Canada Joins WWII: Declaring War on Nazi Germany
Canada declared war on Germany one week after Britain — a deliberate, seven-day gap that was entirely intentional. Prime Minister Mackenzie King wanted Parliament to make the decision independently, not automatically follow London. It was the first time Canada had declared war as a sovereign act rather than as a dominion following the Crown. The distinction mattered enormously to French Canadians wary of being dragged into British wars. Canada entered the same war, just with its own vote. That vote took seven days and changed what Canada was.
September 10, 1939
87 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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