Canada Declares War on Germany - 10 September 1939

As England and France prepare to go to war, Prime Minister Mackenzie King proclaims to Canadians, “To save one, we must make up our minds to save all.” 

01 Sep 1939, Germany invades Poland.  Two days later, Britain and France declare war on Germany, as part of their pledge to protect Poland.  Unlike WW1, Britain’s declaration of war did not automatically engage Canada; although it was widely known that the Canadian Government and its people supported the British and French allies.  Four days later, on 07 September, Parliament called a special session to debate the matter, and on 09 September the decision was made to support the expeditionary effort. King George VI made it official, announcing it publicly. In short order, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King made a promise that only volunteers would serve overseas, and that, “our effort would be voluntary.”
 
In hindsight it is very reasonable to ask: was Canada prepared for another war? Would we be ready today?  The regular Army of 4,500 men, augmented by 51,000 partly trained reservists, possessed very modest scales of then-modern equipment. The Air Force had fewer than twenty modern combat aircraft, while the Navy’s combat potential consisted of only six destroyers, the smallest class of ocean-going warships. It was a modest beginning.  

Today, we invite you to go back in time and listen to the Declaration of War.  Imagine you live in a small Canadian town, in 1939, listening intensely to the radio.  The Right-Honourable Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King speaks from Ottawa, calling Canadians to be strong, secure and united as a nation.