From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militar...ial_war_effort
The
military history of Canada during the Second World War began with a declaration of war on
Germany on
September 10,
1939 and encompassed major campaigns in
Italy[1] and
Northern Europe.
[2] Canada was active in defending the shipping lanes in the
North Atlantic and the
Canadian Merchant Navy completed over 25,000 voyages across the Atlantic.
[3] Canadians were also active in the
Pacific throughout the war.
At the beginning of the war, Canada was a fully independent country and the oldest
Dominion in the
British Commonwealth. As a nation, it was, for the most part, reluctant to return to war. Nonetheless, Canadians entered the
Second World War united, and from a population of only 11 to 12 million, eventually raised very substantial armed forces. After the long struggle of the
Great Depression of the 1930s, the challenges of the Second World War accelerated Canada's ongoing transformation into a modern urban and industrialized nation.
Early in the war,
Canada's commitment to the British-French forces in Europe was limited to one division. Canada's military deployment reached
corps-level strength for the invasions in
Italy in 1943, and
Normandy in 1944. Over the course of the war, 1.1 million Canadians served in the army, navy, and air force. Of these
more than 42,000 gave their lives and another 54,000 were wounded.
[4] Countless other Canadians shared in the suffering and the hardships of war at home and abroad.
The war's impact on Canadian history was considerable, though it was likely not as significant as
World War I. The
conscription crisis had a major effect on unity between French and English-speaking Canadians, though was not as politically damaging as that of WWI. The war effort strengthened the
Canadian economy, led to diversification in manufacturing and enhanced national pride. Canada's status as an independent nation, was strengthened after 1945.
[5]