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Canadian Controversies of WWII

Canadian Controversies of WWII. Conscription, Interment Camps, War Measures Act , and The Holocaust. Conscription of WWII. At the start of WWII, the Prime Minister promised that there would be no conscription for overseas service.

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Canadian Controversies of WWII

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  1. Canadian Controversies of WWII Conscription, Interment Camps, War Measures Act , and The Holocaust

  2. Conscription of WWII • At the start of WWII, the Prime Minister promised that there would be no conscription for overseas service. • In the 1940s Prime Minister King introduced the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA) • All single men over 18 to register for compulsory military service. • The drafted soldiers were not sent into combat overseas, but were to remain in Canada for home defense. • These men were referred to as zombies

  3. Conscription Crisis of 1944 • Feeling pressured to introduce conscription • In 1942, they held a public referendum regarding conscription • The Prime Minister asked for the nation to release him from his promise from 1939. • French Canadians voted 73% “NO” (against conscription) • English Canadians voted 80% “YES” (for conscription)

  4. Why were French Canadians against Conscription? • Some key factors: • Language barrier in the forces • No loyalty to Britain or France • Prime Minister should keep his promise • Few French speaking officers • Training in English • Many French Canadians viewed Canada’s role as simply supporting the British in a European war rather than fighting a war that would directly affect French Canadians.

  5. Conscription Crisis of 1944 • The referendum • Further appeals for voluntary enlistment • Increased casualties meant that more troops were needed. • King decided to make the “Zombies” go overseas. • forced to fight in the war • 13000 were sent, 2500 reached the battle fields • Protests in the streets of Montreal

  6. Japanese Canadian Internment Camps What Rights are Important to Me?

  7. What does Internment Camp mean? • An internment camps are facilities where enemies or certain groups of people are usually kept during war. • People are confined usually for political reasons not for a punishment of a crime.

  8. Japanese Canadian Internment Camps • 1942, 22 000 Japanese Canadians • To internment camps in B.C • Labour camps on the prairies • Japanese living in B.C. were native born citizens. • One suitcase of their personal belongings • Government confiscated everything else. • All confiscated possessions were sold at public auctions for profit, to pay for the internment camps

  9. Reasons • Started after the attack on Pearl Harbour • For security precaution. • Feared that the Japanese working in the fishing industry were charting the coast for the Japanese navy. • Military and RCMP didn’t want to act against the Japanese • Federal cabinet minister pushed the Canadian government to take action

  10. Results • 1942 the War Measures Act gave the government power to intern all people of Japanese race. • Resisting caused risk of deportation back to Japan. • Results of the government were that: • Canadian companies fired all their Japanese employees • Japanese fish boats were not permitted to leave port. • 10 Japanese Internment Camps in Canada. • They consisted of: 3 road camps, 2 prisoner of war camps (POW) and 5 self-supporting camps.

  11. Living conditions. • Conditions were poor • Homes were shacks: • Not insulated. • Made out of thin wood boards • Condensation caused walls to freeze in the winter • Lack of running water and electricity. • There were roofs but no ceilings in the shacks. • Usually men and teenage boys were separated from their families.

  12. Aftermath • Freedom on 1 April 1949 • 43years after WWII in 1988 Prime Minister Brian Mulroney acknowledged the hardship of the Japanese • Provided compensation packages for each individual directly wronged.

  13. The War Measures Act • Statue passed in 1914 that gave Federal Cabinet that power to govern by decree and to suspend civil liberties during times of war or national security. • 1940 the government revoked the Canadian citizenship of Italian and German immigrants • Sent to internment camps

  14. The Holocaust Anti-Jewish Policy

  15. The Holocaust • Holocaust has a Greek origin • sacrifice by completely burning. • Nazi Regime systematically rounded up millions of Jews across Europe and shipped them off to concentration camps. • Over six million Jews were killed. • Majority of the victims were Jews others included: • Roma, homosexuals, disabled persons, communists, Poles, Jehovah Witnesses, political prisoners, and resistance fighters

  16. Concentration Camps • Concentration camps were used to detained the people that the Nazis persecuted. • Victims were subjected to inhumane conditions: gassed, worked and starved to death, executed and completely burned alive. • When the Nazis gained control of the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and France, hundreds of thousands Jews were forced to leave their homes and were crowded into ghettos. • Warsaw • Canada allow 5 000 Jews to immigrate into the country

  17. S.S. St. Louis During the Holocaust • St. Louis was a ship that carried more than 900 German Jews. • The ship travelled from port to port along the coasts of North and South America seeking refuge. • No country allowed the ship to enter its harbours and the St. Louis was forced to return to Europe • Passengers were confined and sent to concentration camps.

  18. Jewish immigrants during WWII • The United States accepted 200 000 Jews • Britain accepted 195 000 Jews • 600 000 Jews were accepted into other countries such as Argentina, China, Australia and Mexico

  19. Welcome to Canada • Between 1947 and 1949, 1,123 Jewish orphans came to Canada as part of the War Orphans Project. • 783 came from concentration camps and 229 from hiding • Most of the orphans that survived were adolescent boys and only 37 were children younger than ten years old. • The majority of the orphans, settled in Montreal, Toronto, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia.

  20. Time Line • 1940- government revoked the Canadian citizenship of Italian and German immigrants. • 1942- Japanese Canadians had to start packing and moving out. • 1942- William Lyon Mackenzie held a public referendum • 1942- 22 000 Japanese Canadians were brought to internment camps in B.C. • 1942- Order-In-Council passed under the war measures act giving the federal government the power of intern all people of Japanese race. • 1944- Conscription Crisis • 1944- a high number of causalities– more troops • 1949- Japanese Canadians regained freedom • 1947-1949- 1,123 Jewish orphans came to Canada • 1988- Prime Minister Brian Mulroney apologized and awarded each individual that was directly wronged with $ 21, 000

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