The War In EuropeCANADIAN HISTORY 1201

The War In Europe• On September 1, 1939, Hitler unleashed a massive air and land

attack on Poland

• Britain and 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• When the passenger ship Athenia,

carrying more than 500 Canadians was sunk by German U-boats on September 3, 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 and few expected a short war

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

New War Technology• New Technological advancements, such as fighter and bomber

aircraft as well as improved tanks, artillery and 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 and made the Second World War even more devastating then the First

Canada at the Beginning of the War• In September 1939, Canada was ill-

prepared to fight a war

• The army totaled only 4,000 regular troops and 60,000 part-time soldiers in the militia

• The navy had about 3,000 sailors and 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 Canadians were stationed in Britain, undergoing training and preparing to fight off the expected German invasion

Allied Defeats• 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 to the Blitz in May 1940

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

• British and French retreat to the beaches of Dunkirk

• Naval ships and civilian boats rescue 350,000 soldiers

Blitzkrieg

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 Video (2:18)

Newfoundland’s Contribution• Newfoundlanders served on the land, sea and air

• Many worked as Merchant Marines transporting good◦ The NL Regiment had not yet rebuilt itself after the horrible defeats

of WWI

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

• Newfoundlanders also served in various sections of the Canadian Military (ie. The Royal Canadian Air Force)

◦ Where NL was still a British colony, citizens could choose to serve with either the British forces or the Canadian forces

The Defense of Hong Kong• Canadians fought their first engagement of the Second World War

defending the British island colony of Hong Kong

• After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour 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

The Defense of Hong Kong• In October 1941, two barely trained Canadian battalions sailed

from Vancouver

• The Canadian force totaled 1975 troops

• The significantly outnumbered Allied troops held out against the Japanese from December 8th to the 22nd, when supplies and 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 and another 500 wounded

Camp X• 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

The War at Sea• The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) went from 13 ships and 3000

sailors to 370 ships and 100,000 personnel during World War 2

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

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

War In The Air• 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

British Commonwealth Air Training Plan• In 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

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 and 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

Bombing of Dresden

Women At War• Canadian women had played a valuable role as nurses and

teachers in the South African War and 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 in Uniform (1:59)

Women At War• By 1941-42 women’s branches of the army, air force and navy

were created for the first time in Canadian history

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

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

Black and Aboriginal Canadians• Black and 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

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

• They served both in the ranks and as officers

• The atmosphere was positive enough that black Americans volunteered to fight in the Canadian Forces 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