Canadian Leaders of WWII

Will be posting sooner rather than later, sometime this weekend of Oct 2,3, 04

 

Also check out:
http://www.fun-online.sk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=398

 

Try asking to the Canadians!I was told by a Canadian friend,large amount of Canadian people don't know who is the prime minister of Canadia at the moment.Because leaders don' t important at that country,it has very stable democrasy.I doubt that same situation in war history.

 

Paul martin is the leader right now , but there are always threats from the opposition to call an election. and sometimes the prime minister steps down before his/her term is up.

 

I think most Canadians know who heir leader is but are usually not concerned about it. Our parlimentry system does not have the Prime minister as head of state and to some extent the Prime Minister has not the status assiciated with executives like the US president. From personal experience I can remember going into the visiters gallery during a debate with an American friend and she was surprised when she looked into the benches and saw the PM answering questions from the opposition. Later as we were leaving we came within about 15ft feet of the PM and some of his cabinate who were also leaving. So there is less ritual and pomp associated with thePM in ours and similar systems.

During WW2 our PM was Mckensie King a rather strange fellow but a brilliant polititian. He was our longest serving PM I beleive had a PhD and had worked in the US for FDR's new deal. Much can be disparaged about politics and comprimise but often those who complain are those who to impose their values or policies on other parts of the population.

Canada had entered the war voluntarily and the war had opposition particularly in Quebec. They felt this was a European or British war that had little to do with them in fact a position similar to that of the majority of Americans. It has to be remembered that the US was forced into war by Japans attack and Germany's declaration of war. While the English speaking population in general didn't wish a war they felt an obligation to go to war and the country independently declared war 10 days after the British. So king started with an almost noexistent navy, no modern aircraft, no tanks and some claim no machine guns. The per capita imcome was about the same as Argentinas, population of about 11million and no war industries.

Many conplain about the lack of consciption and the later deployment of conscipted troops to Europe which was strongly opposed by the French speaking population The facts are that King kept the country together and accomplished great things. One of the funny comments about this period is how King politiced his opponents with his slogan "consciption if neccesary but not neccesarily consciption. The French suppoted it to re elect him and the conservatives didn't want to be seen as anti consciption.

From that start the country accomplished great things. It built and manned a fleet of 400 ships, supplied a million light and medium trucks to the Commonwealth, supplied 15000a/c. 5000tanks, the majority of self propelled commonwealth guns, lent as much materials to Britain as was supplied by the US under lend least up untill their entry into the war, supplied the asdic for imperial forces, did much of the training for British spy agencies and helped start the American spy training, trained over 100,000 pilots, and fielded one of the most highly mechanized and professional armies in the world. As is commonly asserted Canada ended the war with the 3rd largest navy and the 4th largest airforce, of course a good deal a result of elimination of competitors during the war.

On the other side King was truly strange he built ruins, had a crystal ball talked his dog, and seemed to dicuss things with his dead mother.

Regarding other leaders simmon was probably the bestgeneral proving to be competent and inovative. But overall the army did produce the kind of leadersship itenjoyed with excellentCanadian corps in WW1
Regards

 

John A. Mcdonald was the longest serving Prime Minister in canadian history . But you are right nobody is overly excited about politics in this country. Like I met Joe Clark September 11th , 2002 (who was briefly prime minister) and i barely cared.

 

yeah im canadian we don't need a goverment we have penguins

 

well actually my mom was

 

LOL :lol:

 

A broken link

 

Nuts. Thanks for pointing that out, the topic must have been removed.

My apologies.

 

Would general Haig count as he commanded Canadian forces in WWI?

 

lol