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Unlike the first World War, Britain's declaration of war did not automatically commit Canada. Yet there was never any serious doubt about Canada's response: the government and people backed Britain and France. After a brief debate in Parliament, Canada declared war on Germany on 10 September 1939.
"The forces of evil have been loosed in the world -- That is why the present war is for the Allied forces a crused"
(William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada's PM)
WHAT'S ON AT THE MUSEUM - PART 3
The Road to War
The Rise of the Dictators
In the 1930's, Germany, Italy and Japan became agressive dictatorships. They built massive armed forces and attacked their weaker neighbours. The leading democracies - Britain, France and the United States - tried to negotiate with dictators, adopting a policy of "appeasement." But the dictators, believing the democracies too weak-willed to fight, responded with even more aggression.
Hitler's car
A Symbol of Evil
After coming to power in 1933, Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist (Nazi) Party imposed a ruthless dictatorial system on Germany. This black armour Mercedes Benz limousine, which Hitler used as a parede car, helped to propagate this regime's image of strength, power, and modernity. Captured by American troops in 1945 and brought to Canada a few years later, this car recalls one of history's most brutal and murderous dictatorships.
The Third Reich
Beginning on 10 May 1940 German attacks and aircraft Western Europe
Canada was unprepared for war in September 1939. It's armed forces were dangerously under strength and possessed virtually no modern equipment. Emergency measures and national recruitment drive resulted, in October 1939, in the creation of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. It would eventually include 16,000 soldiers.
Thde departure of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division
Canada prepared quickly for overseas service. The 1st Can.Inf. Division sailed from Halifax in December 1939.
Air training in Canada - Learning to fly (simulator)
Rationing: Canada Tightens Its Belt
The relative scarcity of foods and consumer goods vital for the war effort led to rationing.
Canadians were encouraged not to hoard food or other goods, and to stretch their supplies, but there were still scarcities. From 1942, the government tried to control prices and supervise the distribution of food and other scarce goods. Every man, woman, and child received a personal set of ration books, and used it to buy gasoline, butter, sugar, meat, tea and coffee.
Thousands of Canadian Prisioners of War in Europe
"We were reduced to human skeletons" - Canadian prisioner of war
The "Great Escape"
Once in captivity, it was a prisioner's duty to his country to try to escape. On the night of 24-25 March 1944, 76 Allied air personnel, including nine Canadians, paticipate in the "Great Escape" from Stalag Luft III by ceawling through a narrow tunnel to freedom. All except three were recaptured. On Hitler's orders, German secret police eventually executed 50 of the escapees, including six Canadians.
The Wages of War
By 1945 over one million men and women had served in Canada\s forces, from a population of just 11 million. 42,000 died 54,000 were wounded. Even so, Canadians were fortunate the war not fought on their soil. Worldwide over 55million died, the majority of them civilians
The Price of War
Soviet Union 25.500,000
Japan 3.553,000
Yougoslavia 1.705.000
Romania 891,000
Italy 560,000
United Kingdom 490,000
Grece 415,000
USA 298,000
Finlandia 90,000
Bulgaria 50,000
India 48,000
Canada 42,000
Australia 34,000
New Zealand 31,500
Denmark 7,000
Brasil 1,000
(incomplete list)
War is death, disguised as sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteWar's legacy is grief, trauma and deprivation.
Art depicts the experiences of millions in a single image.
For artistas, destruction is creation.
War is the history of the twentieth century.
Anything good is worth dying for.
War made Canada.