A declaration of war by Canada against Germany was made by order-in-council signed by George VI, King of Canada, on 10 September 1939, seven days after the United Kingdom and France had also entered a state of war with the Nazi regime. The royal proclamation of the Canadian declaration was published in the Canada Gazette.

Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King announced the recommendation for a declaration of war in a radio-broadcast speech, made from Ottawa, on 3 September 1939. The matter was then debated in Parliament, though declaration of war is a matter of the royal prerogative and does not require parliamentary approval.

Background and procedure Canada did not declare war on Germany at the outset of the First World War, as it had no authority to do so at the time. Though the Canadian Parliament did debate the matter and an order-in-council was issued proclaiming Canada was at war, the country, being part of the British Empire, entered the war with the United Kingdom in consequence of the latter's declaration of war 4 August 1914.

In the aftermath of the First World War, Adolf Hitler rose to power as the Führer of Nazi Germany. The Prime Minister of Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie King, visited Hitler on 29 June 1937, during which both indicated a desire to avoid war. But, Mackenzie King did express to Hitler that Canada and other nations were concerned by Germany's rapid armament, which Hitler blamed on the Treaty of Versailles, a pact he had violated by sending troops into the Rhineland on 7 March 1936. The Prime Minister further informed the Führer that, if a war broke out between Germany and Britain, Canada would be at Britain's side. Mackenzie King also met President of the Reichstag Hermann Göring, who, more ominously, asked Mackenzie King if Canada would support Britain if the latter initiated a conflict over a then-hypothetical unification of Germany and Austria. In response, Mackenzie King said it would depend on the circumstances. What the Prime Minister had told his British counterpart, Neville Chamberlain, when in London in May 1937 was more certain: Canada would be with Britain should an international conflict erupt.

While Mackenzie King still hoped for peace, due to Nazi Germany's pattern of military build-up and violation of treaties, King formed the opinion that a war might break out between Britain and Germany, and if so, his government would have Canada once again fighting alongside Britain.

With that possibility clear in the public's mind, many Canadians, and the government too, were relieved when the Munich Agreement was signed on 30 September 1938, giving Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland to Germany. For a time, this pact seemed to appease Hitler and avoid war.

By the beginning of the following year, the uneasiness that had persisted despite the Munich Agreement was apparent, and Mackenzie King began psychologically preparing Parliament for Canada going to war. In his speech on 16 January 1939, he quoted Wilfrid Laurier from 1910: "if Britain is at war, we are at war, and liable to attack". These words triggered a negative reaction within Cabinet. Minister of Justice Ernest Lapointe threatened to resign and asserted the Prime Minister's statement went against the Statute of Westminster 1931, which, in combination with the Balfour Declaration of 1926, had "established that the United Kingdom and the Dominions were now autonomous in domestic or external affairs"; Canada in 1939 had "the option of making its own decision."

But after Germany disregarded the Munich Agreement and invaded parts of Czechoslovakia on 15 March 1939, Mackenzie King vacillated on the certainty of Canada's involvement in a British-German war. He told the House of Commons on 20 March that Canada would go to Britain's aid if bombs fell on London, but not necessarily before that. Ten days later, he said the idea of Canada going to war, only 20 years after the last world war, was "sheer madness". But he also said the government would reject neutrality. He told the British Parliament in April that he could not predict Canada's course of action, should Britain go to war even if it was attacked. Cabinet minister Lapointe stated Canada's participation or non-participation in any conflict would be based on its own self-interest. The Canadian media and much of the public viewed this position favourably.

Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, and the United Kingdom and France declared war on 3 September. At first, Mackenzie King and Lapointe asserted in the House of Commons that Canada was bound by the British declaration, even without any explicit Canadian statement of support of the George VI's edict of 3 September. They said they believed Canada was at war, but how much the country would be contributing to the war was up to the Canadian government. Their position changed after Canada was not included in the list of belligerent states in the declaration of neutrality promulgated by President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt on 5 September, making it seem that Canada was not supporting the United Kingdom in its war. The Canadian Parliament was not scheduled to return until 2 October but was recalled by the Governor General early, on 7 September, to consider a declaration of war. Canada's political leaders used this moment to assert Canada's independence from the UK, as already established by the Statute of Westminster.

The throne speech, read by Governor General the Lord Tweedsmuir, to open the new session, presented the Cabinet's proposal for taking the country to war and associated measures. The address in reply was given and debated. The Senate passed a motion to adopt the address in reply on 9 September. The House of Commons discussed the matter until also adopting the motion later that same day.

The following day, the Cabinet issued an order-in-council stating that Canada was at war with Germany. Vincent Massey, Canada's high commissioner to the United Kingdom, brought the document to King George VI, at the Royal Lodge, Windsor Great Park, for his signature,Creighton, Donald; The Forked Road: Canada 1939–1957; McClelland and Stewart; 1976; p. 2. whereupon Canada had officially declared war on Germany. In his capacity as the government's official recorder for the war effort, Leonard Brockington noted: "King George VI of England did not ask us to declare war for him—we asked King George VI of Canada to declare war for us." The time difference between Britain's and Canada's entry into the conflict was partly intended to demonstrate Canada's sovereignty.

As 10 September was a Sunday, the order-in-council was tabled in the House only on the following day, when the Prime Minister told that chamber that the Cabinet had issued the order shortly after the motion had been adopted and that the government had been informed, at 11:15 a.m., on 10 September, that the King had granted his approval of the proclamation.

These were significant developments, as they became examples for other Dominions to follow and, by the war's end, F.R. Scott concluded, "it is firmly established as a basic constitutional principle that, so far as relates to Canada, the King is regulated by Canadian law and must act only on the advice and responsibility of Canadian ministers."

The state of war was ended by another royal proclamation issued in 1951.

Documents Prime Minister King's speech Below is the speech, given by William Lyon Mackenzie King during the debate on the address in reply on September 8, 1939:

Royal proclamation

The following proclamation was published in the Canada Gazette, Canada's official publication of record, the morning following Canada's declaration of war on Nazi Germany.

See also Declaration of war by Canada Monarchy of Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces Declarations of war during World War II Diplomatic history of World War II British declaration of war on Germany (1939) United States declaration of war on Germany (1941) War Measures Act

Notes

References