The Second World War

1939

💡 September 1939, France and Britain declare war on Germany.. Word War 2 begins

Hitler’s attack on Poland

In august 1939, The Soviet Union and Hitler signed a pact, the German Soviet Non-Aggression Pact,
agreeing not to attack each other and divide up Poland

September 1st, 1939: Hitler’s Nazi army attacks Poland

The world finally understands that Hitler is set on expansion and only war will stop him

Due to an agreement that Britain and France must work to keep Poland neutral and independent,
Britain and France declare war on September 13, 1939

World War II begins…

Canada declares war on Germany September 10th, 1939 one week later.

The Phoney War Period

Between September 1939 and May 1940, there was little direct military action between the Allied
and Axis powers on the Western Front

This period was marked by both sides building up their military forces and engaging primarily in
propaganda campaigns

The British press dubbed this period the "Phoney War" due to the lack of major military operations,
despite the official state of war

Blitzkrieg or Lightning war

Starting in April 1940, Germany basically does the Schlieffen plan part two, and cuts through
Belgium in hopes to take control of France (updated Schlieffen plan)

The French gov’t flees France and surrenders to Germany. Germany takes control of France
(successful Schlieffen plan)

Germany attacks and takes control of Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium

Miracle at Dunkirk
Allied troops were pushed back to the coast of France

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 Sailors and people with boats were called to the Coast to save and retrieve troops

In total, more than 340,000 British and French soldiers were saved by both civilian and military
ships

Battle of Britain
First major military campaign fought entirely in the air

Germany’s Airforce aimed to gain air superiority over Britain's Royal Air Force

German attacks focused on coastal targets, shipping, and radar stations.

RAF used radar effectively to detect and counter attacks.

The Blitz Canadian Contribution

Period of time where Germany continuously 80 Canadian pilots fought in the Battle of
bombed London and Manchester to decrease Britain - Canada now had its own Royal
morale of British military and civilians Canadian Air Force

Result
Great Britain won which boosted British morale and demonstrated the effectiveness of radar and
fighter tactics

Was the first major defeat for Germany in WWII and showed that Hitler could lose

Prevented German invasion of Britain, keeping the country as a base for Allied operations

Known as Britain’s “finest hour,” a pivotal moment in WWII

War in the Pacific

Imperial Japan

💡 The Japanese became very ruthless conquerers once leaving the League of Nations

Japan wanted an empire in the Pacific and in SE Asia

They sought more land and new markets

Japan took over Korea (1910) and Manchukuo (1931)

Then Japan invaded deeply into China

They were ruled under an empire they look to as God and were anti-communist

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 The Rape of Nanking
In 1937, Japan began a massive invasion of China

When the capital city, Nanking, was captured in December 1937, there was a massacre in which
they basically raped, and killed whoever

Japan bombed the city heavily and the army advanced

“Loot all, kill all, burn all” was the policy of Japanese Imperial Army

Many women were raped, homes were burned and looted

Estimates of the dead range from 100,000-300,000

War Crimes
More than 200,000 women were forced into sexual slavery (comfort women), only 30% of them
survived the war

Germ warfare was used against civilian populations and prisoners

Some Chinese and Koreans were kidnapped and taken to Japan to work as labourers (forced
labour)

Expansion into the Pacific

Japan bean to expand into European colonies in the Pacific, such as the Dutch East Indies, who
had oil

In response, the European countries (and the USA) stopped trading key materials to Japan,
specifically oil

For Japan this was seen as a declaration of war by the USA

Additionally, the USA was clearly on the allied side as the deals like with Lend Lease Act they were
financially helping the Allies

Attack on Pearl Harbour

On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbour,
Hawaii

This caused the US to enter the war in both Europe and the Pacific

Hong Kong Falls

Canadian troops were sent to protect the British controlled island of Hong Kong from a Japanese
take-over

A massive amount of Japanese power was sent to take the small colony

Canadian forces never had a chance, but fought until they ran out ammunition

Hong Kong fell on Christmas Day, 1941

290 Canadian soldiers died and 1672 were captured and placed in POW (prisoner-of-war) camps

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 They were kept in terrible conditions and used as slave labour

They would be used this way for three and a half years

They sought redress until 1998

War in North Africa

The North African Campaign
On 10 June 1940, Italy declares war on Britain

Italy (particularly Mussolini) wanted to dominate the Mediterranean and make it an “Axis Lake”

On 09-13 Sept 1940, Italian Forces located in Libya (an Italian colony) launched an invasion of
Egypt (a British protectorate)

Why Invade Egypt?

The Suez Canal was an essential link between Britain and its colonies

Its loss would be a significant strategic blow to Britain and severely affect its Global War effort

Italy’s misfortune…
The Italian Army failed to achieve its objectives and was largely destroyed by British
Commonwealth Troops during Operation Compass

Italian troops were poorly led, poorly trained, and badly equipped, contributing to their defeat

The Italian public was angered by the embarrassing defeats, and many begin questioning Fascist
rule

Enter the “Desert Fox”

Italy’s horrendous results encouraged Germany to join the fight in North Africa

In Feb 1941, the German Afrika Korps was formed, and it was led by Erwin Rommel, who became
known as the “Desert Fox”

Rommel was an aggressive commander, and he helped revitalize the Axis War effort in North
America

Rommel’s Quick Victories and Ultimate Defeat

Rommel racked up a series of victories over the British in North Africa (Cyrenaica, Tobruk, Gazala)

By 1942, Axis fortunes had changed, and much of the area Rommel had gained had been lost

America forces had arrived in North Africa in 1942, and this put further pressure on the Axis
powers

In 1943, the Afrika Korps was spent force, and Rommel was ordered back to Europe

Axis Forces in North Africa Surrender 13 May 1943

Importance of the Campaign

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 German commitment to the North African Campaign took away valuable resources from the War
with Russia

The humiliation of Italian Forces and the deterioration in support for Mussolini opened the door to a
military campaign in Italy

After enduring punishing losses to the Nazis earlier in the war, the camgaign proved that Axis
forced could be defeated

Looking Forward
“Operation Barbarossa,” the German invasion of the USSR

The Eastern Front

Why did Germany Attack the USSR
Lebensraum or “living space”

This term related to a Nazi concept that saw expansion as essential to the survival of the German
State

This concept had origins in the Völkisch (folkish) movement, an ethnic German nationalist
movement with roots in the 19th Century

This concept was popular in Germany, and it formed a central popular pillar for Nazi plans to
eradicate, enslave or deport Slavic and Jewish populations in Eastern Europe

The Nazis Strike East

On 22 June 1941, 3.8 Million German
Soldiers attack the USSR

Named the operation after a medieval

german king and Holy Emperor Fredrick
Barbarossa (red beard)

This offensive is the largest and costliest in

human history (8 million casualties in 5
months)

The Brutality Begins

Millions of Soviet soldiers were taken
prisoner

The Nazis paid little care or attention to these

individuals, and over 2 million died of
starvation

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 This practice was in line Nazi plans to
exterminate those they deemed racially and
ethnically inferior

The German Blitz Fails

The german onslaught fails at the gates of Moscow

Local District Governments began destroying anything that could be of value to the Germans
(Scorched Earth)

The Soviet Army Rebounds and counter-attacks

The War of Attrition Begins

Before the War, German industry was supported by raw materials from the USSR

The failure to defeat the USSR swiftly meant that Germany was engaged in a war of attrition

This was a massive problem as Germany lacked the ma power, industrial capacity and natural
resources of the USSR

After the Soviet counter-attack at Moscow, the Germans changed the main thrust of their advance
towards a city called Stalingrad

Turning Point Stalingrad

In the summer 1942, Hitler ordered revised
military objectives, which included the
capture of a city called Stalingrad

The city’s namesake was the key reason it

was chosen, but it also secured the flank of a
German advance on oil fields in present day
Azerbaijan

The battle began on 17 July 1942 and raged

for 6 months

Hitler ordered the city’s population liquidated,

and what followed was an urban battle that
led to the death of millions

Initial German Success

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 The German Army pushed Soviet defenders
back, and on 13 sept 1942, the battle for the
Urban Centre began

The fighters was conducted street by street,

with roads “being measured in corpses”

Stubborn Soviet defences hindered German

progress through the city

As the German advanced, they ddi not know

they were falling into a Soviet trap

Operation Uranus
Started on 19 Nov 1942, and the Soviet plan
was to recapture Stalingrad by trapping the
German 6th Army inside the city

They attacked to te north and south of the

city effectively the Germans off

The Luftwaffe attempted a massive airlift to

keep the German force supplied, but they
could not meet the demand

A German attempt at relief (Operation Winter

Storm) failed

Hitler demanded that the besieged German

Army fight on, but the Field Marshal Friedrich
Paulus

German Troops in the city 250,000

surrendered between 31 Jan and 02 Feb
1933

It forever damaged the reputation of German

invincibility

It is arguably the greatest German defeat of

all

Aftermath: the March Back to Berlin

The defeat at Stalingrad convinced many worldwide that German defeat was inevitable

Hitler did not share this belief and demanded and offensive be launched int eh summer of 1943

This offensive was called Operation Citadel and became known as the Battle of Kursk

The Battle was largest in history of warfare and was characterized by massive tank formations

Cited by historians as the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany

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 The Race to Berlin
Following Kursk, the Germans were on the defensive

This began a long, slow and bloody retreat back to Germany

Allied moves in other Theatres of War (Italy and Northwest Europe) further impeded German ability
to hold out against the USSR

In 1945, Soviet Generals engaged in a race to see who would capture Berlin first

Assault on Fortress Europe

Reasons Invade Italy
They were deep divisions between the British and Americans about where and when to attack
mainland Europe

Eventually, Italy was chosen as it was considered weak, militarily and politically. Churchill quoted
Italy as “The soft underbelly of Europe”

The campaign was designed to knock Italy of the War, force Germany to relocate troops from the
Eastern Front, and drive “up the boot” and into Germany

The Assault Begins

Before attacking mainland Italy, Allied forces first landed in Sicily (Operation Husky) on 9-10 July
1943

Canadian Troops were chosen to be part of the assault

While on the route 58 Canadians were killed when German U-boats sank 3 ships in their assault
convoy

The invasion of Sicily led to the collapse of the Italian Fascists and the new government signed an
armistice on 08 Sept 1943

Slow progress
On 03 Sept 1943, the Allies assaulted mainland Italy

Progress was difficult due to the mountainous terrain, German troops, and a series of defensive
lines that stretched across Italy

Despite the challenges, the Allies carried on towards Rome and beyond, but the Campaign did not
end until Germany’s surrender in 1945

Ortona
Italian coastal resort town where Canadians
fought Elite German troops over Christmas
1943

Nicknamed as “Little Stalingrad”

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 Canadians had to fight street by street and
house to house using a “mouse holing”
technique (where you blow holes through
walls of houses to move forward, they did
this to avoid the streets that were
essentially booby-trapped) to capture the
town

Canadians managed to rotate off the line in

short shifts to enjoy Christmas dinner

Over 8 days, 500 Canadians were killed

💭 Rome is captured on 04 June 1944, but something overshadows this achievement:

Invasion Normandy
On the night of 05 June 1944, an Allied
armada of hundreds of ships assembled off
the French Coast

These ships were part of “Operation

Overlord,” which began hat evening with
airborne (paratroop) landings all over the
Norman countryside

Beach-landings began the following morning,

06 June 1944 (D-day) at 06:30 (H-Hour)

Dieppe
Failed British and Canadian Raid on the
French Coast on 19 Aug 1942

Used as a large-scale test of tactics,

techniques, procedures and equipment for a
future invasion

Proves to be an epic failure

Close to 1000 Canadians were killed, and

almost 2000 were taken prisoner… many
from Calgary!!

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 The lessons learned are said to have laid the
groundwork for the success of the Normandy
Landings, but historians hotly debate this
today

Allies Gain A Foothold in France

The battle of Normandy rages on throughout
the summer of 1944

It was officially considered over in late

August of 1944, with the closing of the
“Falaise Pocket”

Millions of soldiers, sailors and airmen in

involved and hundreds of thousand were
killed

This total includes close to 20 thousand

Canadians. These losses trigger fears of a
conscription crisis in Canada

Canadian troops faced Elite elements of the

Nazi Army, Notably the 12th SS
“HitlerJugend” (Hitler Youth) division -
average age was around 16/17 yrs old

The Liberation of Paris & Canada’s Unglamorous Task

Canada’s soldiers were not involved in the Race towards Paris as they were still involved at Falaise

French Resistance fighters started an uprising against the German in Paris on 19 Aug 1944

German General von Choltitz refused Hitlers orders to destroy the city and declared Paris a “free
city”

On 25 Aug, Free French and US Forced enter Paris the City is Liberated

Canadian Troops miss the after party and are ordered to clear the channel ports - a brutal task that
is largely forgotten today

Normandy Succeeds
The success of the Normandy Campaign put tremendous pressure on the Germans

A true “two-front” War was on, and the race was on to the war and the Nazi Regime

The only question at that point in the War, was who would reach Berlin first

The western Allied hoped to get there first because of concern of USSR dominance in eastern
Europe if they reached Berlin before

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 The Legacy of the Italian and
Normandy Campaign
Commemorations to the fallen of sprinkled
throughout Italy and France

Of the two campaigns, the Italian campaign is

largely overlooked

Italy failed to be as decisive as the Normandy

Campaign, but it was still significant

Nevertheless, the Normandy Campaign is

much more present in the public mind…

The Popular Legacy of the Italian and

Normandy Campaigns
Hollywood has played a significant role in
shaping, understanding and knowledge of
the Second World War

The Normandy Campaign has been

romanticized and often appears in books,
movies, TV shows, and video games

Troops in Italy became known as “The D-day

dodgers” despite their effort in the campaign

The End of the War

The German Surrender
The Russian and Western allies’ pressure proves too much for Germany

On 30 April 1945, Hitler shoots himself in his Berlin bunker

Hitler’s successor Karl Dönitz authorized a surrender

The War in Europe ended on 08 May 1945 ad became known as VE-Day (Victory in Europe)

German Atrocities Uncovered

Allied intelligence had long known about Nazi treatment fo Jews

As their armies advanced, they began encountering concentration camps

The Nazi’s used these camps to pursue their “Final Solution” - a plan to kill all the Jews they had in
their camps

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 Nazi’s Road to Genocide
Nuremberg Laws 15 Sept 1935 - Racist, antisemitic laws that made Jews legally different

SS Saint lewis - a boat with Jewish Germans who were trying to come to Canada

Kristallnacht 9-10 Sept 1938 - a coordinated wave of antisemitic violence

Einsatzgruppe - mobile death squads in Eastern Europe

Concentration camps - almost 15 thousand established. A total number of death is difficult to

determine accurately

Another War Remains

Japan is still actively fighting in 1945, and this remains a daunting challenge for the Allies

On 26 July 1945, the Allied powers met in Potsdam, Germany

The results of this meeting led to an ultimatum for Japan: Surrender or face “prompt and utter
destruction”

The Island Hoping Campaign

Throughout 1942-1945, the USA steadily reversed Japan’s gains in the Pacific through a series of
naval and island battles

The battle of Okinawa (April June 145) was exceptionally bloody and saw mass suicides by the
Japanese population

This raised concern that an invasion of mainland Japan would be a “national suicide”

Operation Downfall
Name for the planned invasion of Japan

Estimations for the campaign envisioned millions of deaths on both sides

The plan became most after the bombings of Hiroshima Nagasaki

The Bombs are dropped

On 06 Aug 1945 Hiroshima is hit with an Atomic Bomb

Japan does not surrender…

08 Aug 1945 Soviet Union Declares war on Japan

09 Aug 1945 Nagasaki his hit with another Atomic bomb…

14-15 Aug 1945 Japan surrenders (VJ-Day - Victory over Japan day)

02 Sept 1945 Article of Surrender is signed on the USS Missouri

Atomic Bomb devastation

Immediate death toll ranges from 150,000 to 245,000 between both bombings

Lingering effects of radiation produced illnesses decades later

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 Cities were destroyed

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