1. World War Two
An Overview

2. September 1, 1939
Germany invades Poland, prompting Britain and France to declare war on Germany two days later.
In Parliament, Mackenzie King argued in favour of Canada declaring war too. He assured Quebec voters that conscription would not be used.
“...we will never agree to conscription and will never be members or supporters of a government that will try to enforce
it.”

3. Major difference from WWI
This time, Canadian parliament voted on whether or not to declare war on Germany. (We were more independent…not automatically at war alongside Britain) Canada declared war on September 10, one week after Britain and France did.

4. The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP)
Advantages: RCAF “Hurricane” -Kept the Canada’s war effort at home -Canada’s open skies -Canada’s favourable climate -Canada’s distance from enemy aircraft

5. Total War
Canadian Govt. much more involved in the planning/control of the economy C.D. Howe—Minister of the Department of Munitions and Supplies

6. Farmers were told to produce more wheat, beef, dairy products and other food
Howe told industries what to produce and how to produce it
Vancouver build naval ships
Total War under C.D. Howe
Govt. ran telephone companies mined uranium, refined fuel, etc.
Canada’s car industries produced military vehicles and tanks
Montreal built new planes and bombers

7. After the “phoney war”, Germany resumes its blitzkrieg
Germany first conquers Denmark in just hours
Next, Germany conquers Norway in just two months
Then, Germany invades the Netherlands, Belgium, and France
The Allies are soon surrounded in the French port of Dunkirk and must try to escape via the sea
THE WAR IN EUROPE

8. Miracle Evacuation at Dunkirk
German Army   British rescue boats  British troops

9. Battle of Britain: “Operation Sea Lion”
August-September, 1940

10. Hiding from the Nazi bombs in the Underground

11. Cleaning up the devastation caused by the Blitzkrieg

12. “Operation Barbarossa”
Invasion of the USSR:
“Operation Barbarossa”

13. The effects of Barbarossa were staggering
Death count:
Almost 27 million inhabitants of the former Soviet Union lost their lives, including 8.5 million soldiers
Approximately three million German soldiers
Millions of prisoners of war and German civilians on whom the Red Army took revenge when it entered Germany.

14. Adolph Hitler had said
"When 'Barbarossa' commences, the world will hold its breath and make no comment." Indeed.

15. Dieppe
A disaster for the Allies

16. The Result

17. Battle of the Atlantic An ongoing conflict in the Atlantic Ocean
Allied merchant ships were being sunk by “wolf packs” of German U-boats
Germany trying to starve Britain by cutting off vital shipping routes

18. 1942: The Year the Tide Turned
United States entered the conflict Dec. 1941
Allies began to win Battle of the Atlantic
By 1943, Allies had cleared North Africa of Axis forces and attacked Europe through its “soft underbelly”, Italy and Sicily

19. The Italian Campaign Invasion of mainland Italy begins.
Canadian soldiers
attacking Ortona, Italy, the
bloodiest battle of the
Italian campaign.

20. June 6, 1944: D-Day Full-scale allied invasion of Europe

21. V-E Day May 7, 1945

22. August 6, 1945
U.S. drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima This is the crew...

23. This is the bomb after being dropped...

24. The city destroyed in an instant...

25. The bomb’s effects on Hiroshima’s people

26. The War at Home
Propaganda was used in movies, on radio, and in posters to remind Canadians of the need for everyone to play a part in the war effort.

28. Canada’s Wartime Economy

29. Mackenzie King Wanted to avoid INFLATION:
“too many dollars chasing too few goods”
Also wanted to avoid massive debt problem
Encouraged Canadians to buy Victory Bonds
Increased income taxes

30. How the war affected the home front
Food Rationing:
Each Canadian adult limited to weekly ration of
1 kg of
115 g of
250 g of

31. Growing Demand for Social Change
Rise of Labour Unions
Support for the C.C.F.
-Many Canadians liked the high government involvement in people’s lives; wanted it to continue
-In Saskatchewan, the C.C.F. Under Tommy Douglas formed the government
1940: King brought in unemployment insurance program
1945: King brought in Family Allowance program

32. Canada’s policy of “Cradle to Grave” had begun

33. Mackenzie King’s Conscription Crisis
(warning: some explicit language!)

34. “Not necessarily conscription, but conscription if necessary.”