World War 2 – Things I Know

1. World War 2 – Things I Know Before WWII During the Great Depression, Hitler promised to create jobs and rebuild Germany. Hitler won the election, but he did not receive a majority. In January 1933, Hitler was established as Chancellor. He immediately dissolved Parliament and called a new election. Hitler purposely started a fire in the German parliament building and blamed the Communists. He declared a State of Emergency to fight the “Communist terrorists”, but in reality, he gained greater control of the government. He enacted the Enabling Act that gave Hitler power to make new laws. One of his actions was to ban other political parties.

2. World War 2 – Things I Know Before WWII Using his secret police (Gestapo and SS), Hitler killed his political foes. On 2 August 1934, the German President died. Hitler combine the roles of President and Chancellor. Hitler was the Fuhrer. Hitler required the army to take an oath of loyalty to him…not the country. Hitler made German a police state. In 1934, he was invited to invade Austria. In 1936, Germany, Japan and Italy signed a military pact. Later, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria joined. This is the Axis Powers. Hitler began a program of suppression of Jews. On 9 November 1938, Jews throughout Germany were attacked and their businesses ransacked. This is called the “Night of Broken Glass.” This is the start of Hitler’s Final Solution

3. World War 2 – Things I Know Before WWII Hitler invaded the Sudentenland of Czechoslovakia in 1938 under the guise many people in the region wanted to be part of Germany. Britain and France agreed to the takeover in an act of appeasement. In 1938, Hitler is made Time magazine’s “Man of the Year.” In August 1939, Germany signs a Non-Aggression Pact with the Soviet Union. The two nations agreed not to fight each other and divide Poland. In September 1939, Hitler demanded land given to Poland under the WWI Treaty of Versailles be returned to Germany. Poland refused and Germany invaded Poland.

4. World War 2 – Things I Know WWII begins In September 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. On 3 September 1939, Great Britain declared war on Germany To demonstrate its independence on foreign policy decision making, Canada delayed its decision for one week. Canada declared war on Germany on 10 September 1939. As in WWI, the war was strongly supported in English-Canada, but opposed in French-Canada.

5. World War 2 – Things I Know Conscription Crisis Prime Minister Mackenzie King promised not to use conscription to force people to join the army. In 1940, King introduced conscription for home service only (i.e., non-fighting roles). In 1942, Canada needed more soldiers. King asked voters to let him use conscription. French-Canada felt betrayed. King said, “Conscription is necessary, but not necessarily conscription.” French-Canada voted overwhelmingly against conscription, while English-Canada supported it. Although enacted, conscription was not used.

6. World War 2 – Things I Know Major Canadian Battles In April 1940, Hitler invaded France. May 1940, the British and French troops were trapped at Dunkirk. Over 300,000 soldiers were evacuated, but military equipment was abandoned. France surrendered. In the Battle of Britain from July to October 1940, German planes bombed England. Supported by Canada, the Royal Air Force fought dog-fights with the German planes. Eventually, the German attacks stopped. In December 1941, a small group of Canadians fought to defend Hong Kong from the much larger attacking Japanese army. The hand-to-hand fighting lasted 17 days. On 25 December 1941, the Canadians surrendered. Nearly 300 Canadians had been killed in the fighting. The survivors were sent to Japanese prison camps, and used as slave labour, 267 Canadians died.

7. World War 2 – Things I Know Major Canadian Battles The Dieppe Raid occurred on 19 August 1942. Over 5 000 participated. It was suicide. The Canadians attacked a highly fortified beach. In about four hours, 900 Canadians were dead, over 1 000 wounded and 1 900 captured. The Battle of the Atlantic was between German submarines and the Canadian navy. Canada was delivering supplies to England, and the navy protected the supply ships On 10 July 1943, Canadian forces attacked Sicily, and on 3 September 1943, Italy was invaded. Fighting was house-to-house, and the most famous battle was Ortona. In June 1944, Rome was captured and Italy surrendered.

8. World War 2 – Things I Know Major Canadian Battles D-Day (Normandy Invasion) was 6 June 1944. 300 000 Canadians were part of a nearly 3 million strong attacking force. Canada attacked Juno Beach. Although heavily defended, Canadians won the beach and advanced in-land. The Liberation of Europe took nearly one year. Each month, 1 000 Canadians were killed. Canadians liberated Holland, and immediately, they began feeding the starving Dutch people On 7 May 1945, Germany surrendered. This is called Victory in Europe Day (VE Day).

9. World War 2 – Things I Know Holocaust and Genocide The Holocaust was the systematic killing of European Jews and other undesirables by Hitler and the Nazi. From 1933 to 1945, over 6 million Jews plus many homosexuals, gypsies, Poles, Russians and mentally unfit persons were killed. In total, 11 million people were exterminated. In Europe, 63% of the Jewish population was killed. In Poland, 91% of the Jewish population was killed. Today, very few Jews live in Poland. Holocaust is Hebrew for sacrifice by burning with fire. Genocide is the systematic extermination of a nationality or a group. Hitler called the Holocaust “The Final Solution”

10. World War 2 – Things I Know Holocaust and Genocide The Holocaust had four stages: (1) Stripping of rights and dehumanization, (2) Separation, (3) Concentration and (4) Extermination. In 1935, Stage 1 and Stage were implemented when Hitler enacted the Nuremberg Laws. These laws forced Jews to carry ID cards, forced Jews to wear identifying arm bands, removed Jews from government jobs and allowed synagogues to be closed. Stage 3 Concentration occurred when Hitler forced Jews to live in ghettos. The ghettos were overcrowded and dirty. Disease was rampant and food was in short supply. The most crowded ghetto was in Warsaw, Poland. It held 500 000 people in less than 5 km2 area.

11. World War 2 – Things I Know Holocaust and Genocide Stage 4 Extermination was the last stage. Slave labour was “annihilation by work.” Many Jews were moved into concentration camps. In the camps, possessions were confiscated, heads shaved, families separated, conditions filthy, quarters cramped and food limited. Inhuman medical experiments were performed on many people, especially twins. Mobile killing units (Einsatzaruppen) shot Jews Some concentration camps became Death Factories of Mass Extermination. Prisoners were gassed with Zyklon B gas and burned. At the infamous Auschwitz death camp, 8 000 people were killed per day.

12. World War 2 – Things I Know Internment of Japanese-Canadians In 1935, nearly 23 000 of Japanese descent lived in Canada. Nearly 75% were born in Canada In 1942, Japan bombed Pearl Harbour. After the attack, the Canadian Government ordered all males of Japanese descent to move to internment camps in central British Columbia. Soon afterwards, Japanese-Canadians were denied their basic citizenship rights, issued special clothing, stripped of belongings including homes, relocated to camps and forced into slave labour. In the camps, families were separated. Living conditions were appalling. People lived in tents (…including the winter), grew their own food and shared beds. After the war, Japanese-Canadians were forced to leave Canada or move to Eastern Canada. In 1988 …43 years after WWII, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney formally apologized for the racist treatment.

13. World War 2 – Things I Know Atomic Bomb The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Hiroshima was largely a civilian-industrial site. Nearly 80 000 people were killed by the initial blast. Another 140 000 people died within one year of radiation poisoning. The second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. Nagasaki was military-industrial-civilian target. In the blast, 40 000+ people were killed. Another 70 000 people died within one year. Japan surrendered unconditionally on 14 August 1945. WWII was over.

14. World War 2 – Things I Know Atomic Bomb Dropping the atomic bomb has always been questioned. The reasons for its use included: USA did not advise Japan of the destructive capacity of the atomic bomb before dropping it. Japan was militarily in retreat Japan was blockaded by the American navy. Japan could not supply its army. Russia was about to declare war on Japan USA wanted revenge for the bombing of Pearl Harbour USA wanted to end the war quickly USA projected (…falsely…) that 500 000 more American lives would be lost if an invasion was needed USA demanded Japan unconditionally, but USA did not mention its atomic bomb in its demands. Japan refused the demand because it feared loss of its god-like Emperor.

15. World War 2 – Things I Know After WWII Employment – During the war, there was no unemployment. The post-war period was a time of economic expansion United Nations United Nations (UN) – Formed in 1945, the UN was established to ensure world peace. Canada removed its isolationism policy and became an active UN member as a Middle Power Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Declared in 1948, the Universal Declaration establishes the basic rights of every person. Rights include freedom from persecution, right to shelter and life and freedom of thought. The Declaration is not legally binding.

16. World War 2 – Things I Know After WWII Role of Women – Elsie MacGill was appointed to manage the building of the Hawker Hurricane. The words “first woman” is synonymous with MacGill Social Programs and returning soldiers – Many government-led social programs were introduced including Family Allowance and Employment Insurance. Veterans were provided support including free university tuition, health care and housing. Income Tax -- The temporary tax was used to fund the war efforts. It was not removed and still exists today Refugees – After the Holocaust, Canada became a more active defender of human rights and adopted a more “open door” policy towards refugees. NOTE: The policy was still very discriminatory Spies – A Soviet spy ring was discovered in Canada, USA and Great Britain when a Soviet embassy worked defected. This is called the Goushenko Affair.