World War II

Germany goes to warOn September 1st, Germany declares war and attacks PolandClaims that the Germans living in Poland have

been harassed and that Polish forces had attacked Germany

Great Britain and France declare war on September 3rd, Canada follows on September 9th

Nobody is in a position to help PolandModern German forces quickly overrun the Polish

forces Warsaw surrenders on September 23rd

Germany offers peace terms but they are rejected by the UK

Soviet Union forces the Baltic states to allow it to station troops there. Finland refuses and the USSR invades in Nov. 1939

In 1940, Germany invades Denmark and Norwaythe British please PM Chamberlain with Neville Churchill

The Phony War The period between the invasion of Poland and France is sometimes called the Phony War

German forces stayed behind the Siegfried Line, French behind the Maginot Line

Huge line of fortifications, 20-25 km deep in places

Constructed in the 1930s, at the cost of 30B francs So expensive, other areas of

the military were underfunded

While the British ExpeditionaryForce settled in to help defendFrance, the first CanadianForces arrived in BritainThe 1st Canadian Infantry

Division arrived on Jan. 1, 1940The Hastings and Prince

Edward regiment are deployedin June, 1940

May 1940Germany launches their attack,

cutting through neutral Belgium and Luxembourg

Bypasses the Maginot Line through the Ardennes forest

The allies are completely ovewhelmed by the German blitzkrieg (lightning war) This tactic involved the use of tanks and aircraft rushing

ahead of the infantry and punching a hole in enemy lines, cutting deep into enemy territory

The French and British retreated to Dunkirk, on the English Channel and were caught against the water

The British Expeditionary Force and French troops are completely vulnerable to German aircraft

In order to consolidate their territorial gains and to allow the infantry to catch up with the tanks, German tanks stop advancing for 3 days

As a result of this break, the British request help from any sea-worthy vessel available

Operation Dynamo May 27th – June 4th

Fishing boats, merchant marine ships, pleasure craft took part ferrying troops from shore to the larger ships

338, 226 soldiers saved as a result