1. FALL OF FRANCE AND THE CANADIAN HOME FRONT

2. Fall of France  Maginot Line – The most sophisticated trench in history.  Decoy on Belgian front (May 10 th )  Panzer division passes through Ardennes (May 13 th )  French troops attempt to break GER supply lines (May 18 th )  Race to the coast (May 20 th )  Belgium surrenders (May 28 th )  GER forces push south. Paris falls (June 14 th )  France surrenders (June 22 nd )  Vichy Regime negotiates peace (July)

3. Dunkirk (May 28 th - June 4 th )  British and French troops fall back to Port of Dunkirk  GER pauses to consolidate troops and repair equipment  “Operation Dynamo” put into effect  Civilian vessels used to evacuate British troops  300,000 men evacuated.  68,000 killed or captured  The operation was viewed as a success in Britain but Churchill cautioned that “Wars are not won by evacuations”  40:30 – 46:50

4. Northern France

5. THE HOME FRONT

6. Conscription Debate  Fearing a backlash from French Canadians, MacKenzie King promises that Canada will not introduce conscription for “overseas service”.  Germany’s early success creates public pressure for Canada to introduce conscription but the high number of volunteers made it unnecessary.  In 1940 King introduces the “National Mobilization of Resources Act” which allows conscription for domestic defence only.  “Zombies” were people who had been conscripted into the army under the NRMA and trained but then refused overseas service. Zombies were resented by most other Canadians.  As volunteer enlistment numbers fell, pressure once again mounted for overseas conscription. In response to this pressure in 1942 King holds a Plebiscite (referendum) on conscription.  “Not necessarily conscription, but conscription if necessary” (King)

7. Results  63% of Canadians supported consrciption.  80% of English voted YES  73% of French voted “NON”  17,000 “Zombies” served overseas before the end of the war.

8. By the End of the War Canada had Produced:  1 billion dollars of munitions  1.7 million small arms  43,000 heavy guns  16,000 aircraft  2 million tonnes of explosives  815,000 military vehicles  50,000 tanks and armoured gun carriers  4,000 Naval vessels  40,000 Naval guns  150 Snowmobiles  Radar sets and Electronics  Synthetic rubber plants  Uranium for the ’Manhattan Project’

9. Highlights  Over 200,000 women enter the industrial workforce  Canada supplies $4 Billion worth of equipment to Britain during the war.  Much of Britain’s equipment was lost at Dunkirk  Canada ends the war with the world’s 3 rd largest navy and 4 th largest air force.

10. $33 Billion Dollar Price Tag

11. Victory Bonds  First bond drive raised over $200 million in 48hrs  Supported by intense adverstising campaigns.  By the end of the war over $12.5 Billion had been raised through war bonds.  Canada’s primary lender was the Canadian people.

12. Hey Kid, Get to Work!  Fundraising campaigns even targeted children.  Sixteen stamps purchased at 25 cents each equalled a $4 certificate that could be redeemed seven-and- a-half years later for $5.  “Stamp out the U-Boat” campaign 360 stamps buys one depth charge  Victory gardens (over 200,000)  Ontario Farm Service Force OFSF (Children, Women, Seniors)  Involved over 55,000 Ontario students  School delayed three weeks to bring in harvest

13. Salvage and Scrap  1942 becomes illegal to horde steel amounting to over 500 lbs. Offenders faced $5000 fines and up to 5 years in prison.  Canadians were encouraged to donate everything from old tires to women’s under garments all in service of the war effort.  School programs encouraged students to collect and postal workers went door to door collecting materials.

14. Put on your thinking hats  Is conscription justifiable?  Under what circumstances?

15. LDHSS Salvage Drive Challenge