Canadian History 1201

World War II

Canada’s Homefront

Discussion Questions:

1. How would ordinary people

living in Canada contribute to the

war?

2. Why would some people

support the war and other not?

Women on the Home Front

On the Home Front large numbers of women entered

factory jobs.

As the war continued women were largely encouraged

to help the war effort by working in vital jobs. Factories

were open seven days a week with 12 hour shifts

becoming the norm.

Ontario and Quebec provided day care while the federal

government provided tax breaks.

Many women were eager to volunteer to help support

the war effort.

1942: NSS recruits as many women as possible for

wartime work.

Women on the Home Front

As in the First World War, women volunteers

operated service clubs and canteens for

military personnel, wrapped parcels for

soldiers, knit socks and sweaters

They a raised money for victory bonds which

helped finance the war.

Women also ran homes and farms, providing

much needed food for the war effort.

Expanding Roles

At the beginning of the war, women volunteered for

military service, yet military services were slow to

accept them.

1941-42: For the first time in history, official women’s

branches of the arm, air force, and navy were created.

1941-1945: 46 000 women serve as cooks, nurses,

mechanics, welders, and radar operators.

Some flew planes across the Atlantic and were assigned

to coastal defenses.

Which are traditional Roles? Which are new roles?

Changing Roles

Women in WWII helped to change the way

women in society were viewed. However,

women were still in many ways treated as

second class citizens as they were paid less

than men for the same work. They were also

expected to give up their jobs to soldiers as

they returned home. Despite the views, the

perspective on women's role in society had

changed after WWII.

Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E0KvWve-9g

Propaganda

What is propaganda?

Efforts made to support a

cause or view by distorting or

exaggerating the facts.

Canada like other countries

used propaganda to promote

the war effort.

Propaganda was used in

many facets of society on

the Home Front: movie

houses, schools, community

halls, etc...

Propaganda Cartoon

Walt Disney Cartoon Hitler’s

Children For Death Link

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

SW3UCc17AI&feature=related

Banned Looney Toons cartoon WWII

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

Ec

Disney Der Fuhrer’s face:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-

PZVrWvJM0

WWII Propaganda:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV65XRN

1lU0

Treatment of Japanese Canadians

Anti-Japanese sentiments grew among Canadian population

after the attack on Pearl Harbour.

These feeling were prominent in western Canada.

Government in 1942 orders all Japanese Canadians living

within 62km of the coast of BC to move inland.

Japanese Canadians were moved to abandoned mining towns

or the prairies and Ontario to work on farms.

Families were separated and unable to take many of their

personal belongings with them.

These conditions continued after the war was over. People

were not immediately allowed to return to their homes; had to

remain east of the Rockies.

Japanese Canadians were denied the right to vote until 1949.

Conscription Crisis What do you think

about conscription?

Judging on what you

have learned about

conscription in WWI,

what do you think

would happen in

WWII?

How do you think this

cartoon depicts Prime

Minister King’s

dilemma over

conscription?

Conscription Crisis Continued

PM King promised there would be no conscription in

1939.

Government passed the National Resources

Mobilization Act – NRMA – in 1940.

Conscripts served for home defence. They first had to

complete 30 days of training. This changed to four

months, and later changed again for the duration of

the war.

NRMA soldiers – “Zombies”.

King holds a plebiscite to asking Canadians to allow the government to send conscripts over seas.

Conscription and Canadian

Reaction Vote yields similar results to vote in 1917.

French Canadians largely opposed to conscription;

English Canadians are supportive.

PM King proceeds with caution and does not

immediately send conscripts overseas. However in

late 1944 King authorized the sending of 16000

NRMA soldiers to battle.

Riots erupt and 13000 conscripts are sent overseas

and only 2400 reach the front lines.

Canadian reaction and divisions were not as extreme

as WWI.

Wartime Restrictions

As a result of wartime hysteria and propaganda, additional

restrictions were directed at certain groups of Canadians.

As we learned previously Jewish and Japanese Canadians

faced many harsh treatment.

The federal government also required 100 000 other

Canadians to register as enemy aliens and bout 650 were

placed in internment camps.

Pacifist groups such as the Jehovah Witnesses, Mennoites, and

Doukhobors were faced with hostility.

Black Soldiers and Prejudice

Until 1942 there was outright discrimination against Black

Canadians. The government ignored prejudice hiring practices

by Canadian employers.

The war provided opportunities for Black and. White

Canadians to work together and encouraged people to fight for

civil rights.

During the recruitment process Blacks faced similar

prejudices. The war provided As the war progressed they

were accepted into all branches of the military. Many African-

Americans would volunteered to fight for the Canadian forces

rather then their home army.

“If they are willing to die for our

country, then our country should

treat us with equality and

respect.”

Aboriginal Peoples

Aboriginal Canadians were

not considered citizens of

Canada. Thus, they needed

to get permission from

Indian Affairs to enlist.

However, there was a catch

–Aboriginal peoples had to

give up there status as

registered Indians.

Nevertheless, 3000

Aboriginal Canadians

fought in the army.

Changes in Attitude

Some Canadians came to realize that the Second

World War was in many ways a racial war.

They began to feel ashamed about denying entry to

European Jews., about the degradation of Aboriginal

peoples, and about the historic mistreatment of

blacks.

The demand for civil right among minorities

continued to grow in the post war years.