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Dictionary of Canadian Biography
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      d. 17 May 1815 at Quebec
      PANET, JEAN-ANTOINE
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Second World War (1939–45)

There was no consultation when Britain declared war on 3 September 1939, though this time at least the Canadian prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, and his government were united in their support. Canada’s own declaration of war was delayed because King had to assemble parliament to keep his promise that it would decide. When the Liberal-dominated House of Commons met in emergency session, starting on the 7th, the decision that had seemed so controversial a year before was accepted on the 9th almost unanimously. King repeated the pledge he had made in parliament in March not to introduce conscription for overseas service. His strategy had disadvantages, but it did help to bring Canada into the war without irreparable division.

The Canada led by King would play a significant role in the war. Convoy duty by the Royal Canadian Navy had begun immediately, in September 1939, and in December the 1st Canadian Division of the army went overseas. Isolated after the fall of France in June 1940, Britain would depend on the industrial and military might of North America for its survival. In the darkest days, Canada was a major source of troops and supplies. The United States would provide a lend-lease arrangement for materials in 1941 and then become an active ally, but Canada, in proportion to its size, made a larger contribution. Industrial production expanded rapidly, and the government’s generous financial arrangements made it possible for Britain to purchase Canadian food and munitions. The effort was remarkable by any standards.

Related Biographies

BRACKEN, JOHN
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HAYWORTH, MARGARET JANET
JACOBSON, JOSEPH ALFRED
KING, WILLIAM LYON MACKENZIE
LAPOINTE, ERNEST
LARICHELIÈRE, JOSEPH-ÉMILE-PAUL
MACKENZIE, IAN ALISTAIR
MUIR, JAMES

Other Resources

BBC - History: World War Two
Canada in the Second World War : Juno Beach Centre. Content archived on 5 July 2024
Canada's Role in WWII
Second World War (WWII) - The Canadian Encyclopedia. Content archived on 24 Dec. 2024
Second World War | Imperial War Museums. Content archived on 4 Feb. 2025
Second World War: 1939-1945 - Library and Archives Canada. Content archived on 16 Aug. 2022
Service Files of the Second World War - War Dead, 1939-1947 - Library and Archives Canada
The Second World War, 1939-1945
WarMuseum.ca - A Chronology of Canadian Military History - 1931-1939
World War II - Battles, Facts, Videos & Pictures - History.com
World War II - Wikipedia
World War II and the NFB :: On all fronts
World War II | Facts, Summary, Combatants, & Causes | Britannica.com
World War II | HistoryNet
World War Two - Causes - History. Content archived on 18 Sept. 2024
World War Two - Stratford Perth Museum. Content archived on 19 Jan. 2024
World War Two: The Apocalypse - National Geographic Channel - Canada

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