Overview of World War II Events

WW2 The Return to War in Europe in the 1930s In Europe The rise of dictators * Despair in many countries due to the end of the war, plus the great depression * Searching for political solutions to deal with the issues * In Canada, that led to the rise of mostly “progressive” parties * In other parts of the war, which led to the rise of fascism/fascist parties * Fascism (dictatorship) focuses on the state’s power/total control and removing freedoms. Axis - Some form of Fascism * Japan * Italy * Germany Allies * Canada * Britain * France Germany in the 1930s Remember: Post WW1 * Treaty of Versailles - 1919 - Forced Germany to pay $$$ (All war debt.) Then: The Great Depression hits; Germany is already in a ROUGH PLACE, then things get worse. They did not have enough money to pay their debts and pay to take care of their citizens. Hyperinflation and the Great Depression * Burning money because it's cheaper than buying firewood Rise of the Nazi Party * Founded in 1920 - not by Hitler(evolved out of Germans Worker Party 1919-1920) Hitler Promised * Tear up the Treaty of Versailles - especially stop paying $$$ to countries(reparations) * Build up Germany’s military * End unemployments * Restore “glory” Germany * Invest $$ into industry(factories) * People are happy with Hitler's promises * Internal * BIG PROBLEM: as soon as he is elected, he “overthrows” parliament (democratic) - gets rid of it - and he makes Germany a dictatorship. * Abolishes with FORCE! He threatens anyone who disagrees with him - put you in prison, torture you or kill you if you go against him. * He later gave himself the title of Führer Attacks on Freedoms in Germany * He took away the freedoms and rights of the citizens. Unions were banned. Teachers had to teach ONLY Nazi policy. Books that were against his party were burned. Hitler and the Jewish people * Nuremberg Laws(1935) - Jewish people could no longer: - Attend University - Teach in any school - Work in government - Write Books or work for newspapers (Taking away their voice) * Marry a non-Jewish person * Around 1936 - 1937, Hitler sent his secret police to watch the Jewish people. He made the Jewish people wear the Star of David to identify themselves as Jewish. * They could no longer do many things, such as visiting certain stores or sports fields. Kristallnacht - The Night of the Broken Glass * November 1938: Kristallnacht - “The Night of the Broken Glass” * The Nazis violently attacked Jewish houses, places of worship, businesses, schools * Vandalized, looted, ransacked, set on fire * A “pogrom” * This was COORDINATED by the highest level of Nazi officials * Joseph Goebbels, the Hitler and the Jewish People * Ghettos: special areas of the city where ONLY Jewish people lived(they were forced there, and the police kept them in) * Run-down houses, dirty, poor areas, no food, broken. * Camps(death, work, concentration): * Built these camps and brought Jewish people here * 2 options : Forced labour(men) Death(women and children) * 44,000 camps Auschwitz-Birkenau * Barbed wire fences surrounding living quarters * Railway to death * End of line * Gas chamber Holocaust Reaction in Canada * In the 1930s German Jews fled Nazi Germany in order to escape persecution. * The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 had removed the rights of Jewish citizens, and Kristallnacht in 1938 was a government-sponsored attack on the Jewish community. * Frederick Blair, King's Semitic minister of immigration, had effectively shut the doors to any Jews attempting to come to Canada. When asked how many Jews should be allowed, he said, “One would be too many.” * Canada turned away the steamship St.Louis(a ship filled with Jewish refugees, which went back to Europe, where many died from those countries being taken over by Germany) (1935, Hitler openly went against the Treaty of Versailles.) 1938 Austria * Germany used Anschluss(translates to union) as their justification for invading Austria. They want back what they lost in WW1 * March 12, 1938, * Germany first invades Austria. No one wants a war - So they just let Hitler have it and told him not to take anymore * Following the lead of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, William Lyon Mackenzie King pursued a policy of appeasement with Germany and Italy. * In 1937, the king visited Hitler and found him to be a man of “deep sincerity and a genuine patriot” who “truly loves his fellow man.” What was happening in Europe When Germany seized the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia, the Munich Agreement(signed by Britain, Germany, France and Italy) allowed Germany to keep this land without any trouble. PM King sent a message to Chamberlain thanking him for his work towards peace. Hitler was warned… don't take over any more countries! BUT quickly followed up by capturing the rest of Czechoslovakia(late Sept 1938) STILL, we did NOTHING **Appeasement!!!** Meanwhile, trouble is brewing behind the scenes… * Germany is building up their military Non-aggression pact, aka Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact 1939: Stalin and Hitler secretly make a pact to NOT go to war with each other and divide up Eastern Europe and share control. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin viewed the pact as a way to keep his nation on peaceful terms with Germany, while giving him time to build up the Soviet military. German Chancellor Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) used the pact to make sure Germany was able to invade Poland unopposed. Britain Declares War - September 3rd, 1939 Canadian Reaction to the Events in Europe * Few Canadians felt any excitement as the war began. * Ten years of depression, unemployment, and hard times had sapped the national will, and there were too many who remembered the dead and maimed from the Great War. * Asserting its independence(Statute of Westminster - 1931), Canada waits 7 days to declare war. Canada prepares for war * When Canada declared war in 1939, there were only about 10,000 soldiers in its armed forces. * During the Depression years, the government had reduced the military due to costs. In 1939, the army possessed only 14 tanks. The navy had exactly 10 working vessels and the air force had only 50 modern aircraft. * Though largely unprepared for war, Canada was quick to respond In summary causes of WW11 1. Treaty of Versailles 2. The Great Depression 3. The Rise of Fascism 4. Appeasement (and the failure to act against imperialism and militarism - re-armament) King promised he would not use conscription for overseas service. Canada's role during the war was one of “limited liability.” This meant that Canada would contribute what it could and use the war to rebuild its economy. Battle of the Atlantic When? 1939-1945(2075 day battle!) Where? Atlantic Ocean Who? Royal Canadian Navy(RCN) & Allies VS. Axis What? * The defence of North Atlantic trade against the submarine threat from German U-boats * Use of convoys almost immediately to protect ships from submarines * Adding “corvettes” - anti-submarine escorts for ships * Germans were very successful in using U-boats to sink ships * Radar systems ver outdated; a big problem * 1943: Terrible year - many losses of destroyers; 1944: much better, RCN plays a huge role in D-Day Result/Impact * RCN destroyed 33 enemy submarines during the war: three Italian and the rest German of the 1000 sunk * But the real measure of the RCN's war against the U-boats lay in the shipping safely escorted Germans travelled in wolf packs(groups of U-boats) Battle of Britain When? Summer/fall 1940 Where? Skies over Britain Who? Royal Air Force(RAF) vs. Germans What? * Totally AIR battle * Largest and longest aerial bombing campaign in history * First targeted convoys, airfields, radar systems and then civilians(population centres) - if Germans had succeeded, they probably would have won the war. Result/Impact The failure of Nazi Germany to achieve its objectives of destroying Britain's air defences, or forcing Britain to negotiate an armistice or an outright surrender, is considered its first major defeat and one of the crucial turning points in the war! Miracle at Dunkirk * The “Miracle at Dunkirk” was the evacuation of Allied soldiers across the English Channel from the beaches and harbours of Dunkirk, France between May 27 and June 4, 1940 * Winston Churchill hailed their rescue as a “Miracle of deliverance” * By the 9th day of evacuation, a total of 338,226 soldiers had been rescued by a hastily assembled fleet of 800 boats * After Dunkrik, England was the main country that stood alone against the Nazis Blitzkrieg Strategy * German word meaning “Lightning war” * Innovative military technique * First used by the Germans in WW11 * Tactic based on speed and surprise North Africa Campaign When? 10 June 1940 to May 1943 Where? Across the desert sweep of northern Egypt and Libya, and in the more hilly coastal areas of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia Who? British, Canadian, Commonwealth, American and French forces confronted the Italian-German Axis What? * Sept 1940: Mussolini attempts to expand Italy's African empire by invading British-controlled Egypt * Italians are pushed back into Libya * German intervention, sending forces to support Italy * A series of advances and retreats follows * By late 1942, Britain had gained air and sea superiority in the Mediterranean * British forces push Axis troops west through Libya * Despite early German success, by spring 1943, Allied forces from Algeria(west) and Libya(east), Axis forces in Northeast Tunisia Hitler Breaks the Non-Aggression Pact * “Operation Barbarossa” * Hitler broke the non-aggression pact(signed in 1939) he made with Stalin on June 22, 1941, when he invaded Russia! * BUT the invasion of Russia failed; Stalin was super mad at Hitler, so Soviet troops joined the Allies in taking down Hitler! Huge mistake on Hitler's part! * Germany was doomed to lose * Germany was given only one option: to surrender * Allies constantly bombed Germany(24 hours A day, 7 days a week) to force them to give up. Meanwhile, in the Pacific Timeline 1937: Japan invaded China(Mainland) 1940: Japan takes over Malaysia, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries Finish with Bella's notes Hong Kong When? October-December 1941 (namely 8-25 Dec 1941) Where? Hong Kong(British Colony) Who? Canadians(mostly) with British, Indian and Hong Kong soldiers against the Japanese(who had invaded HK) What * First Canadian land Battle in WW11 * Thought they were going in for “guard duty” - ended up in a fierce battle against the Japanese who were trying to take over HK. - The Japanese were heavily armed and well-trained. Result * Hong Kong surrendered on Christmas Day 1941. Of the 1,975 Canadians, 290 were killed and 493 wounded. 260 died in the awful conditions of prison camp(POW) in Hong Kong and Japan Back in Europe Battle of Dieppe When? August 19, 1942 - One day attack Where? Port of Dieppe, France Who? Nearly 5,000 of the 6,100 troops were Canadians. The remaining troops consisted of approximately 1,000 British Commandos and 50 American Rangers. What? * It was designed to test new equipment, and gain the experience and knowledge necessary for planning a great amphibious (from water) assault that would one day be necessary to defeat Germany. * 4 attacks at dawn at the same time, then raid 30 minutes later - 5th attack to raid the town * No one knew the REAL reason for the raid until new research emerged! Italy Campaign (1943-1945) When? 10 July 1943 - February 1945 Where? A hard-fought campaign in Sicily and Italy that saw Rome captured by June 1944 Who? Canadians, with Americans and the British, vs. the Germans (who had taken over Italy after the fall of Mussolini) What? The Battle of Ortona was Canada's most significant battle in the campaign * Important location - port town * Vicious street fighting - development of significant battle strategy “Mouse Holing” - soldiers create access to adjoining rooms or buildings by blasting or tunnelling through a wall. Urban paratroopers played an important role in Ortona Video(important info gathered) * 3 Canadians received a Victoria Cross * 26,000 casualties * Underestimated how hard it would be * Some Canadians were there for 20 months Result The Germans surrendered Ortona to the Canadians, the December fighting cost 2.339 casualties. Civilians were not evacuated, and the number of Canadians killed is undetermined D-Day(Battle of Normandy) * D stands for Day because of military speech (technically, the first day of every battle is D-Day) Normandy Landings When? June 6, 1944 Where? Beaches of Normandy. France Who? Canadians(Juno), American(Utah, Omaha), British(Gold, Sword) What? * Part of an Allied offensive meant to take back France(And the first entry into Western Europe) * Heavy casualties(first waves Class ended, and she didn’t go back Dif slide of what * Land, air, and sea battle * Air: bombed German shorelines' defences, parachuters dropped to the beaches * Sea: cleared sea mines and shelled German defences on shore * Land: 14,000 troops fought on the ground once they landed on Juno * Canadians made it further than anyone else * By the end of Normandy, more than 18,7000 Canadian casualties, over 5000 Canadian soldiers died After D-Day The Allied goals: * Push into countries taken over by Hitler * Free those countries (including Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, the Netherlands) and liberate the concentration camps * Some of the most brutal fighting of the war in this final stretch - Netherlands, as Canadians, pushed Hitler's army back * More than 7600 Canadians died trying to liberate the Netherlands, and 4700 remain buried there * Every year, school children go to the cemeteries to visit the graves and leave flowers. * Noteworthy: Canada: hosted the Dutch Royal family since 1940 Netherlands gives thanks The Canadian Tulip Festival was established to celebrate the historic Royal gift of tulips from the Dutch to Canadians immediately following the Second World War as a symbol of international friendship. The Festival preserves the memorable role of the Canadian troops in the liberation of the Netherlands and Europe, as well as commemorates the birth of Dutch Princess Margriet in Ottawa during World War 11 - the only royal personage ever born in Canada Dictators Fall… as war nears the end * Meanwhile, in Italy (April 1945) * Mussolini was caught trying to escape/flee Italy. * Killed by Italian Partisans (antifascists guerrilla fighters) * They not only shot and killed him, but then hung his body in the town square for all to view! * Russia(Soviet) troops stormed Germany in April of 1945 * Hearing of Mussolini's death, Hitler responds… * The Soviets closed in on the building where Hitler was hiding out (May 1945) - Hitler and his wife(newly married) killed themselves) War Ends in Europe * On May 7, Hitler's next in command surrendered on behalf of Germany **VICTORY IN EUROPE… Also known as VE Day - May 8, 1945 * Canadian soldiers battled through France to liberate it, but the liberation of the Netherlands is one of the things Canada is most famous for! * The death toll for Canada's participation in WW11 included 22,917 in the army, 17,101 in the RCAF and 2204 in the Navy. (approximately 42,000) * By the end of the war, Canada had the third-largest Navy and the fourth-largest air force in the world * BUT….. WAR IS STILL NOT OVER Back to the Pacific Remember: Most Canadians forces were focused on the war in Europe. Canada did not have a major presence in the island-hopping campaigns at the end of the war in the Pacific. Mostly US forces. * Canadian Army troops * Some Canadian soldiers fought in Southeast Asia, particularly with British Commonwealth forces in Burma(Myanmar) and India * Royal Canadian Navy(RCN) and Royal Canadian Air Force(RCAF): A few Canadian ships and air personnel were involved in Pacific operations * Support and logistics Canada provided raw materials, manufactured goods, and food supplies to the Allies in the Pacific Canadian Pacific Timeline (Cont.) 1943: American forces start pushing back Japanese occupiers and liberating occupied(taken over) territory - a BIG part of US history * Japan was not willing to give up easily, even when the USA threatened to unleash “Devastation”. The USA says surrender or else. Japan does not even reply! (The USA had secretly been working on atomic bombs - the Manhattan Project) * Aug 6, 1945 - US drops first atomic bomb on Hiroshima * Aug 9, 1945 - US drops the second atomic bomb on Canada on the Homefront and Canadian Participation Homefront efforts * The state began to control every aspect of life, allocating resources, controlling production, and determining wages * The wartime prices and the Trade Board froze prices and wages in 1941 to avoid inflation * Ration cards or tokens were used for gas, sugar, butter and meat in 1942 * Housewives were encouraged to plant Victory gardens to produce their food as well as to save fats and metals for the war effort * The government mobilized for war in a way that made WW1 efforts look amateurish Homefront efforts * Canadians were afraid that the depression conditions would return * In 1940, a contributory scheme of unemployment insurance was created * In 1944, a family allowance or “baby bonus” began sending a monthly payment for each child Sounds familiar to * These and other numerous programs created the modern welfare state or social welfare net that Canadians have come to expect * The liberal party stole these social welfare planks for the Opposition parties, most notably the CCF Conscription * King promises no construction * Due to it causing a division(Quebec against the rest of the Country) * King did not want to see a repeat of the Conscription Crisis that had damaged French-English relations during World War One * French and English Canadians needed to remain united, but this would be impossible if conscription was imposed on a reluctant Quebec by the Anglo-Canadian majority * The National Resources Mobilization Act was passed in 1940 to create a conscription force, but for home defence only * As the war deepened, King: national plebiscite(Direct vote on an issue - the citizens directly vote on the issue at hand) - To free his government from its promise to not impose conscription * In early 1942, Quebec voted 72.9% against conscription, while in Ontario(and most of English Canada), only 17.7% voted against forced military service overseas * King's dilemma: should he listen to the majority will and impose conscription, or favour national unity and not alienate Quebec * The National Resources Mobilization Act was amended to make overseas conscription possible, but only if it was deemed necessary. * King craftily claimed it was “not necessarily conscription, but conscription if “necessary.” * By 1944, there was a shortage of Canadian troops in Europe * Because Canada insisted on controlling its forces in the war, a long supply line and reinforcement chain were necessary. Reinforcement shortages arose and wounded Canadians * King decided that conscription had become “necessary” and sent 16,000 NRMA men overseas * In the end, 2463 NRMA soldiers made it to the front, and of these, only 69 were killed * The fallout in Quebec was sharply critical Internment of Japanese Canadians * With the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on Dec.7, 1941, the war had been brought close to North America, and panic struck the West Coast * Drawing on a long tradition of anti-Asian sentiment, politicians, newspapers and citizens' groups called for action against the 23,000 Japanese-Canadians living in British Columbia * Most of these fisherpeople and market gardeners were Canadian citizens, and the RCMP and military officials informed Ottawa that they posed no threat to Canada's security. * Despite this, the Japanese Canadians were put in internment camps * Their property was sold at dramatically undervalued prices, and after the war the federal government attempted to deport Japanese Canadians * As the largest forced migration in Canadian history, this episode of systemic discrimination is widely believed to be one of Canada's darkest moments * In 1988, the Canadian government apologized to them. A symbolic redress payment of $21,000 was given to each survivor, and an additional $36 million was put into cultural programming for the Japanese-Canadian community and anti-racism education more broadly Indigenous Canadians * 3000 First Nation Canadians served during WW11. This statistic does not account for any Inuit or Metis participants * Because of the entrance restrictions used by the air force and navy, most Indigenous people served in the army * Indigenous men joined to gain employment, to fight against nazism, and to carry on the tradition of their fathers and uncles who had served in WW1 Notable indigenous Canadians Tommy Prince Distinguished Career * Brigadier Oliver Milton Martin, a Mohawk from the Six Nations Grand River Reserve, reached the highest military rank ever held by an Indigenous person. During the First World War, he served in both the army and the air force. During the Second World War, he oversaw the training of hundreds of recruits Black Canadians * Black Canadians had not been allowed to join in combat roles at the start of WWI!. In WW11, that changed. * While some Black recruits would encounter resistance when trying to enlist in the army, in contrast to the First World War, no segregated battalions were created * Several thousand Black men and women served during the bloodiest war the world has ever seen. * Black Canadians joined regular units and served bravely alongside their white fellow soldiers here at home in England and on the battlefields of Europe * In the early years of the war, however, the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force were not as inclusive in their policies and many Black men and women were excluded Women's Roles * Wives and older daughters stepped into the industry to supply the necessary labour lost by men fighting overseas * By 1944, more than 1 million women were working full time, and this figure does not include part-time women workers or the 800,000 women working on farms * In 1943, 261,000 women were employed in war industries making articles, tanks, ammunition, ships, and aircraft. In contrast to the “sham” of “Rosie the Riveter” in the USA. Canadian women did much of the same work as men in factories. The Canadian equiv. Was “Ronnie, the Bren Gun Girl,” who was a real woman working in factories * As a result, women earned substantially higher wages than were possible before the war * Women also participated actively in the war effort * Nearly 50,000 women enlisted in the Canadian Women's Army Corps, the RCAF’s Women's Division, and the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service * A further 4,500 …. Impact of World War 11 War had many political, social and economic impacts as well as international * Baby boom * Women's roles changed for the better; more rights and responsibilities * Political ideology changed * WW11 was the most destructive war in history! Around 70-85 MILLION people died. * Technology made this war more deadly and effective * War was fought all over the WORLD: Western Europe/Britain, North Africa, Italy, Eastern Europe and in Asia and included countries whose land was not ground for war, including Canada, Australia and the United States * Germany could no longer be trusted - it was divided into “zones” to be occupied by the Allies Out of war emerged: 1. NATO 2. NORAD 3. United Nations Political International NATO: Protect western powers against the Soviets (important as we led into The cold War); Canada was one of 12 original members Warsaw Pact: 1955 - Soviet Union and its communist allies(EAST Germany, Poland, Czech, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania) - made their own military alliance NATO/WARSAW PACT NORAD: North American Air Defence (1957) * System of defensive measures, installations and systems to provide early warning of an air attack by the Soviets Economic In both Canada and the United States, WW11 helped to lift each country out of the Great depression by investing in public works, bases and factories to provide jobs for the unemployed Willian Lyon Mackenzie King(Prime Minister of Canada during WW11) - government investment to boost the economy and support the war * Build Gander and Goose Aur bases in Newfoundland and Labrador as places to house aircraft, defend for potential Atlantic attacks and create jobs 1945: Economic Revival By 1945, many of Canada’s previously struggling towns and cities were revitalized due to the large influx of citizens The newly built bases and factories = well-paying jobs for citizens who needed them These new populations of workers spent large amounts of money in the surrounding towns. Boosting revenue and increasing the taxes being collected, boosting the economy as a whole United Nations * Officially began on 24 October 1945, when it came into existence after its Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories, including Canada * Peacekeeping organization/humanitarian issues * Security Council - Who? What? Important notes? Permanent 5 * Russia * USA * Britain * France * China These 10 can use their veto on a vote at any moment to end a vote * There are also 10 rotating countries that switch around Technological Impacts Pre-War Industries(1930s) * Before the war, Canada’s economy revolved mainly around the fishing industry, lumber and paper industry, and mining * Many workers had been drawn to the air bases with higher wages and better living conditions Scientific, Technological and Medical Advances The advancements made during the war not only helped during the war but were then crucial to society after the war Adoption of the assembly line(1940) * The increase in demand for quickly-made, reliable products caused Canada and the United States to adopt versions of Henry Ford's assembly line in their factories, drastically increasing their productivity. All vehicles, arms, aircraft, and ships were made on assembly lines beginning in 1940 and continuing throughout the war. Non-war usages after the war Anti-G suit (1942) * Canadian scientists worked throughout the war to increase the reliability of tools, safety and comfort for the soldiers on the front line and in the air * One important invention was the “Anti-G” suit, which scientists at the Banting Institute of the University of Toronto built. Pilots used anti-G suits in dogfights to make fast, tight moves. Pilots in danger * Ambition for flying higher * Pilots losing consciences Plan Position Indicator(1943) The plan position Indicator(PPI) - 1943, after its invention by Canadian scientists in conjunction with the UK * Central positions with a rotating radar(radio wave beam) that would bounce off surrounding objects and reflect, giving the relative positions of the enemy * This is an important invention that allowed the allies to prepare for attacks and raids, or evacuate people if need be, increasing the safety of the population Medical Advancements Expanded use of antibiotics: very significant Sulfa drugs, discovered in 1935, and penicillin, developed in 1939, have led the way to the obvious worldwide benefit we have today from a number of effective antibiotics Use new medical techniques that led to improvements in blood transfusion, skin grafts, and other advances in trauma treatment Technological(Moral and Ethical!) Atomic Bombs Social: Immigration War Brides: 48,000 women(Netherlands, Britain, France, etc) who met and married Canadian soldiers at war and came back to Canada with them Arrived at Pier 21 Refugees/Displaced Peoples 40 million. Nowhere to go after their homes were ravaged by war. Many had been in refugee camps Leads to the creation of Isreal Baby Boom: Influx of babies born to returning soldiers after the war

WW2

The Return to War in Europe in the 1930s
In Europe 
The rise of dictators
* Despair in many countries due to the end of the war, plus the great depression
* Searching for political solutions to deal with the issues
* In Canada, that led to the rise of mostly “progressive” parties
* In other parts of the war, which led to the rise of fascism/fascist parties
* Fascism (dictatorship) focuses on the state’s power/total control and removing freedoms.

Axis - Some form of Fascism 
* Japan
* Italy 
* Germany
Allies
* Canada
* Britain
* France
Germany in the 1930s
Remember: Post WW1
* Treaty of Versailles - 1919 - Forced Germany to pay $$$ (All war debt.)
Then: The Great Depression hits; Germany is already in a ROUGH PLACE, then things get worse. 
They did not have enough money to pay their debts and pay to take care of their citizens.

Hyperinflation and the Great Depression
* Burning money because it's cheaper than buying firewood

Rise of the Nazi Party
* Founded in 1920 - not by Hitler(evolved out of Germans Worker Party 1919-1920)
Hitler Promised
* Tear up the Treaty of Versailles - especially stop paying $$$ to countries(reparations)
* Build up Germany’s military 
* End unemployments
* Restore “glory” Germany
* Invest $$ into industry(factories)

* People are happy with Hitler's promises
* Internal

* BIG PROBLEM: as soon as he is elected, he “overthrows” parliament (democratic) - gets rid of it - and he makes Germany a dictatorship.
* Abolishes with FORCE! He threatens anyone who disagrees with him - put you in prison, torture you or kill you if you go against him.
* He later gave himself the title of Führer

Attacks on Freedoms in Germany
* He took away the freedoms and rights of the citizens. Unions were banned. Teachers had to teach ONLY Nazi policy. Books that were against his party were burned. 
Hitler and the Jewish people
* Nuremberg Laws(1935)
 - Jewish people could no longer:
     - Attend University
     - Teach in any school
     - Work in government
     - Write Books or work for newspapers
         (Taking away their voice)
* Marry a non-Jewish person

* Around 1936 - 1937, Hitler sent his secret police to watch the Jewish people. He made the Jewish people wear the Star of David to identify themselves as Jewish. 
* They could no longer do many things, such as visiting certain stores or sports fields.

Kristallnacht - The Night of the Broken Glass
* November 1938: Kristallnacht - “The Night of the Broken Glass”
* The Nazis violently attacked Jewish houses, places of worship, businesses, schools
* Vandalized, looted, ransacked, set on fire
* A “pogrom”
* This was COORDINATED by the highest level of Nazi officials
* Joseph Goebbels, the

Hitler and the Jewish People
* Ghettos: special areas of the city where ONLY Jewish people lived(they were forced there, and the police kept them in)
* Run-down houses, dirty, poor areas, no food, broken. 
* Camps(death, work, concentration): 
* Built these camps and brought Jewish people here
* 2 options : Forced labour(men) Death(women and children)
* 44,000 camps

Auschwitz-Birkenau
* Barbed wire fences surrounding living quarters
* Railway to death
* End of line
* Gas chamber

Holocaust Reaction in Canada
* In the 1930s German Jews fled Nazi Germany in order to escape persecution. 
* The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 had removed the rights of Jewish citizens, and Kristallnacht in 1938 was a government-sponsored attack on the Jewish community.
* Frederick Blair, King's Semitic minister of immigration, had effectively shut the doors to any Jews attempting to come to Canada. When asked how many Jews should be allowed, he said, “One would be too many.”
* Canada turned away the steamship St.Louis(a ship filled with Jewish refugees, which went back to Europe, where many died from those countries being taken over by Germany)

(1935, Hitler openly went against the Treaty of Versailles.)

1938
Austria
* Germany used Anschluss(translates to union) as their justification for invading Austria. They want back what they lost in WW1
* March 12, 1938, 
* Germany first invades Austria. No one wants a war
 - So they just let Hitler have it and told him not to take anymore
* Following the lead of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, William Lyon Mackenzie King pursued a policy of appeasement with Germany and Italy.
* In 1937, the king visited Hitler and found him to be a man of “deep sincerity and a genuine patriot” who “truly loves his fellow man.”

What was happening in Europe
When Germany seized the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia, the Munich Agreement(signed by Britain, Germany, France and Italy) allowed Germany to keep this land without any trouble. PM King sent a message to Chamberlain thanking him for his work towards peace.

Hitler was warned… don't take over any more countries! BUT quickly followed up by capturing the rest of Czechoslovakia(late Sept 1938)
STILL, we did NOTHING **Appeasement!!!**

Meanwhile, trouble is brewing behind the scenes…
* Germany is building up their military

Non-aggression pact, aka Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
1939: Stalin and Hitler secretly make a pact to NOT go to war with each other and divide up Eastern Europe and share control.

Soviet leader Joseph Stalin viewed the pact as a way to keep his nation on peaceful terms with Germany, while giving him time to build up the Soviet military. German Chancellor Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) used the pact to make sure Germany was able to invade Poland unopposed.

Britain Declares War - September 3rd, 1939

Canadian Reaction to the Events in Europe
* Few Canadians felt any excitement as the war began.
* Ten years of depression, unemployment, and hard times had sapped the national will, and there were too many who remembered the dead and maimed from the Great War. 
* Asserting its independence(Statute of Westminster - 1931), Canada waits 7 days to declare war.

Canada prepares for war
* When Canada declared war in 1939, there were only about 10,000 soldiers in its armed forces.
* During the Depression years, the government had reduced the military due to costs. In 1939, the army possessed only 14 tanks. The navy had exactly 10 working vessels and the air force had only 50 modern aircraft. 
* Though largely unprepared for war, Canada was quick to respond

In summary causes of WW11
1. Treaty of Versailles
2. The Great Depression
3. The Rise of Fascism
4. Appeasement (and the failure to act against imperialism and militarism - re-armament)

King promised he would not use conscription for overseas service.

Canada's role during the war was one of “limited liability.” This meant that Canada would contribute what it could and use the war to rebuild its economy.

Battle of the Atlantic
When? 1939-1945(2075 day battle!)
Where? Atlantic Ocean
Who? Royal Canadian Navy(RCN) & Allies VS. Axis
What? 
* The defence of North Atlantic trade against the submarine threat from German U-boats
* Use of convoys almost immediately to protect ships from submarines
* Adding “corvettes” - anti-submarine escorts for ships
* Germans were very successful in using U-boats to sink ships
* Radar systems ver outdated; a big problem
* 1943: Terrible year - many losses of destroyers; 1944: much better, RCN plays a huge role in D-Day

Result/Impact
* RCN destroyed 33 enemy submarines during the war: three Italian and the rest German of the 1000 sunk
* But the real measure of the RCN's war against the U-boats lay in the shipping safely escorted 
Germans travelled in wolf packs(groups of U-boats)

Battle of Britain
When? Summer/fall 1940
Where? Skies over Britain
Who? Royal Air Force(RAF) vs. Germans
What?
* Totally AIR battle
* Largest and longest aerial bombing campaign in history
* First targeted convoys, airfields, radar systems and then civilians(population centres) - if Germans had succeeded, they probably would have won the war.

Result/Impact
The failure of Nazi Germany to achieve its objectives of destroying Britain's air defences, or forcing Britain to negotiate an armistice or an outright surrender, is considered its first major defeat and one of the crucial turning points in the war!

Miracle at Dunkirk
* The “Miracle at Dunkirk” was the evacuation of Allied soldiers across the English Channel from the beaches and harbours of Dunkirk, France between May 27 and June 4, 1940
* Winston Churchill hailed their rescue as a “Miracle of deliverance” 
* By the 9th day of evacuation, a total of 338,226 soldiers had been rescued by a hastily assembled fleet of 800 boats 
* After Dunkrik, England was the main country that stood alone against the Nazis
Blitzkrieg Strategy 
* German word meaning “Lightning war”
* Innovative military technique
* First used by the Germans in WW11
* Tactic based on speed and surprise

North Africa Campaign
When? 10 June 1940 to May 1943
Where? Across the desert sweep of northern Egypt and Libya, and in the more hilly coastal areas of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia
Who? British, Canadian, Commonwealth, American and French forces confronted the Italian-German Axis
What?
* Sept 1940: Mussolini attempts to expand Italy's African empire by invading British-controlled Egypt
* Italians are pushed back into Libya
* German intervention, sending forces to support Italy
* A series of advances and retreats follows
* By late 1942, Britain had gained air and sea superiority  in the Mediterranean
* British forces push Axis troops west through Libya
* Despite early German success, by spring 1943, Allied forces from Algeria(west) and Libya(east), Axis forces in Northeast Tunisia

Hitler Breaks the Non-Aggression Pact
* “Operation Barbarossa”
* Hitler broke the non-aggression pact(signed in 1939) he made with Stalin on June 22, 1941, when he invaded Russia!
* BUT the invasion of Russia failed; Stalin was super mad at Hitler, so Soviet troops joined the Allies in taking down Hitler! Huge mistake on Hitler's part!
* Germany was doomed to lose
* Germany was given only one option: to surrender
* Allies constantly bombed Germany(24 hours A day, 7 days a week) to force them to give up.

Meanwhile, in the Pacific

Timeline
1937: Japan invaded China(Mainland)
1940: Japan takes over Malaysia, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries
Finish with Bella's notes

Hong Kong
When? October-December 1941 (namely 8-25 Dec 1941)
Where? Hong Kong(British Colony)
Who?  Canadians(mostly) with British, Indian and Hong Kong soldiers against the Japanese(who had invaded HK)
What
* First Canadian land Battle in WW11
* Thought they were going in for “guard duty” - ended up in a fierce battle against the Japanese who were trying to take over HK. - The Japanese were heavily armed and well-trained. 
Result
* Hong Kong surrendered on Christmas Day 1941. Of the 1,975 Canadians, 290 were killed and 493 wounded. 260 died in the awful conditions of prison camp(POW) in Hong Kong and Japan

Back in Europe

Battle of Dieppe
When? August 19, 1942 - One day attack
Where? Port of Dieppe, France
Who? Nearly 5,000 of the 6,100 troops were Canadians. The remaining troops consisted of approximately 1,000 British Commandos and 50 American Rangers.
What?
* It was designed to test new equipment, and gain the experience and knowledge necessary for planning a great amphibious (from water) assault that would one day be necessary to defeat Germany.
* 4 attacks at dawn at the same time, then raid 30 minutes later - 5th attack to raid the town
* No one knew the REAL reason for the raid until new research emerged!

Italy Campaign (1943-1945)

When? 10 July 1943 - February 1945
Where? A hard-fought campaign in Sicily and Italy that saw Rome captured by June 1944
Who? Canadians, with Americans and the British, vs. the Germans (who had taken over Italy after the fall of Mussolini)
What? The Battle of Ortona was Canada's most significant battle in the campaign
* Important location - port town
* Vicious street fighting - development of significant battle strategy “Mouse Holing” - soldiers create access to adjoining rooms or buildings by blasting or tunnelling through a wall. Urban paratroopers played an important role in Ortona
Video(important info gathered)
* 3 Canadians received a Victoria Cross
* 26,000 casualties
* Underestimated how hard it would be
* Some Canadians were there for 20 months
Result
The Germans surrendered Ortona to the Canadians, the December fighting cost 2.339 casualties. Civilians were not evacuated, and the number of Canadians killed is undetermined

D-Day(Battle of Normandy) 
* D stands for Day because of military speech (technically, the first day of every battle is D-Day)

Normandy Landings

When? June 6, 1944
Where? Beaches of Normandy. France
Who? Canadians(Juno), American(Utah, Omaha), British(Gold, Sword)
What?
* Part of an Allied offensive meant to take back France(And the first entry into Western Europe)
* Heavy casualties(first waves 
Class ended, and she didn’t go back
Dif slide of what
* Land, air, and sea battle 
* Air: bombed German shorelines' defences, parachuters dropped to the beaches
* Sea: cleared sea mines and shelled German defences on shore
* Land: 14,000 troops fought on the ground once they landed on Juno
* Canadians made it further than anyone else
* By the end of Normandy, more than 18,7000 Canadian casualties, over 5000 Canadian soldiers died

After D-Day

The Allied goals:
* Push into countries taken over by Hitler
* Free those countries (including Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, the Netherlands) and liberate the concentration camps

* Some of the most brutal fighting of the war in this final stretch
    - Netherlands, as Canadians, pushed Hitler's army back

* More than 7600 Canadians died trying to liberate the Netherlands, and 4700 remain buried there
* Every year, school children go to the cemeteries to visit the graves and leave flowers.
* Noteworthy: Canada: hosted the Dutch Royal family since 1940

Netherlands gives thanks

The Canadian Tulip Festival was established to celebrate the historic Royal gift of tulips from the Dutch to Canadians immediately following the Second World War as a symbol of international friendship. The Festival preserves the memorable role of the Canadian troops in the liberation of the Netherlands and Europe, as well as commemorates the birth of Dutch Princess Margriet in Ottawa during World War 11 - the only royal personage ever born in Canada

Dictators Fall… as war nears the end

* Meanwhile, in Italy (April 1945)
* Mussolini was caught trying to escape/flee Italy.
* Killed by Italian Partisans (antifascists guerrilla fighters)
* They not only shot and killed him, but then hung his body in the town square for all to view!

* Russia(Soviet) troops stormed Germany in April of 1945

* Hearing of Mussolini's death, Hitler responds…
* The Soviets closed in on the building where Hitler was hiding out (May 1945)
      - Hitler and his wife(newly married) killed themselves)

War Ends in Europe
* On May 7, Hitler's next in command surrendered on behalf of Germany

**VICTORY IN EUROPE…
Also known as VE Day - May 8, 1945

* Canadian soldiers battled through France to liberate it, but the liberation of the Netherlands is one of the things Canada is most famous for!
* The death toll for Canada's participation in WW11 included 22,917 in the army, 17,101 in the RCAF and 2204 in the Navy. (approximately 42,000) 
* By the end of the war, Canada had  the third-largest Navy and the fourth-largest air force in the world 
* BUT….. WAR IS STILL NOT OVER

Back to the Pacific 
Remember: Most Canadians forces were focused on the war in Europe. Canada did not have a major presence in the island-hopping campaigns at the end of the war in the Pacific. Mostly US forces.

* Canadian Army troops

* Some Canadian soldiers fought in Southeast Asia, particularly with British Commonwealth forces in Burma(Myanmar) and India

* Royal Canadian Navy(RCN) and Royal Canadian Air Force(RCAF):
A few Canadian ships and air personnel were involved in Pacific operations

* Support and logistics
Canada provided raw materials, manufactured goods, and food supplies to the Allies in the Pacific
Canadian

Pacific Timeline (Cont.)

1943: American forces start pushing back Japanese occupiers and liberating occupied(taken over) territory - a BIG part of US history

* Japan was not willing to give up easily, even when the USA threatened to unleash “Devastation”. The USA says surrender or else. Japan does not even reply! (The USA had secretly been working on atomic bombs - the Manhattan Project)
* Aug 6, 1945 - US drops first atomic bomb on Hiroshima
* Aug 9, 1945 - US drops the second atomic bomb on

Canada on the Homefront and Canadian Participation

Homefront efforts
* The state began to control every aspect of life, allocating resources, controlling production, and determining wages
* The wartime prices and the Trade Board froze prices and wages in 1941 to avoid inflation
* Ration cards or tokens were used for gas, sugar, butter and meat  in 1942 
* Housewives were encouraged to plant Victory gardens to produce their food as well as to save fats and metals for the war effort
* The government mobilized for war in a way that made WW1 efforts look amateurish

Homefront efforts
* Canadians were afraid that the depression conditions would return
* In 1940, a contributory scheme of unemployment insurance was created
* In 1944, a family allowance or “baby bonus” began sending a monthly payment for each child

Sounds familiar to
* These and other numerous programs created the modern welfare state or social welfare net that Canadians have come to expect
* The liberal party stole these social welfare planks for the Opposition parties, most notably the CCF

Conscription

* King promises no construction
* Due to it causing a division(Quebec against the rest of the Country)
* King did not want to see a repeat of the Conscription Crisis that had damaged French-English relations during World War One
* French and English Canadians needed to remain united, but this would be impossible if conscription was imposed on a reluctant Quebec by the Anglo-Canadian majority
* The National Resources Mobilization Act was passed in 1940 to create a conscription force, but for home defence only

* As the war deepened, King: national plebiscite(Direct vote on an issue - the citizens directly vote on the issue at hand)
      - To free his government from its promise to not impose conscription

* In early 1942, Quebec voted 72.9% against conscription, while in Ontario(and most of English Canada), only 17.7% voted against forced military service overseas
* King's dilemma: should he listen to the majority will and impose conscription, or favour national unity and not alienate Quebec

* The National Resources Mobilization Act was amended to make overseas conscription possible, but only if it was deemed necessary.
* King craftily claimed it was “not necessarily conscription, but conscription if  “necessary.”
* By 1944, there was a shortage of Canadian troops in Europe
* Because Canada insisted on controlling its forces in the war, a long supply line and reinforcement chain were necessary. Reinforcement shortages arose and wounded Canadians

* King decided that conscription had become “necessary” and sent 16,000 NRMA men overseas
* In the end, 2463 NRMA soldiers made it to the front, and of these, only 69 were killed
* The fallout in Quebec was sharply critical

Internment of Japanese Canadians

* With the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on Dec.7, 1941, the war had been brought close to North America, and panic struck the West Coast
* Drawing on a long tradition of anti-Asian sentiment, politicians, newspapers and citizens' groups called for action against the 23,000 Japanese-Canadians living in British Columbia
* Most of these fisherpeople and market gardeners were Canadian citizens, and the RCMP and military officials informed Ottawa that they posed no threat to Canada's security.

* Despite this, the Japanese Canadians were put in internment camps
* Their property was sold at dramatically undervalued prices, and after the war the federal government attempted to deport Japanese Canadians
* As the largest forced migration in Canadian history, this episode of systemic discrimination is widely believed to be one of Canada's darkest moments
* In 1988, the Canadian government apologized to them. A symbolic redress payment of $21,000 was given to each survivor, and an additional $36 million was put into cultural programming for the Japanese-Canadian community and anti-racism education more broadly

Indigenous Canadians
* 3000 First Nation Canadians served during WW11. This statistic does not account for any Inuit or Metis participants
* Because of the entrance restrictions used by the air force and navy, most Indigenous people served in the army
* Indigenous men joined to gain employment, to fight against nazism, and to carry on the tradition of their fathers and uncles who had served in WW1

Notable indigenous Canadians

Tommy Prince

Distinguished Career
* Brigadier Oliver Milton Martin, a Mohawk from the Six Nations Grand River Reserve, reached the highest military rank ever held by an Indigenous person. During the First World War, he served in both the army and the air force. During the Second World War, he oversaw the training of hundreds of recruits

Black Canadians
* Black Canadians had not been allowed to join in combat roles at the start of WWI!. In WW11, that changed. 
* While some Black recruits would encounter resistance when trying to enlist in the army, in contrast to the First World War, no segregated battalions were created
* Several thousand Black men and women served during the bloodiest war the world has ever seen.
* Black Canadians joined regular units and served bravely alongside their white fellow soldiers here at home in England and on the battlefields of Europe
* In the early years of the war, however, the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force were not as inclusive in their policies and many Black men and women were excluded

Women's Roles
* Wives and older daughters stepped into the industry to supply the necessary labour lost by men fighting overseas
* By 1944, more than 1 million women were working full time, and this figure does not include part-time women workers or the 800,000 women working on farms
* In 1943, 261,000 women were employed in war industries making articles, tanks, ammunition, ships, and aircraft. In contrast to the “sham” of “Rosie the Riveter” in the USA. Canadian women did much of the same work as men in factories. The Canadian equiv. Was “Ronnie, the Bren Gun Girl,” who was a real woman working in factories

* As a result, women earned substantially higher wages than were possible before the war
* Women also participated actively in the war effort
* Nearly 50,000 women enlisted in the Canadian Women's Army Corps, the RCAF’s Women's Division, and the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service
* A further 4,500 ….

Impact of World War 11

War had many political, social and economic impacts as well as international
* Baby boom
* Women's roles changed for the better; more rights and responsibilities
* Political ideology changed

* WW11 was the most destructive war in history! Around 70-85 MILLION people died. 
* Technology made this war more deadly and effective
* War was fought all over the WORLD: Western Europe/Britain, North Africa, Italy, Eastern Europe and in Asia and included countries whose land was not ground for war, including Canada, Australia and the United States
* Germany could no longer be trusted - it was divided into “zones” to be occupied by the Allies

Out of war emerged:
1. NATO
2. NORAD
3. United Nations

Political International

NATO: Protect western powers against the Soviets (important as we led into The cold War); Canada was one of 12 original members
Warsaw Pact: 1955 - Soviet Union and its communist allies(EAST Germany, Poland, Czech, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania) - made their own military alliance

NATO/WARSAW PACT

NORAD: North American Air Defence (1957)
* System of defensive measures, installations and systems to provide early warning of an air attack by the Soviets

Economic
In both Canada and the United States, WW11 helped to lift each country out of the Great depression by investing in public works, bases and factories to provide jobs for the unemployed

Willian Lyon Mackenzie King(Prime Minister of Canada during WW11) - government investment to boost the economy and support the war

* Build Gander and Goose Aur bases in Newfoundland and Labrador as places to house aircraft, defend for potential Atlantic attacks and create jobs

1945: Economic Revival
By 1945, many of Canada’s previously struggling towns and cities were revitalized due to the large influx of citizens

The newly built bases and factories = well-paying jobs for citizens who needed them

These new populations of workers spent large amounts of money in the surrounding towns. Boosting revenue and increasing the taxes being collected, boosting the economy as a whole

United Nations
* Officially began on 24 October 1945, when it came into existence after its Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories, including Canada
* Peacekeeping organization/humanitarian issues

* Security Council - Who? What? Important notes?
Permanent 5
* Russia
* USA
* Britain
* France
* China
These 10 can use their veto on a vote at any moment to end a vote 
* There are also 10 rotating countries that switch around

Technological Impacts

Pre-War Industries(1930s)

* Before the war, Canada’s economy revolved mainly around the fishing industry, lumber and paper industry, and mining
* Many workers had been drawn to the air bases with higher wages and better living conditions
Scientific, Technological and Medical Advances
The advancements made during the war not only helped during the war but were then crucial to society after the war

Adoption of the assembly line(1940)
* The increase in demand for quickly-made, reliable products caused Canada and the United States to adopt versions of Henry Ford's assembly line in their factories, drastically increasing their productivity. All vehicles, arms, aircraft, and ships were made on assembly lines beginning in 1940 and continuing throughout the war. Non-war usages after the war

Anti-G suit (1942)
* Canadian scientists worked throughout the war to increase the reliability of tools, safety and comfort for the soldiers on the front line and in the air
* One important invention was the “Anti-G” suit, which scientists at the Banting Institute of the University of Toronto built. Pilots used anti-G suits in dogfights to make fast, tight moves.

Pilots in danger
* Ambition for flying higher
* Pilots losing consciences

Plan Position Indicator(1943)
The plan position Indicator(PPI) - 1943, after its invention by Canadian scientists in conjunction with the UK
* Central positions with a rotating radar(radio wave beam) that would bounce off surrounding objects and reflect, giving the relative positions of the enemy
* This is an important invention that allowed the allies to prepare for attacks and raids, or evacuate people if need be, increasing the safety of the population

Medical Advancements

Expanded use of antibiotics: very significant
Sulfa drugs, discovered in 1935, and penicillin, developed in 1939, have led the way to the obvious worldwide benefit we have today from a number of effective antibiotics

Use new medical techniques that led to improvements in blood transfusion, skin grafts, and other advances in trauma treatment

Technological(Moral and Ethical!)

Atomic Bombs

Social: Immigration

War Brides:
48,000 women(Netherlands, Britain, France, etc) who met and married Canadian soldiers at war and came back to Canada with them
Arrived at Pier 21

Refugees/Displaced Peoples
40 million.
Nowhere to go after their homes were ravaged by war. Many had been in refugee camps
Leads to the creation of Isreal

Baby Boom:
Influx of babies born to returning soldiers after the war

Transcript for:Overview of World War II Events

Transcript for:
Overview of World War II Events