In 1939, well aware that the coming conflict would be long and
demanding, Canadians went to war at Britain's side. The Canadian
government took immediate measures to increase its military strength,
to revitalize industry and to mobilize all the resources of the
country in preparation for a sustained war effort. Early in the war, the Atlantic Ocean came under threat from the
German submarine fleet, as the Royal Canadian Navy battled an invisible
foe, the U-boats. Anxious, many Canadians men and women enlisted
in the Army, Navy or Air Force to take part in the great war that
loomed ahead. Canadian industry revved up to produce war material
and agriculture fed the troops. At first, although many Canadian households wished to remain optimistic,
uncertainty prevailed. The media announced defeat upon defeat: France
has fallen, German submarines spotted in Canadian waters, Hong-Kong
taken by the Japanese, Catastrophe at Dieppe… Summoning all its strength, Canada entered in the order of battle for the decisive assault.
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