6.2
I. Before the war
A. Italy
1. Benito Mussolini was the leader of the fascist group in Italy.
2. Fascism is a revolt against democratic values.
3. This was the world’s first totalitarian dictatorship.
B. Germany
1. The Treaty of Versailles (which was instituted following World War I) placed harsh conditions on Germany to stop them from rising up in war again.
2. Desperation and starvation caused many problems among the German people.
3. Adolf Hitler led the people with promises of returning Germany to greatness. He planned to extend German rule over Poland, Czechoslovakia, Russia, and Austria.
4. In 1933, Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany. Shortly after the election, Hitler disbanded the Reichstag (the German parliament). …show more content…
On September 10, 1939, Canada officially declared war on Germany.
III. The war continues in Europe (1939-1941)
A. Over one million Canadians fought in the war. Of those who served, 42,042 Canadians died.
B. In April of 1940, German blitzkrieg (hard, fast warfare based on surprise attacks) hit Denmark and Norway.
C. Canadian troops were sent to Scotland and then on to Norway.
D. By May, Denmark and Norway had both fallen to Germany. The German then began to attack the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
E. On June 14, 1940, German troops marched into Paris, France. Three days later France surrendered.
F. The Battle of Britain
1. The only country left in Western Europe was England.
2. Hitler planned an invasion of England under the codename “Operation Sea Lion.” It involved landing ships and unloading tanks in southern England and then pressing north to London. To insure that the ships would be able to sail across the English Channel, dock, and unload the tanks the Royal Air Forces had to be stopped.
3. On June 10, 1940, Hitler ordered an attack on English ships in the channel.
4. By mid-August over 2,000 German aircrafts swarmed the skies over England. The Royal Air Force (RAF) was about half that size. On September 7, German aircrafts began bombing …show more content…
In August of 1942, almost five thousand Canadian troops along with just over a thousand other Allied troops were chosen for a raid on the French port of Dieppe.
2. The defeat of Canadian soldiers began just as the attack began. Germans fired on the landing crafts from high above. Many Canadians died before even reaching the beach. Only a few soldiers made it to the town of Dieppe, where they fought the Germans in very close combat.
3. Of the almost 5,000 Canadians who sailed to Dieppe, 907 died and more than 500 were wounded. Almost 2,000 were captured and became prisoners of war.
B. Canadians were also involved in attacks on Sicily and Italy.
1. On December of 1943, Canadian soldiers captured the city of Orotona in Italy. For weeks afterward, a sign stood in Orotona in Italy that read, “A West Canadian Town.” The sign was left by proud Canadian soldiers.
2. By June of 1944, the Allies had succeeded in capturing Rome. Canadian forces continued to fight in Italy until February of 1945.
C. D-Day and the Normandy Invasion
1. More than thirty thousand Canadian troops were involved in D-Day, the day scheduled for the Allied invasion of Europe.
2. American forces were to attack at the western end of Normandy Beach, and British and Canadian troops were to land farther to the