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[-] OneWomanCreamTeam@sh.itjust.works 33 points 6 days ago

I didn't even realize Canada fought in WWII. Fuck, the US's education system is such garbage.

[-] PugJesus@piefed.social 20 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

That's really unfortunate. Strangely enough, we spent very little time on WW2 in my public school (also in the USA). I honestly don't remember if we went over Canada's contributions to the war in class.

... come to think of it, the largest stretch of education regarding WW2 in public school that I can remember was in high school, when our history teacher took a full half week for us to sit in the darkened classroom in total silence to watch the actual footage taken of the death camps after the Allies liberated them. He was normally a very jovial and engaged fellow, joked with the students, was pretty lenient on us, all that, but that one time he emphasized with deadly gravity that it was necessary that everyone be silent and pay attention for it.

... unironically grateful for that. That stayed with me, for certain. I hope it stayed with everyone else in that class too.

[-] minorkeys@lemmy.world 13 points 6 days ago

It's propaganda to glorify itself.

[-] gramie@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 days ago

You probably also don't know that the country with the most volunteer soldiers in World War II was India, than 2 million men.

Or that both Canada and New Zealand had mutinies where men refused to go overseas to fight.

There's a lot of fascinating stuff. I recommend the podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk, for an informative and entertaining look at almost every facet of the war. They are up to something like episode #800 now.

I did know that india was involved, but I didn't know they were so heavily involved, not did I learn that from school.

My education on WWII was basically "while Hitler was gassing Jews Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand got assassinated which sent most of Europe to war because of a complex web of alliances. Then the Japanese bombed pearl harbor so us murcans stepped in and ended the war. USA USA BEST COUNTRY IN DA WORL." then my dad showed me Hogans Heros, and that's about it.

I've learned more since then, but mostly scattershot facts. Like how Japanese internment camps were a thing.

Sounds like an interesting podcast recommendation. Thanks!

[-] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago

There is so much that school curricula could cover in limited space of time. But yes, a brief mention of the Commonwealth's participation in WWII shouldn't take too much time so it should not be an excuse.

I feel like we mostly only learn about the history of other countries through the context of interactions they've had with the US. Plus a smattering of ancient history. And I think that's a pretty big blind spot. It would go a long way to break us from our US-centric world view.

[-] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

How'd they skip over Britain being in WW2?

[-] PugJesus@piefed.social 8 points 6 days ago

Canada was independent by WW2, though they joined the war very shortly after the UK joined the war.

[-] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

We're not even fully independent today. The BNA act gave us more local government powers to respond to the American threat but everything still has to be approved by the crown.

Also we were born as British Subjects in Canada at the time.

Canadians can vote in British elections if they're residents.

We were compelled to go to war when England entered, even if it took a few days to draft a declaration.

[-] PugJesus@piefed.social 8 points 6 days ago

From wiki:

The 1931 Statute of Westminster gave Canada autonomy in foreign policy. When Britain entered World War II in September 1939, some experts suggested that Canada was still bound by Britain's declaration of war because it had been made in the name of their common monarch, but Prime Minister King again said that "Parliament will decide."[11][10]: 2 

In 1936, King had told Parliament, "Our country is being drawn into international situations to a degree that I myself think is alarming."[10]: 2  Both the government and the public remained reluctant to participate in a European war, partly because of the Conscription Crisis of 1917. Both King and Opposition Leader Robert James Manion stated their opposition to conscripting troops for overseas service in March 1939. Nonetheless, King had not changed his view of 1923 that Canada would participate in a war by the Empire whether or not the United States did. By August 1939 his cabinet, including French Canadians, was united for war in a way that it probably would not have been during the Munich Crisis, although both cabinet members and the country based their support in part on expecting that Canada's participation would be "limited."[10]: 5–8 

It had been clear that Canada would elect to participate in the war before the invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939. Four days after the United Kingdom had declared war on 3 September 1939, Parliament was called in special session and both King and Manion stated their support for Canada following Britain, but did not declare war immediately, partly to show that Canada was joining out of her own initiative and was not obligated to go to war.[12] Unlike 1914 when war came as a surprise, the government had prepared various measures for price controls, rationing, and censorship, and the War Measures Act of 1914 was re-invoked.[13] After two days of debate, the House of Commons approved an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne on 9 September 1939 giving authority to declare war to King's government. A small group of Quebec legislators attempted to amend the bill, and CCF party leader J. S. Woodsworth stated that some of his party opposed it. Woodsworth was the only Member of Parliament to vote against the bill.[14][15] The Senate also passed the bill that day. The Cabinet drafted a proclamation of war that night, which Governor General Lord Tweedsmuir signed on 10 September.[16] King George VI approved Canada's declaration of war with Germany on Sept. 10.[17] Canada later also declared war on Italy (11 June 1940), Japan (7 December 1941), and other Axis powers, enshrining the principle that the Statute of Westminster conferred those sovereign powers on Canada.

[-] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 2 points 6 days ago

I was unaware it extended to war against our sovereign.

[-] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 3 points 6 days ago

WW1 will do that to a fucker.

I knew that Britain was in WW2, but I didn't discover that Canada was a part of the British empire until well after I graduated highschool.

Anyway, there were plenty of British people in WWII movies, but I don't think I've ever seen one that's got Canadians in it.

[-] ikidd@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

Jesus Christ. I'd say the average Canadian student could name half the US state capitals before they hit high school when I went to school.

this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2026
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