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Second World War Begins
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Germany Invades Poland - World War 2 Begins
On September 1st, 1939, Germany invades Poland, marking the beginning of the Second World War. -
Britain and France Declare War on Germany
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Britain and France Declare War on Germany
With the invasion of Poland, Britain and France declare war on Germany. -
Canada Declares War on Germany
With Britain and France declaring war, Canada follows suit and declares war on Germany. -
Canadian Mandatory Conscription Enacted
On June 21st, 1940, The National Resources Mobilization Act was by passed Parliament. -
Japanese Invade Hong Kong - Canadian's Defend
Hours after Pearl Harbour, Japanese forces invade Hong Kong, Canadian forces defend. On December 11th, a division of the Canadian Army, the Winnipeg Grenadiers, were the first Canadian troops to take part in combat in the Second World War. -
Japanese Attack Pearl Harbour
The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service attack Pearl Harbor. -
Battle of Hong Kong Is Lost
On Christmas day, after fighting the hostile Japanese for some time, the colony surrendered, and the fighting in Hong Kong was over. -
Ally Assault on Port Dieppe
On August 19th, 1942, the Allies planned an assault on the port city of Dieppe, France, nicknamed “Operation Jubilee.” The plan, involving the Canadian Army’s first engagement, tested their ability to launch attacks on both land and water. The encounter costed over 900 Canadian soldiers' lives and thousands were wounded and became enemy prisoners. -
Sicily Invasion
In July of 1943, the Canadian government arranged with Britain for the 1st Canadian Infantry Division to join the attack on Sicily. The division was majorly involved in this campaign and afterward took part in the advance up the mainland of Italy. After advancing a great distance, in 1945 troops were called back to stage an attack in northwest Europe. -
Allied Forces Storm The Beaches of Normandy - D-Day
June 6th, 1944 was the beginning of the Normandy Invasion in which the Canadian army played a great role in. Canadian formations landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. They also played an important role in pushing German forces back into the mainland. Enemy forces retreated east to avoid being trapped between the British and Canadian armies coming from the north and the Americans coming from the south. As a result, the Allies were able to recapture France on August 25th, 1944. -
The Battle of The Rhineland
The Canadian Army made their way across France clearing the coastal fronts. Afterwards, Canadians fought to open the banks of the Scheldt River from October to November. The Battle of Rhineland was the first major Canadian operation which would clear the area between the Maas and Rhine rivers; it began February 8th and ended on March 10th when the Germans were pushed back by the Canadians and Americans. The finals operations in the west began when British forces crossed the Rhine on March 23rd. -
Canada Completes Liberation of The Netherlands
Afterwards, the Canadian Army liberated the east and north Netherlands and moved through northern Germany, with the Germans surrendering in early May of 1945. The entire campaign had cost the Canadian Army 11 336 fatalities. Approximately 237 000 men and women had served in northwest Europe. -
End of the European Theatre
May 8th, 1945 declared the day World War Two ended in Europe and Germany surrendered. -
The Complete End of World War Two
After the United States dropped both atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese surrendered September 2nd, 1945, declaring the end of the Pacific Theatre and the Second World War.