Chapter5:WWIIReviewSheet

KeyTerms,Events,Personalities,andConcepts

1.Axis:TheallianceofGermany,Japan,andItaly(withothercountriessuchasRomania,
Hungary,andBulgaria.)

2.Allied:TheallianceofCanada,GreatBritain,U.S.,USSR,andFrance.

3.PrimeMinisterMackenzieKing:WhentheymetinJune1937,HitlerreassuredKingthat
Germanyhadnodesireforwar.Asthelikelihoodofwarincreased,heinsistedthatthe
CanadianParliament(nottheBritishgovernment)woulddecideonCanada'sparticipationifwar
cametomakesuchadecisionmorepalatable,particularlytoFrenchCanadians,hepromised
therewouldbenoconscriptionforoverseasservice.

4.BritishCommonwealthAirTrainingPlan:In1939,PrimeMinisterMackenzieKinghada
dreamwhichhebelievedwasasignof"thepoweroftheairplaneindeterminingultimate
victory"forthewareffort.TheBCATPwasusedtoshowawareffortwithouthavingtofight
overseas,thegreatCanadianplainsandclimatemakeitidealforairinstruction.Pilotswere
taughtbyBritishofficers.

5.TotalWar,C.D.Howe,DepartmentofMunitionsandSupplies:
DuringTotalWar,thegovernmentmobilizesthecountrysresourcesineveryaspecttobeable
towinwars.C.D.HowewasappointedMinistertotheDepartmentofMunitionsandSupplies
andwasabletodowhateverhewantedunderKing.Howecalledforfactoriestomakesupplies
theyneverhadbefore,andpushedthecountrytosucceedforthewar.

6.CrownCorporations:Crowncorporationsareownedfederalorprovincialorganizations
structuredlikeprivateorindependentcompanies.TheywereusedinWWIIbecausesome
privatecompanieswerejustnotenoughordidnotcomply.

7.RCN,BattleoftheAtlantic:TheBattleoftheAtlanticwasCanada'slongestmilitary
engagementoftheSecondWorldWar,lastingfromSeptember1939toMay1945.Canada
playedakeyroleintheAlliedstruggleforcontroloftheNorthAtlantic,asGermansubmarines
workedfuriouslytocrippletheconvoysshippingcrucialsuppliestoEurope.

8.Convoysystems,corvettesandwolfpacks:TheAlliessetupaconvoysystemfortheirsupply
ships,anescort,withcorvetteswhichwerefastandsmallshipsbutnotveryseaworthy,toguide
themandprotectitagainstsocalledwolfpacksorGermanUboatsthatwouldtargetthese
supplyships.

9.RACF:Between1939and1945,theRoyalCanadianAirForceenlisted232,000menand
17,000womenandoperated86squadrons,including47overseas.Canadiansflewbomber,

fighter,reconnaissance,transport,andothermissionsaroundtheworld.Tensofthousandsof
CanadianaircrewalsoservedwithBritainsRoyalAirForceandCanadianfighteraircraft
participatedintheBattleofBritainin1940.

10.Dunkirk,BattleofBritain:
TheAllieswasforcedbacktoDunkirkbutmanagedtoturndefeatintosomethingpositivewith
thesuccessfulevacuation.WithinmonthstheRAFhadrepelledtheGermansintheBattleof
BritaintostoptheseeminglyinexorableadvanceoftheGermans.

11.OperationBarbarossa:OperationBarbarossa,wastheGermaninvasionoftheSoviet
Union,whichwaslaunchedonJune22,1941.ThefailureofGermantroopstodefeatSoviet
forcesinthecampaignsignaledacrucialturningpointinthewar.

12.Dieppe:On19August1942,theAllieslaunchedamajorraidonthesmallFrenchcoastport
ofDieppe.Theraidwasadisaster:Morethan900Canadiansoldierswerekilled,and
thousandsmorewerewoundedandtakenprisoner.Soldierswerecaughtonthesandybeaches
andwereplummetedbyGermanmachineguns,reinforcementsweresentbuttherewasnoreal
success.

13.InvasionofItaly:A20monthMediterraneancampaignwhichledtotheliberationofItaly
duringtheSecondWorldWar.Thiscampaignwasthefirstlargescalelandoperationinwhich
theCanadianArmystationedinGreatBritaintookpart.ItwasfoughtinSicilyfromJuly10to
August6,1943,andinmainlandItalyfromSeptember3,1943,toFebruary25,1945,the
fightingwasparticularlybitter.TheGermans,takingfulladvantageofmountainpeaksand
swiftlyrunningrivers,madeAlliedadvanceverydifficultandcostly.Thebattleswerefoughtfrom
housetohouse,andthemuddinessandclimatemadethefightingmuchharder.

14.OperationOverlord:OnJune6,1944,thelongawaitedinvasionofNorthwestEurope,
beganwithAlliedlandingsonthecoastofNormandy.ThetaskwasformidablefortheGermans
hadturnedthecoastlineintoacontinuousfortresswithguns,pillboxes,wire,minesandbeach
obstaclesandonitdependedtheoutcomeofthewar.

16.AntiSemitism:ItishostilitytoorprejudiceagainstJews.InWWII,Jewsweredesperateto
getoutofNaziinfestedEurope,antiSemitismhadpermeatedintotheupperlevelsofthe
Canadiangovernment.WhilePrimeMinisterKingwasworryingthatJewishimmigrationwould
"pollute"Canada'sbloodstream,hisgovernmentwasensuringthatnomorewouldbecoming.

17.Holocaust,BergenBelsen,Buchenwald,Auschwitz:TheHolocaustwasthesystematic,
bureaucratic,statesponsoredpersecutionandmurderofsixmillionJewsbytheNaziregime
anditscollaborators.TheNazis,believedthatGermanswere"raciallysuperior"andthatthe
Jews,deemed"inferior,"wereanalienthreattothesocalledGermanracialcommunity.They
weresenttodifferentconcentrationandworkcamps,themostnotableonebeingAuschwitz.
18.PearlHarbour:OnDecember7,1941,hundredsofJapanesefighterplanesattackedthe

AmericannavalbaseatPearlHarbornearHonolulu,Hawaii.Thedayaftertheassault,
PresidentFranklinD.RooseveltaskedCongresstodeclarewaronJapanCongressapproved
hisdeclarationwithjustonedissentingvote.Threedayslater,theAxisalsodeclaredwaronthe
UnitedStates,andagainCongressreciprocated.Morethantwoyearsintotheconflict,America
hadfinallyjoinedWorldWarII.

19.Conscription:In1939PrimeMinisterMackenzieKing,consciousoftheoppositionof
FrenchspeakingQuebectoconscriptionintheFirstWorldWar,promisedthattherewouldbe
noconscriptionforoverseasservice.Bymid1940,however,therewasenormouspressurefrom
EnglishCanadafortotalmobilizationofmanpower.KingintroducedtheNationalResources
MobilizationAct(NRMA),whichcalledforanationalregistrationofeligiblemenandauthorized
conscriptionforhomedefence.

20.CanadianHomeFrontEfforts:Townsandcitiesbustledwithactivityasfactoriesconverted
toroundtheclockproductionofmilitaryequipment.Newindustriessproutedintoexistence,as
didvastairforce,navalandarmybases.Religiousgroupswouldsendknittedclothing,collect
booksandnewspaper,andevenbaketreatsforthoseonthefront.

21.InternmentofJapaneseCanadians:WithnewsoftheattackonPearlHarbour,yearsof
smolderingfearandresentmentagainstJapaneseCanadiansexplodedintopanicandangerin
BritishColumbia.ManyJapaneseCanadiansweresenttointernmentcamps,andsomeyoung
menwereabletogotoworkcamps.

22.WWIItechnology

AtomicBomb:Aweaponwithgreatexplosivepowerthatresultsfromthesuddenreleaseof
energyuponthesplitting,orfission,ofthenucleiofsuchheavyelementsasplutoniumor
uranium.FirstusedinHiroshimaagainsttheJapanese,theatomicbombbecameacontroversy
ofitsmorality.

Radar:Anobjectdetectionsystemthatusesradiowavestodeterminetherange,angle,or
velocityofobjects.Thiswasusedagainstaircraft,navalships,andmissiles.Bothsidesusedit.

Sonar:satechniquethatusessoundpropagationtonavigate,communicatewithordetect
objectsonorunderthesurfaceofthewater,suchasothervessels.Theuseofsonarwas
largelydirectedagainstGermansubmarines.FollowingtheirfailureintheBattleofBritain,the
GermansbegantousesubmarinewarfareinanattempttocutoffBritishshipping,uponwhich
Britaindependedforvitalwarmaterialsandfood.

Enigma:TheEnigmamachineisapieceofspookhardwareinventedbyaGermanandusedby
Britain'scodebreakersasawayofdecipheringGermansignalstrafficduringWorldWarTwo.It
wasconsideredunbreakableuntilAlanTuringcrackeditin1941bycreatingthefirst
computer.


Penicillin:Discoveredin1928byScottishscientistSirAlexanderFleming,thedrughelped
reducetheoverallnumberofamputationsanddeaths.Itsfirstsuccesswasin1941andwas
usedallthroughouttheworlduptonow.

Synthetics:

MajorThemes

1.AftertheGreatWar,CanadianshadbeenexhaustedandtheDepressionhadalreadyshaken
thelivesofmanyandthepossibilityofanotherworldwarwasnotmetwithenthusiasm.
However,theCanadianforcesgrewatarapidrate,theRCNgrew50fold,thealmostobsolete
RCAFhadenlisted250,000menandwomen,andover1.1millionCanadiansserved.Atthe
homefront,industryproducedmassivelytosupportthewareffort.Theyhadbegunmaking
partsofvessels,aircrafts,tanksandvehiclesofallkindsthatwerenotproducedbeforein
Canada.

2.Sincemostofthemenwereabsentathometofightinthefrontlines,womenonceagaintook
overthegapsleftbymeninjobs.TheCanadiangovernmenturgedwomentogetwork,andso
theytookontradejobs,factorywork,andphysicallabourwork.Manymorewomenworkedin
thehomeoronfarms,andoftencombinedthiswithvolunteerworkwiththeRedCrossorin
militarycanteens.Nottomention,womenalsojoinedthearmyandfoughtasnursesand
doctors,andincommunications.

3.Thewarpushednationstocreatebigger,betterandfasterweapons,communications
devices,andmanufacturingprocesses.JustlikeinWorldWarI,countrieswithbettertechnology
hadanadvantageovertheotherssinceallordershadtobeexecutedperfectlyandswiftly,and
thosewhocouldachievethisfasterwereinthelead.Waralsoleadtomanygreatmedical
experiments,forbetterorforworse,thesuccessofpenicillinandtheterribleNaziexperiments
doneoninnocents,notthementiontheinfamousatomicbomb.Technologyinfluencedthe
outcomeofWWII,itmighthavelengthenedorshortenedthewar,butitpushedsciencetoits
heights.

4.Dieppewasthefailurethatleadtoasuccess.Thereisstilldebateoverthethissubject
matter,buttheoutcomeofDieppeleadtotheAllieslearningafewvaluablelessons.TheRaid
onDieppewasstudiedcarefullyinplanninglaterattacksagainsttheenemyheldcoastof
France.Therewereimprovementsinthetechnique,firesupportandtactics,whichreduced
DDaycasualtiestoanunexpectedminimum."(Veterans.gc.ca).However,theGermansalso
learnedonhowitsenemyoperated,andsurprisinglystillfailedonDDay.SomesaytheAxis
gotmoreoutoftheAlliesthantheAlliesthemselves,buttherewasconstantfightinginother
battlessothatstatementsisnotnecessarilyvalid.

5.TheDefeatofHongKong,andespeciallytheattackofPearlHarbor,in1941,raisedsome

eyebrowsontheJapaneseresidinginNorthAmerica.TheCanadianforcesconsideredthatthe
riskofaJapaneseinvasionarevirtuallynil,andthatCanadiansofJapaneseorigindonot
constitutearisktonationalsecurity.Yet,publicopinionofracistandxenophobicthinkthat
CanadiansofJapaneseoriginareinsympathyoftheirhomecountryofJapan.InfluencedbyIan
MacKenzie,thefederalgovernmentdecided,undertheWarMeasuresAct,tomovethe
CanadiansofJapaneseorigin,locatedintheinteriorofa"safetyzone"ofawidthof160km
alongthePacificcoast.Itis,officially,"fortheirsafety".Theyaresentinghosttownsinthe
Rockies,indetentioncamps,andsomearedirectedtootherprovinces.Deprivedoftheircivil
liberties,theauthoritiessellallthepropertyofthesepeopletotrytopreventthattheyreturnto
settleinBritishColumbia.Itisonlyin1949thattheycoveralltheirrights,andthatallrestrictions
arelifted.ThosewhodecidetoreturntoBritishColumbia,however,muststartfromscratchand
anyrebuild.

6.WorldWarIIhadbeguntoshapeCanadaasanindependentcountry,politically,financially,
andsocially.Economywise,Canadahadboomedinitsmanufacturingandagriculturalindustry
becauseofitsheavydemandsoverseas.Eventhen,theindustrialsectorhadovertakenthe
farmingindustry,militarysuppliesweremuchmoreimportantatthetime.Politically,Canada
establisheditselfasanindividualnation,buttherewereproblemsbetweentheQubecoisand
EnglishCanadians.Canadaactedonitsown,butstillwasincloserelationswithBritain.Finally,
sociallyCanadaexperiencedawaveofdisplacedpersonsandwarrefugees,andpeople
sympathizedwiththeirdifficultiesasCanadianshadwenttowarandtherefugeeswerecaught
amidstthefire.

7.Afterlosing23,000soldiersonthefront,KingwaspressuredtopassconscriptiononCanada.
McNaughtonsfailuretoenlistmoremenledtothecabinetthreateningtooverthrowKingand
hisgovernment,andsoKingagreedtosend17,000moresoldierstowhichonlyabout3,000
weresent.ConscriptionbroughtbackthetensionsbetweenEnglishandFrenchCanada,noton
suchawildscalelikeintheGreatWarhowever.ThepeopleofQubecwereagainstfightingin
awarthatdidnotconcernthem,orforacountrythatdidntrespecttheirwishespolitically.

8.Canadaasasocietydidlearnfromthewar,bothfromtheenemyanditself.Oncethe
Holocaustwasdiscoveredthismadepeoplerethinkoftheirxenophobicideologiesbackhome,
forinstancetheJapaneseinternment.OvertheyearsfollowingWWII,itbecamemuchmore
openwithitsimmigrationlawsandhumanrights,whichmighthavebeenmoreconservativeif
WorldWarIIhadnothappened.

9.CanadamadeahugewareffortduringWorldWarII,andpeoplefromothernationshad
beguntorespectthateffort.ItalsomadeCanadaaninternationalgiant,ithadonethetop
militaryforces,besteconomies,andamainpointofimmigration.Itsindustrialeconomyset
itselfapartfromothernations,becauseofitsstronghomedefenseCanadianswereabletofind
adifferenceinthat.CitizensofothercountrieswantedtoknowmoreaboutCanada,andwhat

madethenationwhatitis.Inaddition,thewarwasabletosetapartCanadafromitsmother
empire,BritainwhichwasperceivedasalapdogeveninWorldWarI.