Canada and the 2nd World War

Aftermath of WWI• Political, cultural and social order in Europe was changed drastically

after 1918. • New countries were formed, some old countries were abolished*• An influenza (flu) killed millions of people in Europe from 1918-1919.• The Central Powers were blamed for WWI • The treaty of Versailles punished Germany by taking away land and

forcing them to pay reparations. • They were forced to sign the War Guilt clause in June of 1919.

*Abolished-bring to an end, eliminate

Allies• Canada• Great Britain• France • United States• Italy• Russia

Central Powers• Germany • Austria-Hungary• Bulgaria• Ottoman Empire

Chapter 7 Bold Terms

Reparations: compensation (money) provided because of injury or wrong.

Dictator: A person who takes control of a government.

Annex: To join or add to a larger thing. Appeasement: The policy of giving in to the

demands of an unfriendly power to prevent conflict.

Conscript: To force people to join the armed forces by law.

Bold Terms Cont’d Blitzkrieg: A sudden violent attack combining

airplanes, armour, and mobile infantry designed to quickly overcome the enemy.

Merchant Marine: Ocean-going ships used for trade.

Propaganda: An effort through media to convince others of a set of beliefs or opinions, usually by distorting or exaggerating the facts.

Convoys: An escortGenocide: Extermination of a national, cultural,

religious, or racial group. Holocaust: Mass Destruction. A term used to

describe the mass murder of Jewish people and others by the Nazis during the Second World War.

Answer the following: 1. Why do some historians suggest that the root

cause of the Second World War lay in the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?

2. In 1914, when war was declared, there was widespread celebration. There was no celebration in September 1939. Suggest a possible answer to this question.

Phases of the WarTo help you understand the role that Canada played

inSecond World War, the war has been divided into

fourphases. Canada played a particular role in each

phase.

Phase 1: September 1939 to June 1940Phase 2: June 1940 to July 1943Phase 3: July 1943 to June 1944Phase 4: June 1944 to September 1945

Phase 1: September 1939 to June 1940

• September 1939, Poland is invaded by Germany

• Germany and Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact and agreed to divide Polandbetween them.

• Germany allied with Italy and Japan in 1939. This alliance was called the Axis.

• The Allies consisted of France, Britain, and the Commonwealth at this stage.

Phase 1: September 1939 to June 1940

• France was relying on the Maginot Line of fortifications, to defend against another German invasion.

• Germany used a war tactic called blitzkrieg, or lightning war, it involved tanks, aircraft, and mobile infantry in fast moving, powerful units.

• The German blitzkrieg quickly smashed through Belgium and Holland and simply bypassed the Maginot Line.

• The French government surrendered to Germany.

Canada’s Contribution during Phase 1 of the War

• Small volunteer army was raised, organized, and sent to Britain in December 1939.

• The merchant marine was needed to transport military personnel and war goods. They were regular transport ships that volunteered for war duty.

• The first ships sailed in 1939, and the first ones were sunk by German submarines, or U-boats, almost immediately.

• By May 1940, stunning German victories over, Holland, Belgium, and France left Britain alone to face Hitler with only the Commonwealth countries as allies.

• This changed Canada’s position, and Canada moved from a limited role in the war to a total commitment to the war effort.

Phase 2: June 1940 to July 1943

• Two events were responsible for turning the war around.

• June 1941, German armies invaded the Soviet Union, causing the Soviets to turn into Britain’s ally.

• On December 7, 1941, without warning, Japan attacked the U.S. peacetime fleet at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii.

• Neutral in the war until this point the United States declared war on Japan and Germany following the attack.

Phase 2: June 1940 to July 1943

Three big defeats of the Axis continued to turn the war in the allies favour:

• U.S. destroyed most of Japan’s naval fleet in the battle of Midway.• Allies pushed Germany out of El Alamein in

North Africa.• Germany suffered a massive defeat at the

hands of the Soviets in the battle of Stalingrad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teC2Xggkh7s

Canadian contribution to Phase 2 of the War

Canada’s military experienced both success and failures.

• Fought in the Battle of the Atlantic.• Merchant ships continued to supply war goods.• Canadian army suffered two defeats: Hong Kong,

November 1941, Japan defeated the British and Canadians. 290 soldiers killed, and 1685 became POW’s, 260 died in captivity. Lost at Dieppe, 900 soldiers killed and 1900 became POW’s.

Propaganda Posters• Propaganda is often thought of in negative terms. It evokes

thoughts of wartime and misinformation campaigns by governments trying to deceive people or bolster support for what might otherwise be unpopular policies. But propaganda and the techniques it uses are prominent throughout our modern lives.

• Every time you see a political poster, you’re seeing propaganda. Advertising in all forms almost always uses at least some of the usual techniques used by propagandists. Virtually anything created to persuade a person to do a certain thing or think a certain way has roots in propaganda.

http://www2.needham.k12.ma.us/nhs/cur/wwII/WWII-p3-04/brooke-csg-p3-4-15-04/hilda_saunders.html

Phase 3: July 1943 to June 1944

• Soviet army was pushing forward in Europe, and the German army began its long retreat back to Berlin.

• U.S. pushed back the Japanese and regained control of the Philippines.

• Canada’s air force had expanded greatly in size, and by 1943 there was an all-Canadian bomber group.

• The Canadian fighting force had expanded from a single division to a full army.

Phase 4: June 1944 to September 1945

• The German Army was now fighting on two fronts- the Soviet Army in the east and the British, Canadian, and U.S. armies in the west.

• In the Pacific, the United States was closing in on the Japanese home islands.

• Work was accelerated on the development of a new weapon that the United States hoped would shorten the war.

• The war ended on May 8th, 1945.

Canadian Contribution to Phase 4 of the War

• June 6, 1944, Canadian, British, and U.S. forces landed on the beaches of Normandy. Canada’s beach was code-named Juno.

• Britain’s beaches were named Gold and Sword.

• U.S. beaches were Omaha and Utah.• Canada helped take back the town of Caen,

and helped with Falaise, France too.• Canada took back the Netherlands, over 6000

Canadians were casualties in this campaign.