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Germany invades Poland
Germany starts the official invasion of Europe with Poland. Britain and France had guaranteed Poland that they would protect it, so they soon declared war on Germany. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany
In the First World War, Canada was automatically at war when Britain was at war. However, in 1939, Canada did not have this obligation. -
Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic was a battle throughout the war to cut supplies to Europe, where the land battles were taking place. Germans used their "wolf packs" of U-boats to attack supply ships that were often run by non-soldiers. Canada's main contribution to the war was resources, and they protected these resources going to Europe with corvettes. These ships escorted the supply ships to Europe. The Allies also cracked the German naval code, making the fights significantly easier. -
Canada declares war on Germany
Thanks to the Statute of Westminster, Canada was more dependant from Britain than in WW1. It could now make its own decision to go to war or not. After a vote from the Canadian Parliament, it was decided that Canada would join the war. Only the CCF argued against it, but did not find support. Lots of propoganda was used, like in WW1, to support the war effort. -
Germany invades European countries
Germany uses its tactic of blitzkrieg to quickly overwhelm defenses and invade with lightning speed. Planes would lead the attack, then highly mobile tanks would crash through enemy lines. Soldiers would also parachute into enemy territory and attack communication centres. The defenders would be unprepared for this quick attack and lose the battle. Germany would eventually take control of most of Europe through blitzkrieg. -
Evacuation at Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo)
With the invasion of France approaching, Germans surrounded the French port of Dunkirk. Knowing that Britain would lose a bulk of their army if they were captured at Dunkirk, Britain sent any capable boat(fishing boats, ferries, merchant ships, etc) there to evacuate the soldiers. 340,000 Allied soldiers were evacuated to Britain, and it was seen as a "miracle" and gave confidence to them. Some historians think that Hitler was merciful towards the British and allowed them to escape. -
Bombing of Dunkirk
The German Luftwaffe (Air Force) start to bomb Dunkirk while Allied soldiers are trying to evacuate. Nearly 340,000 Allied soldiers manage to evacuate in the end, which was much more than expected. Some historians believe that Hitler was merciful towards the British and allowed most of them to evacuate. -
The Desert War
In order to control the Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal, the two waterways into the Mediterranean Sea that would give control of the oils of the Middle East, the Axis forces started a campaign in North Africa. Canada's main role in these beginning stages of WW2 was providing resources and training. The Allies would eventually win after 3 years of no decisive victories, and be able to invade Italy. -
French surrender to Germany
The evacuation at Dunkirk meant that France had little defenses against the Germans, and the German troops swept through France. Britain and its Commonwealth countries (including Canada) were now the only ones that stood against Germany at this time. -
Battle at Britain (Operation Sealion)
Hitler's plans to invade Britain were to defeat the Royal Air Force so that German forces could safely cross the English Channel and land on Britain. The Luftwaffe started a massive bombing campaign across Britain, but could not defeat the RAF even though the Germans had more aircraft. This was due to Britain's more advanced radar system, more effective fighter planes (Spitfires & Hurricanes), and reinforcements through Commonwealth countries such as Canada. -
The Blitz
German planes accidentally/deliberately attacked civilian areas of London. THe RAF then retaliated by bombing Berlin. The Luftwaffe retaliated back, and attacked London and other British cities. British civilians would often hide in the tube where they could stay underground to avoid bombs. The government rejected this at first, but later accomodated the tube with medical supplies and food. Over 23,000 civilians were killed in these back-and-forth attacks. -
Phony War
Troops were stationed, but nothing happened. Germany did not make a move until April, and people started to wonder if there really was a war. Germany did not make any moves because they learned that their tanks were much too fragile in the invasion against Poland. They resupplied and rearmed, and readied themselves for blitzkrieg. The Allies were also getting ready, and Canada hosted the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan in hopes of not sending troops and avoiding conscription controversy. -
Desert War situation
At the winter of 1940, British Commonwealth forces nearly destroyed the Italian army, and Germany dispatched reinforcements to avoid a defeat. This created a split German army due to having to fend off the Soviet Union in the East. The victories in North Africa would be split, and the final victor was not clear at this time. -
Operation Barbarossa
After his defeat in the Battle of Britain, Hitler attacked the Soviet Union, breaking the non-agression pact that he signed with Stalin in 1939. He saw the Soviet Union as a source of resources and labour for his German Empire. After the failure of this operation, the Germans suffered over 300,000 casualties and surrendered in early 1943. The Soviets then went on the offensive and retook lots of territory. This operation also assured that the Soviets would side with the Allies against Germany. -
First Autumn of Operation Barbarossa
Because of the Soviets' unpreparedness for the German's betrayal attack, the Nazis had reached the outskirts of Moscow and Leningrad. However, they were not ready for the Northern winter and lost their advantage after the Soviets used their scorched-earth policy to rid them of supplies. The Soviet Union would also lose many of its soldiers, resulting in it having the largest number of military deaths in the war. -
United States enters the war
With the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, the United States decides to join the war. With its help, the Allies start to win battles in North Africa and control more of the Atlantic and Pacific battles, allowing Canada to more freely send resources over to Europe. -
The Dieppe Raid (Cont.)
The raid was a disaster. The troops were completely unprepared. Allied ships were spotted by the Germans far before the operation started, and they were continually behind on schedule. This led to plans going awry and confusion. Allied tanks were useless due to the steep beach's surface. Communication was poor and reinforcements were sent even after the slaughtering of Allied soldiers. Of 5000 Canadians, 907 were killed, 600 wounded, and 1946 taken prisoner. -
The Dieppe Raid (Operation Jubilee)
The Soviet Union lost almost 500,000 by this time. Stalin demands that the Allies split the German army by forcing it to fight in two fronts. The Allies did not want to start a full-scale invasion yet, so they decided on a test run. The test run was chosen to be taken by the 2nd Canadian Dvision, on the French port of Dieppe. The troops were supposed to attack in the night, but the ships were delayed and the soldiers were forced to be mowed down by machine guns in the daylight. -
German reoffensive in Operation Barbarossa
Germany launches another offensive, but this time in the rich oil fields in the south. They get as far as Stalingrad, but are once again stopped by the harsh winter. They could not turn back, due to the lack of supplies, and could not call for reinforcements because they were also fighting in North Africa. After suffering almost 300,000 casualties due to lack of food and other resources, Germany gave up Operation Barbarossa in early 1943. -
Canadians in Sicily
Sicily was the first full-on invasion by the Canadians in World War 2. Canadian soldiers would continue to contribute in mainland Italy and later be tasked with their own beach to invade on D-Day, Juno Beach. -
Invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky)
The failure of Dieppe gave British Prime Minister Winston Churchill the idea of attacking the "soft underbelly" of Europe, Sicily and Italy. This was possible because of the victories in North Africa. However, Churchill was mistaken about it being "soft". Canadians would fight Italians and Germans through 240km of mountainous terrain and lose 562 soldiers to gain control of Sicily.Mussolini would be overthrown and the new Italian government surrendered.However, the Germans did not retreat. -
Bombing of Hamburg
Allies and Axis alike were now bombing civilian areas. Canada was no exception. Although they had bombed many areas already, Hamburg was a comparatively huge raid that destroyed the city. The Canadian military was not exempt from immoral actions during the war. -
The Italian Campaign
The Allies continued their campaign from Sicily into mainland Italy. Despite the Allies thinking there would be weak resistance, many German troops were there to defend Italy. This led to decreased defense in the north against the Soviets.The Allies would eventually win and the German armies in Italy surrendered in May of 1945. Nearly 25000 Canadians were killed in the Italian Campaign. -
Canadian Advance into Ortona
Canadians had to take several villages, cross the river Moro, and fight through several km of German armies before being able to take Ortona. They captured the town after slow advances and battles in the rubble-filled streets, but only after 1372 Canadian casualties. They successfuly used the mouse-holing technique in which they blasted through walls to create pathways, avoiding the open streets and machine gun fire. -
D-Day (Cont.)
In a massive operation on French beaches, the British, American, and Canadian forces of the Allies invaded german territory. It was successful, and some credit this success to the sacrifices made at Dieppe to gain more knowledge. Canadians even got their own beach (Juno Beach) to invade, and this was an example of their rise to the world stage as an independent nation seperate from Britain. -
D-Day (Operation Overlord)
A full-scale invasion by the Allies onto the beaches of Northern France was executed on D-Day, June 6, 1944. They attacked 5 beaches, Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, and Utah. Canadians would take Juno beach with 14000 soldiers, but with 359 killed and 715 wounded. They had to fight through concrete barriers, barbed wire, and land mines. Operation Overlord was a success, and the Allies liberated France and forced a German retreat. The experience gained from the failure at Dieppe helped this operation. -
Battle of the Scheldt
To gain control of the Antwerp supply route, Canadians were tasked with clearing the Scheldt River in Belgium. After a month of fighting, Canadians were victorious and they were able to help bring in supplies for the final push into Germany. -
Battle of the Rhineland (Operations Veritable and Blockbuster)
175.000 Canadians began their pincer attack with the Americans to drive Germans to the other side of the Rhine River and out of the Netherlands. Soldiers had to fight through mud and flooded fields, and over 23,000 Allied soldiers were killed, including 5300 Canadians. The Germans withdrew on March 10. -
Liberation of the Netherlands
Canadians help liberate the Netherlands, and are celebrated by the people there. They are hailed as heroes because the food and fuel supplies are now able to come into the Netherlands. This is also because the royal family took refuge in Ottawa while the war was going on. Canada now receives tulips every year from the Dutch due to their help. -
Germany Surrenders
Germany surrenders after the invasion of Germany from the north and west by the Allies and the invasion from the east from the Soviet Union. Hitler committed suicide before he could be captured. The war in Europe is over.
