• On September 1, 1939, Hitler unleashed a massive air &

land attack on Poland.

• Britain & France immediately declared war on

Germany.

• Canada asserting its independence declares war

independently a few days later on September 10, 1939.

The War in Europe

5.2

• When the passenger ship Athenia, carrying more than 500 Canadians was sunk by German u- boats on 3, September, 1939, anti- German feelings escalated.

• The announcement was supported by all but one member of Parliament as well as leaders in Quebec, who supported entry into the war on King’s promise that conscription would never be enacted by the government.

The War in Europe

• As the horrors of the First World War lingered in the minds of Canadians, few displayed excitement & few expected a short war.

• Few however realized that the new conflict would be even longer & more costly than the First World War.

The War in Europe

• New Technological advancements, such as fighter & bomber aircraft as well as improved tanks, artillery & guns changed the nature of the Second World War.

• Fast-moving forces required long-range communications, new radar and secret codes.

• This made things much more dangerous for civilian populations & made the Second World War even more devastating than the First.

New War Technology

• In September 1939, Canada was ill- prepared to fight a war.

• The army totaled only 4,000 regular troops & 60, 000 part- time

soldiers in the militia.

• The navy had about 3,000 sailors & the Royal Canadian Air Force

had 4,000 members.

Canada at the Beginning of the War

• In December 1939, the first Canadian troops

reached Britain.

• It would be some time before Canada’s

soldiers would engage in battle in Europe.

Most were stationed in Britain, undergoing

training & preparing to fight off the expected

German invasion.

Canada at the Beginning of the

War

• March 1939 Hitler invades the rest of Czechoslovakia

• September 1 1939 Hitler Invades Poland.

• Denmark and Norway fall in April 1940

• Holland Belgium and Luxemburg fall too the Blitz in May 1940

• British and French retreat to the beaches of Dunkirk

• Naval ships, and civilian boats rescue 350000 soldiers

• France is taken in June forcing 350 000 French and English soldiers to evacuate at

Dunkirk

Allied Defeats

An attacking force spearheaded by a dense concentration of armoured and motorized infantry formations, and heavily backed up by close air support, forces a breakthrough into the enemy's line of defense through a series of short, fast, powerful attacks; and once in the enemy's territory, proceeds to dislocate them using speed and

surprise, and then encircle them

Blitzkrieg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUjrnlMAtQ4

• Newfoundlanders served on the land, sea and air

• Many worked as merchant mariners transporting goods

• Newfoundland sent 22 000 recruits, without the use of conscription

• Newfoundlanders also served in various sections of the Canadian

military. i.e the Royal Canadian Air Force

Newfoundland’s Contribution

• Canadians fought their first engagement of the Second World War

defending the British island colony of Hong Kong.

• After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the British decided that a

strong force in Hong Kong might deter Japan from attacking the

island.

• Canada was asked to supply troops to support the British and Indian

forces in Hong Kong.

Defense of Hong Kong

• In October 1941, two barely trained Canadian battalions sailed from Vancouver.

• The Canadian force totaled 1975 troops.

• The outnumbered Allied troops held out against the Japanese from December 8th to the 22nd, when supplies & ammunition ran out.

• The Allies were forced to surrender.

• The cost of the defense of Hong Kong was high for the Canadian battalions, 290 were killed & another 500 wounded.

Defense of Hong Kong

The War at Sea

• British Commonwealth Air Training

• December 1939 Canada signed an agreement with Britain to create the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan

• Pilots were allowed to come from all around the Commonwealth to train in Canada, far away from the dangers of the war

• By the end of the war 131 000 allied pilots were trained in Canada

British Commonwealth Air

Training Program

• A special spy school located just outside Oshawa, Ontario

• Trained spies and intelligence agents from Canadian, American, and

British armed forces

• Canada’s diverse population provided great opportunity to recruit

spies for particular jobs

Camp X

• The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) went from 13 ships and 3000 sailors to 370 ships and 100 000 personnel during WW2.

• RCN corvettes and destroyers escorted merchant supply ship convoys across the North Atlantic, keeping supply lines open.

• RCN activities ranged from submarine warfare in the North Atlantic to defense of the West Coast from a feared Japanese invasion.

The War at Sea

• The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) went from 4000 to 250 000

personnel.

• Canadian pilots flew all over the world, mostly for Britain in the

RAF and mostly in bombers.

• Canada’s greatest contribution to the air war was perhaps the British

Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which trained 131 000+ Allied

flyers in 231 Canadian sites

War in the Air

• Germany had angered the Allies by bombing British cities during the Battle of Britain as well as during frequent bombing raids thereafter.

• The Allies responded, bombing German cities in relentless day & night attacks.

• Although the official position emphasized that military targets were the primary objective, the truth was that the bombing inflicted terrible civilian damage.

• More than 1 million German civilians were either killed or wounded.

War in the Air

Bombing of Dresden

• Canadian women had played a valuable role as nurses & teachers in

the South African War & a much broader role in the First World War.

• In the Second World War, their role expanded even further.

• At the beginning of the war many women volunteered for military

service but authorities were slow to accept them.

Women at War

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RU03p3rc3Y

• By 1941- 42 women’s branches of the army, air force & navy were created for the first time in Canadian history.

• Between 1941 & 1945, more than 46,000 women served overseas in a variety of traditional & non- traditional military roles, such as cooks, nurses, mechanics, welders & radio operators.

• Some women were assigned to coastal defense & some even flew planes across the Atlantic in Ferry Command.

Women at War

• Black & Aboriginal soldiers served in all the major campaigns of the

war.

• When the war broke out, there was some prejudice against black

Canadians in recruiting practices.

Black and Aboriginal Canadians

• As the war progressed, however, black Canadians were accepted into all branches of the armed forces.

• They served both in the ranks & as officers.

• The atmosphere was positive enough that black Americans volunteered to fight in the Canadian rather than in the American Armed Forces.

• Aboriginals were not considered citizens of Canada and many volunteers needed permission from the Department of Indian Affairs to enlist.

Black and Aboriginal Canadians