas and at home Significant increase in number of women in work force – over 1 million women in work force by 1944

Women still earned less money than men even when they performed the same work Government provided daycare and tax breaks to encourage women to join the work force, but then took them away after war was over At end of war, women lost their jobs or were expected to give them up to returning soldiers

Conscription In 1939, William Lyon Mackenzie King made an election promise not to introduce conscription King passed National Resource Mobilization Act in 1940 – all men required to help with war effort, but not required to serve overseas 1942 – King asked public to release him from his promise not to introduce conscription

While majority of Canadians supported conscription, majority of French Canadians did not Towards the end of the war, conscription sent 13, 000 Canadians overseas Of these, only 2000 ever reached the front lines

During WW II, King avoided causing the same tensions in the country that conscription had caused in the First World War. French-English relations were strained, but not broken.

Enemy Aliens Canadians whose ancestry was of one of the enemy countries were required to register as enemy aliens Believed that they might be spies or saboteurs Over 100, 000 Canadians were forced to register – about 650 were interned in camps

Intolerance in Canada Government banned pro-Nazi political parties and the Communist Party of Canada Pacifist religious groups – Jehovah Witnesses, Quakers, Hutterites, Mennonites, and Doukhobors – faced hostility Blatant discrimination against Black Canadians who wanted to serve in military

Prejudice and discrimination against refugees from Europe Anti-Semitic views held by government officials Discrimination against Jewish people in careers and access to clubs and resorts Canada had a restrictive immigration policy – favoured British and American immigrants

Japanese Internment Anti-Japanese attitudes existed prior to World War II – e.g., anti-Asian riots of 1907 White Canadians believed that Japanese people were competing with them for jobs and were willing to work for lower wages 1928 – Mackenzie King limited Japanese immigration – only 150 Japanese people are allowed to enter Canada each year

Before WW II, Japanese and Chinese Canadians were denied the right to vote and to join armed forces Attack on Pearl Harbour – some feared that Japanese Canadians might become spies or even help Japan invade Canada

1942 – Japanese Canadians began to be interned

Japanese Canadians were stripped of all their rights – fingerprinted, photographed, and given identification numbers Had to carry ID cards with them at all times Forced to choose between deportation to Japan or relocation away from the west coast

Majority chose to relocate 22, 000 Japanese Canadians – 14, 000 of whom were Canadian born – were sent to internment camps 1943 – Custodian of Aliens Act passed by federal government Allowed for property of Japanese Canadians to be sold for low prices at public auction without their consent

Money from auctions went to realtors, auctioneers, and to pay for storage and handling charges In 1944, a law was passed that said that Japanese people could be deported to Japan if they did not leave British Columbia – this applied even to those who were born in Canada

By 1946, when the war was over, Japanese Canadians were released from internment camps