The Beginning of WWII: Canada Goes to War

Why Canada Slept Memories of WWI – Tragic losses Pacifism – Promote the cause of peace, The Women’s International League for Peace The Great Depression – Foreign Politics seemed irrelevant.

Why Canada Slept Isolationism – Canadians lived in a “Fire-proof House”, Canadian influence not powerful enough. Political Leadership – Major concern Canadian unity, foreign war would divide. Appeasement – Misjudged the fascist threat, agreed with Munich Agreement in 1938.

Canada Enters the War On Sept. 10, 1939, one week after Britain and France, King and the Canadian Government declared war on Germany. Canada subsequently declared war on Italy in June 1940 and, on Japan, in December 1941.

Why Enter? Mackenzie King's government embarked upon the war with one overarching concern: that the war effort not undermine national unity. King promised a war of "limited liability" – Canada's principal contributions to the war effort would be money and weapons rather than military.

Mobilization of the Armed Forces Canada's armed forces were unprepared for war in 1939. The Canadian army totaled 4261 officers and men, and the reserve force numbered 51 000 partially trained and ill-equipped soldiers. Over the course of the war, the army enlisted 730 000; the air force 260 000; and the navy 115 000 personnel.

At War! In 1940, within the first 4 weeks of action, Hitler had crushed Poland. Next, he took Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxemburg, and the Netherlands. Next, he turned towards France. (AGAIN) German tanks invading Poland, 1939