Transcript Canada and the 2nd World War

Canada and the
2nd World War
Aftermath of WWI
• Political, cultural and social order in Europe was changed drastically
after 1918.
• New countries were formed, some old countries were abolished*
• An influenza (flu) killed millions of people in Europe from 19181919.
• The Central Powers were blamed for WWI
• The treaty of Versailles punished Germany by taking away land and
forcing them to pay reparations.
• They were forced to sign the War Guilt clause in June of 1919.
*Abolished-bring to an end, eliminate
Allies
• Canada
• Great Britain
• France
• United States
• Italy
• Russia
Central Powers
• Germany
• Austria-Hungary
• Bulgaria
• Ottoman Empire
Chapter 7 Bold Terms
Reparations: compensation (money) provided
because of injury or wrong.
Dictator: A person who takes control of a
government.
Annex: To join or add to a larger thing.
Appeasement: The policy of giving in to the
demands of an unfriendly power to prevent conflict.
Conscript: To force people to join the armed forces
by law.
Bold Terms Cont’d
Blitzkrieg: A sudden violent attack combining airplanes,
armour, and mobile infantry designed to quickly
overcome the enemy.
Merchant Marine: Ocean-going ships used for trade.
Propaganda: An effort through media to convince others
of a set of beliefs or opinions, usually by distorting or
exaggerating the facts.
Convoys: An escort
Genocide: Extermination of a national, cultural, religious,
or racial group.
Holocaust: Mass Destruction. A term used to describe the
mass murder of Jewish people and others by the Nazis
during the Second World War.
Answer the following:
1. Why do some historians suggest that the root
cause of the Second World War lay in the terms of the
Treaty of Versailles?
2. In 1914, when war was declared, there was widespread
celebration. There was no celebration in September
1939. Suggest a possible answer to this question.
Phases of the War
To help you understand the role that Canada played in
Second World War, the war has been divided into four
phases. Canada played a particular role in each phase.
Phase
Phase
Phase
Phase
1:
2:
3:
4:
September 1939 to June 1940
June 1940 to July 1943
July 1943 to June 1944
June 1944 to September 1945
Phase 1: September 1939 to June 1940
• September 1939, Poland is invaded by Germany
• Germany and Soviet Union sign a nonaggression pact and agreed to divide Poland
between them.
• Germany allied with Italy and Japan in 1939. This
alliance was called the Axis.
• The Allies consisted of France, Britain, and the
Commonwealth at this stage.
Phase 1: September 1939 to June 1940
• France was relying on the Maginot Line of
fortifications, to defend against another German
invasion.
• Germany used a war tactic called blitzkrieg, or
lightning war, it involved tanks, aircraft, and mobile
infantry in fast moving, powerful units.
• The German blitzkrieg quickly smashed through
Belgium and Holland and simply bypassed the
Maginot Line.
• The French government surrendered to Germany.
Canada’s Contribution during Phase 1 of the
War
• Small volunteer army was raised, organized, and sent to
Britain in December 1939.
• The merchant marine was needed to transport military
personnel and war goods. They were regular transport
ships that volunteered for war duty.
• The first ships sailed in 1939, and the first ones were
sunk by German submarines, or U-boats, almost
immediately.
• By May 1940, stunning German victories over, Holland,
Belgium, and France left Britain alone to face Hitler with
only the Commonwealth countries as allies.
• This changed Canada’s position, and Canada moved
from a limited role in the war to a total commitment to
the war effort.
Phase 2: June 1940 to July 1943
• Two events were responsible for turning the war
around.
• June 1941, German armies invaded the Soviet
Union, causing the Soviets to turn into Britain’s ally.
• On December 7, 1941, without warning, Japan
attacked the U.S. peacetime fleet at Pearl Harbour in
Hawaii.
• Neutral in the war until this point the United States
declared war on Japan and Germany following the
attack.
Phase 2: June 1940 to July 1943
Three big defeats of the Axis continued to turn the war
in the allies favour:
• U.S. destroyed most of Japan’s naval fleet in the
battle of Midway.
• Allies pushed Germany out of El Alamein in North
Africa.
• Germany suffered a massive defeat at the hands of
the Soviets in the battle of Stalingrad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teC2Xggkh7s
Canadian contribution to Phase 2 of
the War
Canada’s military experienced both success
and failures.
• Fought in the Battle of the Atlantic.
• Merchant ships continued to supply war goods.
• Canadian army suffered two defeats: Hong Kong,
November 1941, Japan defeated the British and
Canadians. 290 soldiers killed, and 1685 became
POW’s, 260 died in captivity. Lost at Dieppe, 900
soldiers killed and 1900 became POW’s.
Propaganda Posters
• Propaganda is often thought of in negative terms. It
evokes thoughts of wartime and misinformation
campaigns by governments trying to deceive people or
bolster support for what might otherwise be unpopular
policies. But propaganda and the techniques it uses are
prominent throughout our modern lives.
• Every time you see a political poster, you’re seeing
propaganda. Advertising in all forms almost always
uses at least some of the usual techniques used by
propagandists. Virtually anything created to persuade a
person to do a certain thing or think a certain way has
roots in propaganda.
http://www2.needham.k12.ma.us/nhs/cur/w
wII/WWII-p3-04/brooke-csg-p3-4-1504/hilda_saunders.html
Phase 3: July 1943 to June 1944
• Soviet army was pushing forward in Europe, and the
German army began its long retreat back to Berlin.
• U.S. pushed back the Japanese and regained control of
the Philippines.
• Canada’s air force had expanded greatly in size, and by
1943 there was an all-Canadian bomber group.
• The Canadian fighting force had expanded from a single
division to a full army.
Phase 4: June 1944 to September 1945
• The German Army was now fighting on two frontsthe Soviet Army in the east and the British,
Canadian, and U.S. armies in the west.
• In the Pacific, the United States was closing in on
the Japanese home islands.
• Work was accelerated on the development of a new
weapon that the United States hoped would shorten
the war.
• The war ended on May 8th, 1945.
Canadian Contribution to Phase 4 of the War
• June 6, 1944, Canadian, British, and U.S. forces
landed on the beaches of Normandy. Canada’s
beach was code-named Juno.
• Britain’s beaches were named Gold and Sword.
• U.S. beaches were Omaha and Utah.
• Canada helped take back the town of Caen, and
helped with Falaise, France too.
• Canada took back the Netherlands, over 6000
Canadians were casualties in this campaign.