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World War II
Allies vs. Axis
Germany, under Adolf Hitler, had begun its tirade on Europe, quickly capturing surrounding areas. Britain, France and the other Allies attempted to fight back against the Nazis, the Soviet taking sides with the Allies to defeat Germany. In Asia raged the Pacific War, where Japan was taking control over surrounding countries as well, including colonies of other countries. The Allies had to prevent the spread of this growing power too. -
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Battle of the Atlantic
The Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Navy and Allied ships were targeted by German U-Boats, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe. The convoys, which carried vital resources to troops overseas were constantly attacked by Germans. Allied Naval forces assisted by serving as escorts- Canada playing a large part in this by providing half the escorts, using the corvettes that they built. At first Germany had the upper hand, but the Allies eventually turned the tables, overcoming the Germans. -
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The Phony War
Following shortly after the invasion of Poland and Britain and France's declaration of war on Germany came a period of seven months where no significant action took place and the idea that war would occur became questionable. A few things did take place during this time, like the sinking of the Athenia and the Royal Oak, and the dropping of propaganda into German territory. -
Germany Takes Denmark and Norway
The Phony War ceased when Germany attacked Denmark and Norway in Operation Weserübung as a preventative measure against Allied occupation of the neutral Scandinavian countries, particularly Norway. Utilizing its tactical maneuver of blitzkrieg, Germany suddenly and quickly overcame the opposition, taking control over Denmark in order to use it as a stage for its operations in Norway. -
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Evacuation at Dunkirk
Allied forces became surrounded by the Germans at Dunkirk, France. The option of surrender was undesirable, as a large amount of British forces would be lost, so escape became the goal. Troops were evacuated by sea via various vessels, avoiding tragedy. France later surrendered to Germany. -
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North African Campaign
When Italy joined the axis powers, Britain invaded the Italian colony of Libya. In response, Italy invaded Egypt, to claim the Suez Canal, a strategic point along with the Strait of Gibraltar which would give them access to oil rich areas. The Italian army was dominated so Germany sent reinforcements. After 3 years of fruitless battle, the Allies were victorious in North Africa. -
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Battle of Britain
Hitler was determined to invade Britain, which required the defeat of the Royal Air Force. The German Luftwaffe began bombing harbors, airfields and areas of London, which Britain responded to by bombing Berlin. Consequently, more British cities were targeted: "The Blitz". The Germans could not overcome the RAF due to the British radar systems, reinforcements, Spitfires and Hurricanes. They lost many bombers so they gave up on invading Britain. The battle resulted in 23000 casualties. -
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Operation Barbarossa
Germany attacked the Soviet Union, breaking their non-aggression pact, to gain resources and expand the empire. With the element of surprise they moved quickly through Russia but during the winters found they were ill prepared and lost advantage. Later, another attack was launched, but halted again by the winter, and finally Germany surrendered after 300 000 troops were lost. The Soviets then reclaimed their land and joined with the Allies. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbour
In Hawaii, Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor, a US naval base. It lasted about two hours, but there were over 2400 victims, as well as the destruction of American naval vessels and planes. America responded to this assault by finally joining the war. -
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Pacific War
Japan was eager to expand its territory, and began attacking American and European colonies for resources, bringing America onto the war when it bombed Pearl Harbor. After this attack, Japan found success in taking many of the areas surrounding it, like the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaya. The Allies retaliated, fighting island by island and liberating those under Japanese control. The war ended with the drop of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Japan's surrender. -
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Battle of Hong Kong
The British colony of Hong Kong was attacked by Japan. Britain asked Canada and other Allied forces to fight the Japanese and defend Hong Kong. Canada willingly sent two battalions to fight. Soldiers sent in were inexperienced and ignorant to the capabilities of their foes, and were easily overcome by the Japanese. Many Allied troops were slaughtered, and many taken as P.O.W's, imprisoned and forced into slave labour. -
The Dieppe Raid
With the intent to scout and test new equipment and techniques, Canadian forces were sent on a raid on Dieppe. Their ships encountered a German convoy, and the battle alerted onshore troops. Ships were delayed and arrived during the day, making them easy targets, the tanks were useless on the beach and the communication between troops on land and sea was poor. The raid was a devastating failure, with almost 6000 casualties. -
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The Italian Campaign
After much disagreement on the strategy of how the Allies would try to reclaim Europe, they decided on attacking through the soft underbelly that was Italy and Sicily. Their North African victory allowed for a southern attack. Using amphibious and airborne landings they entered Sicily and began their Southern invasion. Throughout their advance into Italy they encountered some difficulty with the mountainous terrain and flood-prone rivers. -
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Battle of Sicily
The Allies invaded Sicily, using amphibious, airborne and land tactics. They battled German and Italian forces through over 200km of mountainous land, capturing it after just over a month. Mussolini was overthrown and his government surrendered, but Germany continued to fight for their Italian territory. -
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Battle of Ortona
Canadian troops battled for Ortona, crucial for its deep-water ports. After capturing several villages, crossing Moro river and fighting across German-occupied territory, they began their battle for Ortona. The battles were lengthy and the terrain was difficult, but eventually Germany withdrew because of their lack of reinforcements. Canadians lost over 1000 troops. -
D-Day: The Normandy Invasion
After much planning and practice, to avoid disastrous results like the Dieppe Raid, the Allies invaded Europe in Operation Overlord. The invasion began with parachute and glider landings during the night, along with attacks from the air and sea. The attack was launched on 5 beaches, the soldiers supported by the navy and airforce, with enemy communication and transportation disrupted. The success of the attack is also attributed to the secrecy of its details and the poor weather. -
Juno Beach
14000 Canadian troops landed on Juno Beach, taking the beach after fighting through 9 km of barriers, barbed wire and land mines. The Canadians suffered heavy losses of 359 deaths amd 715 wounded. -
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Battle of Scheldt
Canadian soldiers fought for the Scheldt River in Belgium, which connected Antwerp to the North Sea. The plan of action consisted of four operations, and after month of battle had passed, Canada became victorious and supplies could be brought through to the Allies. -
Battle of the Rhineland
The Allies began driving back Germans over the Rhine River and out of the Netherlands. Battle was slow and difficult against the Germans. There were nearly 23 000 Allied deaths, 5300 Canadians included. Germans suffered a loss of 90 000 men, and withdrew to the east of Rhine River so Canadians could go north to liberate Holland. -
Liberating the Netherlands
Canadians were given the difficult task of liberating Holland, which had been cut off from supplies and were slowly starving. A truce was negotiated between the Allies and Germany, and a capitulation document was signed, allowing supplies to be brought to the Dutch people and end their occupation by the Nazis. The people of Holland were grateful to the Canadians and considered them heroes. -
Victory in Europe
Germany, surrounded from the north, west and east by the Allies and the Soviet Union, surrendered, Hitler committing suicide before he could be arrested. May 8 was declared VE Day, marking the acceptance of Germany's surrender by the Allies. -
The Atomic Bomb
An atomic bomb was developed in the Manhattan Project, which Canada contributed uranium to. The bomb was dropped from the Enola Gay onto Hiroshima, Japan, causing massive destruction. Nagasaki was hit with an atomic bomb three days later. Between these bombings, over 100,000 people were killed, and another 100,000 more were wounded. Japanese citizens suffered long-term effects of the bomb as well. -
Japan's Surrender and the End of the War
After the Allied victory in Europe, the Allies increased focus on the battle against Japan. Japan refused to back down despite the fire bombings of their cities and depletion of their air and naval forces. They finally surrendered after the Atomic Bomb was dropped, realizing the futility of any struggle against this weapon. World War II had now ended.
