The Second World War: Total War Returns

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The Second World War Total War Returns

• Total War Returns
• War in the Atlantic
• War in the Pacific
• Diversity in the Armed Forces
• Changes in Canada During WWII
• Controversies Conscription
• Controversies War Measures Act

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Total War Returns

• WWII lasted from 1939 1945
• Adolph Hitler, fascist dictator of Germany,
  wanted to right the wrongs against Germany from
  WWI
• He was also seeking Lebensraum or living
  space for Germany
• He worked with Benito Mussolini of Italy towards
  his goal

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Total War Returns

• They went against the values of the Treaty of
  Versailles and the League of Nations
• Hitler, during 1938 and 1939, annexed Austria and
  Czechoslovakia
• Appeasement was adopted by the League of
  Nations, in return Hitler was not to annex any
  more territory

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Total War Returns

• On Sept. 1, 1939 Hitler broke his promise and
  launched a blitzkrieg (Lightning Strike) on
  Poland
• Britain and France declared war on Germany two
  days later, Canada declared war against Germany
  on Sept. 10, 1939
• Using blitzkriegs Germany spread it forces across
  Europe
• By 1940 France fell under German control and
  Italy allied with Germany

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War in the Atlantic

• Canadas navy was used primarily for coastal
  defence of our own waters
• German U-Boat attacks made it necessary for the
  Royal Canadian Navy to defend the merchant ships
  supplying the war effort in Europe
• Britain supplied the RCN with destroyers to aid
  in protecting the convoys
• By the end of WWII Canada had the fourth largest
  navy in the world

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War in the Atlantic

• Merchant Marines
• Thousands of Canadian soldiers served as Merchant
  Marines shipping supplies across the Atlantic to
  Europe
• 10 lost their lives
• Without Merchant Marines the Allies could not
  have lasted the war
• After the war they were not given the same
  benefits as war veterans, even though they
  directly entered combat zones

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War in the Atlantic

• War in the Air
• At the beginning of the war the RCAF had 40
  combat aircraft and 5000 personnel
• The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
  trained more than 131 500 RCAF personnel
• By the Ed of WWII the RCAF was the fourth largest
  in the world
• Canadians played a crucial role in the victory of
  the Battle of Britain (blitzkrieg of British
  cities) against the German Luftwaffe

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War in the Atlantic

• The U.S. Enters the War.
• Dec. 7, 1941 Japan attack Pearl Harbour killing
  2400 and destroying four ships.
• The U.S. was neutral until this day.
• They declared war on Japan.
• Hitler supported Japan and therefore declared war
  on the U.S.
• Germany also went against its non-aggression
  treaty with the USSR and invaded.
• Two new, and very powerful players were on the
  stage as British Allies.

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War in the Atlantic

• Dieppe
• 1942 the Allied forces launched a limited
  invasion of France led by Canadians
• It failed horribly 900 died, 1900 were taken
  prisoner

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War in the Atlantic

• D-Day
• June 6, 1944 the Allies launched Operation
  Overlord largest full scale invasion in history
• 5000 ships carrying 107 000 Allied soldiers
• Canadians landed at Juno Beach and took more
  ground than any other Allied division
• D-Day marked the beginning to the liberation of
  Europe from Germany

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War in the Atlantic

• In the spring of 1945 Canadian forces moved east
  and liberated the Netherlands
• The Allied forces eventually encircled Berlin in
  April of 1945
• The Soviets were the first to enter Berlin
  Hitler committed suicide
• May 7, 1945 (VE Day) Germany surrendered and the
  war in Europe was over

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War in the Pacific

• Canadian soldiers fought in the Battle of Hong
  Kong
• Hong Kong was under British rule
• 1900 Canadian soldiers were sent
• Experts considered Hong Kong impossible to defend
• Japan eventually took Hong Kong on Christmas Day
  1941

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War in the Pacific

• After Germany surrendered Japan continued their
  fight
• The U.S. put a swift end to this conflict by
  dropping the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima Aug.
  6, 1945
• A second was dropped on Nagasaki three days later

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War in the Pacific

• 200 000 people perished, a further 500 000 died
  for reasons relating to radiation exposure
• Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945
• WWII was finally over

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Diversity in the Armed Forces

• During the war some of the gender and ethnicity
  barriers to enlistment were removed
• 45 000 women had enlisted in several capacities,
  but were never involved in combat
• Several thousand African Americans were enlisted,
  and, unlike WWI, saw combat
• Aboriginals had to sacrifice their Indian status
  under the Indian Act, 1876 to enlist. Over 3000
  served in Europe

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Changes in Canada During WWII

• After the Great Depression the war brought
  prosperity to Canada. The GDP doubled.
• Women took over many occupations in Canada since
  men left to fight breaking several social
  barriers for women.
• The Baby Boomers when the soldiers came home
  there were unprecedented numbers of marriages.
  Combined with economic prosperity came the
  highest birth rates n Canadian history.

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Controversies Conscription

• Prime Minister King promised no conscription
• Serious fear of Britain falling to the Nazis
  required reinforcements from Canada
• King implemented the NRMA requiring single men no
  younger than 18 to serve there were a lot of
  marriages during this time
• These drafted men were to stay and guard Canada
  were referred to as Zombies

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Controversies Conscription

• Pressure increased for soldiers so King held a
  referendum on conscription
• 80 English were for it, 73 of French were
  against it
• The split led to appeals from King for voluntary
  enlistment
• In the end the Zombies were sent overseas in
  late 1944, but few saw battle

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Controversies War Measures Act

• The government invoked the War Measures Act
• People with roots to enemy nations were required
  to register with the RCMP
• The Canadian citizenship of Italian and German
  immigrants was revoked

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Controversies War Measures Act

• Many were sent to internment camps
• Japanese Canadians were displaced from their
  homes to internment camps, all property was sold
  to pay for the camps
• In 1988 the Canadian Government officially
  apologized to the Japanese Canadians that were
  displaced and gave reparations of 21 000 to
  each evacuee

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Case Study 7

1. Read chapter 5 and record vocabulary.
2. Answer question 2 on page 71.
3. Create an organizational chart showing the
   changes in the Canadian Navy and Air Force
   between the beginning and end of WWII. Point form
   only.
4. Outline the significant events of WWII in the
   Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Use point form.
   Dont forget dates and places.

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Case Study 7

• 5. What happened to Japanese, German, and
  Italian Canadians under the War Measures Act
  during WWII? Did you agree with the actions of
  the Canadian government? What alternative might
  there be that would respect human rights?
• 6. Given the recent Terrorist attacks and the
  War on Terrorism would you agree with holding
  Islamic-Canadians in internment camps? Why or why
  not?

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Case Study 7

• 7. Who were the Zombies? How were they created?
• Why were French Canadians in opposition to
  conscription?
• How did the Second World War shape Canadas
  development as a nation?
• LeBel, S. and Orr, J. (2003) Canadian History
  Voices and Visions Gage Learning Corp., Toronto,
  Ontario.