canada and world war ii · 06/10/2018 · •demands of ww2 were different (no trench warfare)....
TRANSCRIPT
Canada and World War II
The Road to War in Europe
• The origins of WW2 can be found in the terms of the Paris Peace Treaties of 1919 that ended WW1.
• The “Big Three” (USA/Britain/France) hoped to re-shape Europe. Created the League of Nations in an effort to avoid another war.
• However the desire to punish Germany was too strong.
Treaty of Versailles
• Germany lost territory in Europe and overseas
• Germans forced to reduce army to 100,000 men , a very small navy, and no air force.
• Germany forced to accept responsibility for starting the war and pay an enormous amount of reparations to the victorious powers.
Europe - 1919
By the 1930s Germany was suffering:
• Massive inflation and economic hardship.
• Anger over “war guilt clause”
• Fighting between communists/socialists and nationalists
In this context Adolf Hitler rose to power:
• He rejected the war guilt clause and the Treaty of Versailles. Stopped paying reparations.
• Promised rich and middle classes that he would crush Communist threat.
• Blamed WW1 loss on the “stab in the back theory”. Socialists and Jews were targeted.
• Pushed for Germany to regain territory (lebensraum)
• Helped economy rebound.
Hitler reduced poverty and people were drawn to his charisma and his nationalism.
This anti-Jewish propaganda poster from 1943 or 1944 depicts the Nazi attitude that the Jew was responsible fror all Germany's troubles. The caption reads “The Jew: The inciter of war, the prolonger of war."
Hitler comes to Power
• Economic problems were key – prior to depression Nazis gained 2.5% of vote, after the depression they rose above 30%.
• Nazis became largest party – 1933 Hitler was asked to become Chancellor (like a PM) by wealthy industrial elites, hoping to use him to curb the threat of Communism
• Shortly after, a “terrorist” linked to Communists is blamed for setting fire to the parliament (Reichstag).
• Hitler uses this event to declare the Enabling Act which gave him “emergency powers” to deal with the perceived threat to Germany.
• He banned opposition parties, threw socialists in jail, and began to rule by decree.
• When President Hindenburg died in 1934 – Hitler made himself President as well and had the army swear an oath of allegiance to him. He had absolute power.
Why was this allowed?
• People believed that democracy had failed – Hitler was taking action and shaking things up.
• The Nazis used violence and intimidation to crush opponents.
• The army/wealthy believed that Hitler was a better option than Communism and chaos. He brought order and wanted to expand Germany.
• Many believed in him and were inspired by his speeches.
The Nazi State
• One party-state, no opposition allowed.
• The Gestapo (secret police) kept order and rooted out dissidents –people often informed on neighbours etc!
• Everything in the country was geared towards the betterment of the country – state was more important than individual.
• No legal rights. Political opponents put to work in concentration camps.
• Jews openly discriminated against. Nuremburg Laws stripped them of citizenship. Often subject to violence. Eventually property was taken and they were moved to ghettos where they were forced to work. Final Solution after 1942 was to take them to death camps for extermination. Run by SS.
• Mentally handicapped and homosexuals also targeted for either extermination or sterilization.
Road to War• Other powers in Europe wanted to avoid war.
They thought that appeasement would work.
• Hitler was allowed to unite Germany with Austria in March 1938 (anschluss).
• Hitler demanded a piece of Czechoslovakia called the Sudetenland. The other powers gave it to Hitler (Munich Pact - Sept. 1938). Hitler promised he would make no more territorial demands.
• Sept. 1939 – Nazi Germany and Soviet Union make an alliance and invade Poland. Britain and France declare war on Nazi Germany. WW2 had begun.
Canada – the Home Front• Canada was unprepared for war. We had spent
most of the 1930s battling economic depression.
• Our population was only slightly larger than in 1914. We had only around 4000 professional soldiers, 6 warships, and a tiny air force.
Statute of Westminster – 1931
• Britain gave Canada the power to decide matters of foreign policy.
• Result: Canada debated whether to join war. Parliament decided to declare war on Germany on Sept. 10 1939 (9 days after Britain).
Prime Minister Mackenzie King
• Debate was minimal – most still felt a duty to protect Britain.
•Prime Minister King promised that there would be no conscription for overseas service.
• However, parliament did pass the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA) which conscripted men and women for home defence or production needs (ZOMBIES) .
1942-1944 Conscription Crisis
• As the war went poorly in the early years there was a push for conscription.
• King held a plebiscite asking Canadians to free him of his promise to not introduce conscription. He said “not necessarily conscription but conscription if necessary.”
• 63% of Canadians voted YES
– (83% of English Canadians voted yes, in Quebec 73% opposed).
• In 1944 King used conscription. Caused some rioting in Quebec but was not as big a crisis as in WW1.
• 17,000 were conscripted but only 2400 ever served overseas (because the war ended).
The Soldiers• A similar recruitment campaign was carried out to enlist
volunteers for overseas service.
• Demands of WW2 were different (no trench warfare). Canada focused less on sending troops and more on training pilots, increasing naval strength, and sending war supplies.
• Minorities could serve. Women could join the armed forces in non-combat roles.
• By the end of the war, 730,000 enlisted in the army but only half saw overseas service.
• 1.1 million served (army+RCAF+RCN), compared to 650,000 in WW1.
War Measures Act - 1939• Under C.D. Howe (Minister of Munitions and Supply)
Canada was organized for Total War once again.
• Rationing and price controls / wage controls / issuing of victory bonds / war savings stamps.
• Peacetime industries were converted or new industries were created to produce war materials.
• Workers (including women) shifted to war time jobs.
• Value of CDN war production was $10 B (100 B today). Much of it sold to our allies.
– 1.7 million small arms
– 43,000 heavy guns, 16,000 aircraft, 9000 ships
– 50,000 tanks and 85,000 military vehicles.
*** This is often considered our biggest contribution to WW2
Course of the War (1939-45)
See “Course of World War II” on my website for notes
http://wwiimaps.homestead.com/europe41.html
Relationship with the USA
• Canada was beginning to look to the USA as our most important ally.
• Trade was increasing and Canada realized that the USA would be key to our defence if attacked.
• The Permanent Joint Board of Defence (PJBD) increased military cooperation (1940) for common defence of the continent and Hyde Park Agreement increased economic cooperation (1941).
• When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour (Dec. 7 1941) and USA entered the war we were quick to declare war on Japan as well.
• USA set up air force bases in Canada and built a highway to Alaska. We also gave uranium to USA for atomic bomb.
Prime Minister King and President Roosevelt (from left) signed the PJBD and Hyde Park. They are seen here with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Japanese Internment• Due to the WMA the government had the power to
arrest people they were suspicious of.
• Japanese-Canadians were targeted as potential spies and enemy agents.
• 22,000 Japanese Canadians (3/4 born in Canada) were forcibly moved from the west coast to work camps.
• They were located in abandoned mining towns in the Rockies. Men were forced to work on roads or other state projects.
• Homes, businesses, and personal property were seized and sold in public auctions.
• 4000 were deported to Japan.
• This also happened in the USA
American WW2 posters
