Canada in the 1940s and the Invasion of Poland

Pre-War Canada (1940s)

• Canada was an independent country but remained loyal to Britain
• Canada was not automatically at war when Britain declared war
• If Britain joined the war, Canada would inevitably be involved
• Anti-war pacifism was prominent in Canada due to post-WWI sentiments
• Canadians believed peace should be maintained, and no issue was worth another war
• Canadians widely supported appeasement policies to keep peace
• The Great Depression's economic concerns were ongoing
• Entertainment offered escapism from reality
• The 1939 Royal Visit occurred

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

• August 1939: The pact made people realize war in Europe was imminent
• The world was shocked by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreeing not to fight
• These countries had previously been enemies
• The pact included a secret plan for Germany and the Soviet Union to divide Poland
• This secret plan led to the beginning of World War II

Invasion of Poland

• Britain and France rejected Hitler's demand for the Polish Corridor
• Without the corridor, Poland's economy would not have been able to function
• Germany attacked Poland on September 1, 1939, starting in the city of Danzig
• Britain and France declared war on September 3, 1939, after Hitler ignored their 24-hour ultimatum
• This demonstrated that appeasement had failed
• The Soviet Union invaded Poland on September 17, 1939, attacking from the east
• Poland was crushed and occupied by the end of September
• Massive defenses were set up around the French-Belgian border to prevent an invasion of France instead of rescuing Poland
• France and Poland never declared war on the Soviets due to being overwhelmed

Blitzkrieg (Lightning War)

• "Lightning war" aimed to win a war in hours, avoiding attrition by quickly defeating the enemy
• Germany launched massive, coordinated surprise attacks with careful planning and timing
• Fast-paced attacks were designed to quickly overwhelm the enemy
• Germany used bombing and sabotage to destroy key targets and disrupt the enemy defense
• Mass production included tanks, planes, trucks, and motorcycles
• Germany attacked the weakest points, surrounded the strongest, and eliminated enemy forces

Canada Declares War

• Canada declared war on Germany on September 10, 1939, joining Britain
• Canada waited a week after Britain's declaration to ensure its independence was clear
• Canada helped due to sympathy
• Emotional sympathy led Canada to feel loyalty to Britain and support it in the war
• Canada rejected Nazism, opposing Hitler's dangerous ideology
• Canada aimed to protect values of peace, freedom, and democracy against Nazi aggression

Canada Unprepared

• Canada's navy had only 13 ships available for combat
• There were only 1,819 sailors
• There were only 4,500 soldiers, insufficient for a large-scale war
• Canada had only 16 tanks, making them insufficient for battle
• Canada had a few dozen anti-tank guns
• Canada did not have modern artillery, using WWI leftovers
• The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) budget was cut in 1932, making it less prepared

Mackenzie King's Big Fear

• There was no desire to send troops overseas
• Mackenzie King feared another conscription crisis
• He clarified that any draft would be for home defense only, which was unlikely
• Only home defense
• 58,330 volunteered to benefit from steady work, lodging, food, and clothing
• It was one of the jobs that ended the Great Depression

Canada Prepares for War

• The National Resources Mobilization Act (Economy) granted the government power to prioritize war efforts by intervening in the economy
• The War Measures Act (Security) suspended civil and legal rights during the war for "national security"
• Police could arrest suspected enemies without proof, targeting groups like Japanese people
• The Prices and Trade Board (Stop Price Gouging) prevented businesses from overcharging for essential goods
• War Bonds & Income Tax (financing) allowed citizens to buy bonds for $100, which the government would return at $150 after the war

Ogdensburg Agreement

• In August 1940, King and Roosevelt agreed to "Hemispheric defense"
• The USA would defend any country in the eastern hemisphere (e.g., Canada, Chile) if attacked by a foreign country

Arsenal of Democracy

• Canada and the US supplied materials for the fight between Britain, France, and other countries, resulting in increased wealth in both Canada and the US
• CD Howe served as Minister of Munitions & Supply and supported powerful, wealthy individuals serving the nation
• He took orders from Britain and France for everything, including food and guns and sourced in Canada
• Female factory workers were crucial in manufacturing wartime goods
• Crown Corporations mass-produced weapons, vehicles, raw materials, and essential supplies to support Canada's wartime economy and the Allied war effort
• 800,000 military vehicles, 50,000 tanks, 40,000 pieces of heavy artillery, 1,700,000 guns, and 4,000 aircraft were produced per year
• Canada's economy was transformed

Total War

• Entire resources of a nation are used to fight the enemy, including personnel and materials
• Not just soldiers, but civilians become targets through military actions or economic disruption

British Commonwealth Air Training Plan

• 151 schools across Canada trained Allied aircrew skills
• Canada paid nearly 75% of the Plan's cost
• Students came from every Allied nation
• 25,747 pilots,
• 12,855 navigators,
• 12,744 radio operators,
• 1,913 flight engineers

Phony War

• A period of time where war should've been happening but it did not
• The British and French rushed troops to where WWI was fought expecting Germany to attack through Belgium again
• The west did not declare war on the soviet union
• After Poland, nothing happened for 7 months
• Britain and France declared war on Germany.
• April 8th 1940: Germany attacked neutral Norway.
• Norway had a vital source of iron ore for the Nazis
• April 9th: Denmark defeated in 6 hrs.
• Denmark connected to northern Germany
• 3 May: Norway fell - ended Nevel Chamberlains career
• Parliament had a vote of non-confidence which meant that British Parliament didn't have confidence that Neville Chamberlain could do his job and he was asked to resign.
• 10 May: Churchill prime minister for rest of the war
• Argued Britain should stay in the war rather than enter an armistice with the Nazis

Fall of France June 1940

• 10 May 1940: Nazis attacked Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg
• The Netherlands was neutral
• Anne Frank, a German Jew, moved there for safety but was later captured and sent to a concentration camp.
• Maginot Line: A large fortification between the French and German borders.
• The Nazis bypassed it by flying over and going around its unfinished sections.
• Forest of Ardennes heavily wooded
• The Nazis attacked through the Forest of the Ardennes and encircling French

Miracle of Dunkirk

• 26 May - 4 June 1940: Every available boat evacuated 330,000
• Winston Churchill ordered every vessel to rescue
• Soldiers left everything
• The European continent was occupied by Germany, neutral, or Nazi-friendly.

The Battle of Britain June – Sept. 1940

• The Battle of Britain hinged on who controlled the skies above the English Channel.
• Goring bragged it would take 4 days
• Leader of the German Air Force German Air Force could eliminate the British Air Force in four days
• Operation Sea Lion: The German invasion of Britain
• Operation Eagle failed
• The plan was attacking British Bomber Command destroyed fuel storage
• Excellent pilots and Great planes where britsh planes were effective
• British plane were mainly Spitfires.
• Radar and Spotters
• Britain used an early form of radar and spotters
• Conserving fuel and pilots
• Code-breaking (with Polish help)
• Enable them to hear Air Force communications and orders.
• Strategy was changed
• Hitler's ego and megalomania played a huge role in Germany's failure
• Hitler changed his strategy and ordered the bombing of British cities
• Operation Sea Lion was cancelled
• Churchill" never have so many
• Churchill was recognizing the sacrifices and bravery of the RAF pilots who were involved
• Germany hoped to break British morale, but it didn't work coordinated and surprise.

Operation Barbarossa

• June 1941 Germany launched invasion of the Soviet Union
• Hitler believed that communism and the Russians were a and named the invasion
• Comparing it to a "holy war." Thought Blitzkrieg would work
• Nazis launched one of the largest invasions in history, stretching over 1,200 kilometers.

Nazis Attacked USSR

• The Nazis launched one of largest invasions in history.
• Huge initial victories
• Hitler believed he would crush the Soviets
• Hitler is being tricked and doesn't know these are a trap
• As the Germans advanced, the Soviets destroyed crops and infrastructure to deny the Nazis resources
• Strategy made it difficult for the German army to sustain itself and stretched their supply lines
• Contributing to eventual invasion failure
• The Soviet civilians and soldiers stood their ground
• Extreme cold and terrible snow
• Made it even harder for the German army to fight
• Conditions drained their resources and weakened their ability to keep fighting.
• Battle of Stalingrad was a turning point, and first place nazis were forced to surrender

The Rise of Japan

• Japanese “Nazism” Asian "Master Race"
• Rape of Nanking

War With Japan

• Pearl Harbor Sun. Dec 7th 1941
• Feared that the US interfered, and japan planned to expand its power to Asia.
• When these territories fell to Japan, the Canidans were capture.

Japanese in BC

• “Enemy Aliens”
• Japan were relocated no matter if they were borned in Canada.
• Had Farms and houses sole for not money back.
• Were never repaid back losses.

Canada at Sea

• Had Massive bulding and training
• naval force during wwII.
• Royal canadien became 4th largets
• 100,000 sailors/ 400 ships

Battle of The Atlantic

• Like a cardo ship to the UK
• "were packes was called germnan to make it harder.
• cracked germand naval code.

Canada in air

• Controvery dresden bombed 100,000 losses in af.

Dieppe: raid

• Alliend forces raided, and was occupied by german French.
• Augest was executed and was horribly Wrong.

North Africa

• Has the siz canal that was a vitalroute for the British.
• German never ad oil
• Axis was decisive and allies won

Sicily

• Allied liberated north africa which led to war

D Day

• Allied soliders landed in normady france
• and stated freeing europe with ww2

April, 1945

• Germany was occupied y alliy
• Mussolini, and hitler died

May, 1945

• Germnay signed unconditional surrender. Japan refused to surrended the world war

August,1945

• Hiorshima recived first atomic bomb.

The UN the final taly

• UN said 60 million died
• Usa and ussre, was super power

Cananda

• UN said 45,000 canadiens died.

Holocaust

• Planned by nazis killed undeseriablw
• Jews where targeted for gernocide
• Planned industrial, with factory for trains.
• Spliting groups, pscolognical cntrol
• Gas showers, with zyk and b. Cremations.
• Has Nuremberg trial, and Crimes against humanity

Stages

• Was defame, or properganda camp, and gotos

After maths

• The wold UN, universal declares human R.

• Holocaust was where scapegoating was a blame a person.

• Hitler hated jews. Because of anti semitism

• Final solution was the extermination of the jews