Canadian History 1201 - Weeblymhearnmenihek.weebly.com/uploads/2/4/6/6/24669723/homefront.pdf ·...
Transcript of Canadian History 1201 - Weeblymhearnmenihek.weebly.com/uploads/2/4/6/6/24669723/homefront.pdf ·...
Discussion Questions:
1. How would ordinary people
living in Canada contribute to the
war?
2. Why would some people
support the war and other not?
Women on the Home Front
On the Home Front large numbers of women entered
factory jobs.
As the war continued women were largely encouraged
to help the war effort by working in vital jobs. Factories
were open seven days a week with 12 hour shifts
becoming the norm.
Ontario and Quebec provided day care while the federal
government provided tax breaks.
Many women were eager to volunteer to help support
the war effort.
1942: NSS recruits as many women as possible for
wartime work.
Women on the Home Front
As in the First World War, women volunteers
operated service clubs and canteens for
military personnel, wrapped parcels for
soldiers, knit socks and sweaters
They a raised money for victory bonds which
helped finance the war.
Women also ran homes and farms, providing
much needed food for the war effort.
Expanding Roles
At the beginning of the war, women volunteered for
military service, yet military services were slow to
accept them.
1941-42: For the first time in history, official women’s
branches of the arm, air force, and navy were created.
1941-1945: 46 000 women serve as cooks, nurses,
mechanics, welders, and radar operators.
Some flew planes across the Atlantic and were assigned
to coastal defenses.
Which are traditional Roles? Which are new roles?
Changing Roles
Women in WWII helped to change the way
women in society were viewed. However,
women were still in many ways treated as
second class citizens as they were paid less
than men for the same work. They were also
expected to give up their jobs to soldiers as
they returned home. Despite the views, the
perspective on women's role in society had
changed after WWII.
Ronnie the Bren Gun Girl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E0KvWve-9g
Propaganda
What is propaganda?
Efforts made to support a
cause or view by distorting or
exaggerating the facts.
Canada like other countries
used propaganda to promote
the war effort.
Propaganda was used in
many facets of society on
the Home Front: movie
houses, schools, community
halls, etc...
Propaganda Cartoon
Walt Disney Cartoon Hitler’s
Children For Death Link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A
SW3UCc17AI&feature=related
Banned Looney Toons cartoon WWII
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjLfyooJQ
Ec
Disney Der Fuhrer’s face:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-
PZVrWvJM0
WWII Propaganda:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV65XRN
1lU0
Treatment of Japanese Canadians
Anti-Japanese sentiments grew among Canadian population
after the attack on Pearl Harbour.
These feeling were prominent in western Canada.
Government in 1942 orders all Japanese Canadians living
within 62km of the coast of BC to move inland.
Japanese Canadians were moved to abandoned mining towns
or the prairies and Ontario to work on farms.
Families were separated and unable to take many of their
personal belongings with them.
These conditions continued after the war was over. People
were not immediately allowed to return to their homes; had to
remain east of the Rockies.
Japanese Canadians were denied the right to vote until 1949.
Conscription Crisis What do you think
about conscription?
Judging on what you
have learned about
conscription in WWI,
what do you think
would happen in
WWII?
How do you think this
cartoon depicts Prime
Minister King’s
dilemma over
conscription?
Conscription Crisis Continued
PM King promised there would be no conscription in
1939.
Government passed the National Resources
Mobilization Act – NRMA – in 1940.
Conscripts served for home defence. They first had to
complete 30 days of training. This changed to four
months, and later changed again for the duration of
the war.
NRMA soldiers – “Zombies”.
King holds a plebiscite to asking Canadians to allow the government to send conscripts over seas.
Conscription and Canadian
Reaction Vote yields similar results to vote in 1917.
French Canadians largely opposed to conscription;
English Canadians are supportive.
PM King proceeds with caution and does not
immediately send conscripts overseas. However in
late 1944 King authorized the sending of 16000
NRMA soldiers to battle.
Riots erupt and 13000 conscripts are sent overseas
and only 2400 reach the front lines.
Canadian reaction and divisions were not as extreme
as WWI.
Wartime Restrictions
As a result of wartime hysteria and propaganda, additional
restrictions were directed at certain groups of Canadians.
As we learned previously Jewish and Japanese Canadians
faced many harsh treatment.
The federal government also required 100 000 other
Canadians to register as enemy aliens and bout 650 were
placed in internment camps.
Pacifist groups such as the Jehovah Witnesses, Mennoites, and
Doukhobors were faced with hostility.
Black Soldiers and Prejudice
Until 1942 there was outright discrimination against Black
Canadians. The government ignored prejudice hiring practices
by Canadian employers.
The war provided opportunities for Black and. White
Canadians to work together and encouraged people to fight for
civil rights.
During the recruitment process Blacks faced similar
prejudices. The war provided As the war progressed they
were accepted into all branches of the military. Many African-
Americans would volunteered to fight for the Canadian forces
rather then their home army.
“If they are willing to die for our
country, then our country should
treat us with equality and
respect.”
Aboriginal Peoples
Aboriginal Canadians were
not considered citizens of
Canada. Thus, they needed
to get permission from
Indian Affairs to enlist.
However, there was a catch
–Aboriginal peoples had to
give up there status as
registered Indians.
Nevertheless, 3000
Aboriginal Canadians
fought in the army.
Changes in Attitude
Some Canadians came to realize that the Second
World War was in many ways a racial war.
They began to feel ashamed about denying entry to
European Jews., about the degradation of Aboriginal
peoples, and about the historic mistreatment of
blacks.
The demand for civil right among minorities
continued to grow in the post war years.