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Table of Contents
In September 1939, Canada declared the state of war. Standing up for its allies and summoning all its human, industrial and financial resources in an ongoing war effort, Canada mobilized.
See the fact file below for more information on the Canada in WWII or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Canada in WWII worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
SUMMARY OF WORLD WAR II
- The First World War was thought to be the end of the greatest war on earth, but by the 1930s, tensions between powerful countries began to arise again.
- In September 1939, Adolf Hitler invaded Poland, which drove Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany. Thus, the Second World War erupted.
- The German forces then invaded Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Later, France was occupied.
- The British Empire was Hitler’s next target. In order to gain control of his target country, Hitler executed a Blitzkrieg attack, forcing Britain to the brink of destruction.
- On September 27, 1940, the Axis powers were formed, as Germany, Italy, and Japan became allies after the signing of the Tripartite Pact in Berlin.
- Italian dictator Benito Mussolini started the Greco-Italian War by launching an invasion of the Kingdom of Greece from Albania.
- The war also expanded in the Pacific as Japan attacked many Asian countries. such as the Philippines, China, Vietnam, and other neighboring countries.
- The turning point of the war came when the United States joined the war after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
- From 1943 to 1945, the Allied forces began to retaliate. British and American forces had defeated the Italians and Germans by 1943, resulting in Mussolini’s defeat by July.
- In Europe, the Allies invaded Europe in 1944 and made their way to Germany in 1945, thus ending Hitler’s atrocities and the war.
- In the Pacific, the bombing of two Japanese cities, Nagasaki and Hiroshima, in 1945 forced the Japanese government into a formal surrender, thus ending World War II.
CANADA ENTERS THE WAR
- At the outbreak of war, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan was established in Canada to develop the air forces of Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. It was under the direction of the Royal Canadian Air Force, costing the Canadian government over 1.5 billion dollars.
- Almost from the beginning, Canadians were in the middle of war campaigns in the air.
- In the Battle of Britain, the 1st Fighter Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), equipped with modern eight-gun fighters, became the first unit to engage in battle when it met a formation of German bombers over southern England on August 26, 1940.
- The Blitzkrieg attack raged on for the next nine months, and by mid-October, the squadron had accounted for 31 enemy aircraft destroyed and 43 more damaged. It lost 16 hurricanes, with all the pilots being killed.
- Failing to destroy Britain’s morale, the enemy set its sights on starving the British people into submission by destroying their sea communications and cutting them off from overseas supplies. For six years, the Canadian Navy was one of the principal contenders in the Battle of the Atlantic.
- The German forces gained control of the entire coast of Europe from Narvik to the Pyrenees to cut off the lifelines to Britain.
- The Royal Canadian Navy fought with 373 fighting ships and over 90,000 men to fend off submarine attacks while rescuing survivors of torpedoed merchant ships.
- The German attacks were devastatingly successful, as convoys began losing ground. Not only did the Allies lose in these battles, but they were also losing in the Atlantic. The grim situation led to an Atlantic Convoy Conference in March 1943 with British, American, and Canadian participation.
- The Atlantic battles continued until the end of the war when German forces inevitably withdrew.
- On October 27, 1941, the Royal Rifles of Canada and The Winnipeg Grenadiers, under the command of Brigadier J.K. Lawson, sailed from Vancouver in defence of Allied country, Hong Kong.
- However, the Japanese forces had proven their endurance and experience over the Allies and eventually captured the country on December 22 after Canadian forces eventually surrendered after a 17-day battle.
- More than 550 of the 1,975 Canadians who sailed from Vancouver in October 1941 never returned from battle or from the perils of being a prisoner of war.
- Large-scale raids were penned out in 1942 to begin retaliation.
- The port of Dieppe on the French coast was the first objective. The troops involved totalled 6,000 (5,000 Canadians, with the remainder being British Commandos and 50 American Rangers).
- The assault failed, however, as heavy resistance from the German forces pinned down the Allies on the beach and exposed them to intense enemy fire. They were forced to withdraw and were left with 3,367 casualties, including 1,946 prisoners of war. 916 Canadians lost their lives.
- In the Conquest of Sicily, Canadian forces were tasked to break through defenses in Catenanuova, Regalbuto, and Adrano.
- With Adrano cleared, the way was prepared for the Sicilian campaign. The Canadians withdrew into reserve, making way for the American and British forces to conquer Sicily in 38 days.
- Canadian casualties peaked to 562 deaths, 1,664 wounded, and 84 prisoners of war. The next operation was to be the invasion of the Italian mainland.
- After taking Sicily, Canada’s Italian campaign began on July 10, 1943, as the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade began Operation Husky.
- They led the way across the Strait of Messina to the toe of Italy to advance towards Naples.
- Besides the infantry advancing across the Italian mountains, the Canadian Army Tank Brigade supported Allied assaults to push through the Italian center.
- The Italian campaign continued into the spring of 1945, but the Canadians did not participate in the final victory, since they were reunited with the First Canadian Army to join in the drive into Germany and Holland for the final phases of the war.
- On June 6, 1944 (now known as D-Day), Operation Overlord, which was the invasion of Northwest Europe, began with Allied forces landings on the coast of Normandy.
- Americans, British, and Canadians assaulted the beaches of “Gold”, “Juno”, and “Sword”.
- The Canadians were responsible for Juno in the center of the British front. Their task was to establish a beachhead and give way for the infantry to move inland.
- The Canadian red berets destroyed their assigned targets and caused havoc behind the lines.
- About 14,000 Canadians landed in Normandy on D-Day. The assault force suffered 1,074 casualties, of which 359 were fatal.
- The fighting in Normandy continued inland. Upon reaching the Netherlands, the First Canadian Army was ordered to clear the Scheldt River.
- This task was completed on November 28, 1944, helping the first convoy of Allied cargo ships into Antwerp.
- The Battle of Rhineland soon followed with the 1st and 2nd Canadian Army Corps fighting together, breaking the last major line of German defence.
- As the battle continued, the 2nd Canadian Corps cleared northeastern Netherlands and the German coast, and the 1st Canadian Corps dealt with the Germans remaining in western Netherlands.
- As they cleared the way, American and Russian troops surrounded the inner town of Germany, where the German troops formally surrendered on May 7, 1945, days after Adolf Hitler committed suicide.
Canada in WWII Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Canada in WWII across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Canada in WWII worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Canada in WWII. In September 1939, Canada declared the state of war. Standing up for its allies and summoning all its human, industrial and financial resources in an ongoing war effort, Canada mobilized.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Canada in WWII Facts
- Axis vs. Allied
- Canada War Stats
- Canadian Troop
- A Narration
- The War Hero
- WWII Innovations
- Road to Recovery
- Remembrance Day
- Words of Remembrance
- Be the General
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