canada like many other nations, chose not to act when Hitler gathered in the 1930s.?

Question

Considering Hitler's action prior to the invasion of Poland,should Canada have taken an earlier and firmer Stada have taken an earlier and firmer Stand against Nazi Germany ?why? why not?

Answer 1

In the late 1920s and early 1930s there was nothing they could do. They weren't concerned by Hitler's rise to power, as it was technically democratic and legitimate (until he altered the Constitution with the Enabling Act to grant himself total power). After that, he was villified as a petty dictator, but was still considered a bit of a joke and none of the Allies really took him seriously.

The approach of the Allied countries to the subsequent rearmament of Germany and its seizure of the Sudentenland in 1938, followed by the rest of Czechoslovakia, then Poland in 1939, and so on...is known as appeasement. They didn't believe that Germany had the power to challenge them after World War One and thought that the Germans, frustrated by the unfair Treaty of Versailles and its restrictions, were just temporarily venting their anger and even had a right to violate its principles.

The French thought the Germans would never defeat their defences along the 'Maginot Line' but they were overrun quickly and France was knocked out of the war in weeks. The British sent a small expeditionary force to France which they thought could seriously slow down the German advance, but it was smashed to bits...etc...

The Allies just didn't expect what was coming, didn't ever believe things could go so wrong, and should all have taken a firmer stand. They were just too arrogant and confident.

Answer 2

It was not all that obvious where Hitler was going in the early 1930's. Most of Europe was pretty anti-semitic (as is it today) so what he was saying about the Jews made most people shrug their shoulders. Even Churchill was pretty ambiguous until about 1937. He was certainly an admirer of Mussolini and stated in the House of Commons in early 1937 that given the choice between communism and fascism, he would choose fascism. The organised slaughter of the Jews only began after the Wansee Conference in 1942. No-one would have expected Canada to take any sort of position vis a vis Germany in the 1930's.

Answer 3

the happy chappy who wrote masses on this, im sorry but has parts which are actually inacurite. (i know my spell is aweful)

Canada at that time was a dominion and in theory her foreign policy was dictacted by GB. so their policy would have been the same as GB, appeasement.

why should of Canada taken a firmer stand:
without using hindsite there is no reason(that i can think of)

why not:
canada has no interest in europe.
the French government at that time was very anti british
geographically, far war.
very small military comparatively.

Answer 4

Canada was part of the British Empire in the 1930s and probably followed the political stance of the Conservative government in the UK which was in favour of appeasing Hitler

Answer 5

Hitler might like the present situation with the U. S.. He might declare the U. S. a real student of his national socialist ideology. With the U. S. Patriot act US foremost the international in crime and reformatory populations, to FEMA Emergency camps, underclass of individuals being exploited by potential of human beings a.ok.a Mexican nationals and so on i think of he could be inspired and probable take a number of our concepts and enforce them in his very own time.

Answer 6

Well Canada may not have taken any definitive position at this time;but unlike the USA.they did not have street collections for his cause.

Answer 7

Becaus after WW1, no-one wanted the mass killing matches and their genorations destroyed, if u were in charge, would u?

Answer 8

Apathy! as discibed by Neamuller, which goes something like this; When they came for the blacks I said nothing, for I was white, When they came for the Jews I said nothing, for I was christian, When they came for the ignorant, I said nothing, for I was educated. but when they came for me, there was no-one left to speak up for me.
something like that

Answer 9

Its history so the if's of history arent worth talking about