UNIT 3 WORLD WAR II (V2) Canada Declares War Parliament Votes for War Canada declares war on Germany September 10 1939 Minister of Justice Ernest Lapointe from Quebec supported Canada’s involvement in the war but not conscription “I am authorized by my colleagues in the Cabinet from Québec, to say that we will never agree to conscription and will never be members or supporters of a government that will try to enforce it.” PM Mackenzie King assured Canadians that conscription would not be introduced “So long as this government may be in power, no such measure [conscription] shall be enacted.” Mobilizing Canada’s Resources Canadians reacted less eagerly to World War II than they had for World War I > September 58, 330 volunteers Canadians volunteered because there was high unemployment as a result of the Depression and it was a job, strong ties to Britain and patriotism, and national pride The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan December 1939 British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) trained pilots and other flight personnel from the Commonwealth countries (Australia, New Zealand, Britain) Canada was chosen because of it’s open skies, climate and distance from the fighting in Europe PM King supported the BCATP because he thought it would keep Canada’s contribution to the war at home not fight overseas and thus avoid the issue of conscription Total War total war is a war in which all the nation’s resources, economic and military, are used to win the war > home front and battle front = total war total war is also a war which is unrestricted in terms of the weapons used, the territory or combatants involved, or the objectives pursued, especially one in which the accepted rules of war are disregarded total war changed the economy to produce ships, planes, and military supplies for the war