1. Canada and World War II

2. Canada Declares War
Visit by reigning monarch (King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) in 1939 served to strengthen connection between the two countries
King, like Chamberlain and European leaders, had hoped appeasement would work and avoid a war
King was afraid to impose conscription (Quebec = not support)
When Britain declared war, eyes turned to Canada
Unlike in WWI, Parliament voted for Canada to declare war on Germany

4. Mobilizing Canada’s Resources
Canada declared war on Sept 10th, 1939
Over 58,000 people volunteered for service in September alone
Different reasons for joining: pay ($1.30/day) and money for wife/kids, sense of duty, national pride
Aboriginals were highest number of volunteers
However, Canada was unprepared
The regular army was made up of 4500 men, with an additional 51,000 partly-trained reservists
Had no modern equipment
Air force had fewer than 20 modern combat aircraft
Navy’s combat potential consisted of only six destroyers (smallest class of ocean-going warships)

6. The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
King wanted to avoid conscription but keeping war at home.
The BCATP would help with this by having British instructors train pilots in Canada
Trained over 130,000 pilots
Cost $2.2 billion (Canada pays 70%)

8. Total War Government starts to take control of economy
1940 (April) Department of Munitions and Supplies created
Vancouver, ship building; Montreal, constructing planes, Ontario & Quebec, munitions
Crown Corporations helped

9. The War in Europe Allies = Britain, France, Commonwealth Countries
Axis = Germany, Italy, Japan
The “Phoney War” (seven months of pretty much nothing) created a false sense of security for the Allies
Germany then introduced “blitzkrieg” (lightening war), which was a surprise attack with great speed
This was a game changer which caught the Allies off-guard

11. Evacuation at Dunkirk
Only took hours to conquer Denmark, and 2 months to get Norway
Moved thru Belgium fast and then into France
Within days they reached port of Dunkirk
100s of fishing boats, ferries, naval and merchant ships rescued 340,000 Allied soldiers
By 1940 France surrendered

13. The Battle of Britain “Operation Sea Lion” = invasion of Britain
1st step was German Luftwaffe bombing campaign against British air force, harbours etc.
2nd step was bombing civilian targets and cities (55 nights) = “The Blitz”
Still couldn’t defeat British air force (more sophisticated)
Hitler gave up (May 1941) but 23,000 killed

15. The War Spreads
Hitler turns eastward > “Operation Barbarossa” “red beard” and invaded USSR
Soviets surprised and unprepared and by fall Germans reached outskirts of Moscow and Leningrad
Germans not ready for long, cold winter and 300,000 killed and surrendered in early 1943

17. War in the Pacific 1941 Japan invades USA & Southeast Asia
Dec. 7th, 1941 Pearl Habour bombed, destroyed ½ the fleet
Next day US declared war
Next day Japan invaded Hong Kong
Most Canadians in Hong Kong were imprisoned and killed by Japanese.