1. WWII: Canada joins the War

2. Canada Joins the War
In May of 1939, the King and Queen of England visit Canada. Why do you think they did this?
Britain declares war on Germany September 3rd, 1939.
Unlike WW1, Canada was not automatically drawn in when Britain declared war.

3. Should Canada have joined the war?
Your Opinion:
Make a t-chart (or pros and cons list) with reasons why they should have and why they shouldn’t have.

4. Canada Joins the War
Mackenzie King, and the Liberals spoke out in favor of joining the war.
In order to keep the support of Quebec, the Liberals promise not to enact conscription.
On Sept. 10th, Canada declares war.

5. Mobilizing Resources Canada was not prepared for war in 1939.
Army had only 4500 men, a few dozen anti-tank guns, sixteen tanks and no modern artillery. Navy and Air Force had outdate equipment and few recruits.

6. Mobilizing Resources
Canadians remembered the horrors of WW1, but still had no trouble finding volunteers: over 58,000 people volunteered in the first month alone!
Why do you think people would have volunteered?

7. Mobilizing Resources
After years of Depression, many Canadians attracted by the $1.30 a day pay (plus support for spouses and families)
Many felt strong ties to Britain
Others felt a new sense of national pride.

10. Mobilizing Resources
Early in the war Mackenzie King hoped to try and keep as much of Canada’s war effort on the home front (in order to avoid conscription).
One way they tried to contribute:
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan trained pilots and flight personnel from all over the Commonwealth.

11. Ottawa administered the Plan and paid most of the costs, although the majority of graduates, eventually drawn from many Allied countries, went on to serve in Britain’s Royal Air Force.

12. Used Tiger Moth training planes built in Toronto.

13. Mobilizing Resources
The Plan was a huge undertaking: maintained 231 training sites and required more than 10,000 aircraft and 100,000 military personnel to administer.
More than half of its 131,553 graduates were Canadian.

14. What is meant by the phrase, “Total War”?

15. Total War
The Canadian Govt. became extremely involved in the planning and control of the economy.
Appointed C.D. Howe the minister of the Department of Munitions and Supplies.
Told industry what to produce, how to produce it, and how much to produce.

16. Total War
Businesses were convinced to start manufacturing goods they had never made before: for example, auto companies began to make tanks and military vehicles.
Munitions factories began to open in Ontario and Quebec, Vancouver began to make ships, Montreal new planes and bombers.

18. Total War
If the private sector was unable to produce what was needed, Crown Corporations were created.
Govt. ran telephone companies, refined fuel, stockpiled silk for parachutes, mined uranium and controlled food production.
Farmers were told to produce more wheat, beef and other foods.