PS - Canada could probably punch internationally above its current weight, but enough to be considered a superpower? My suspension of disbelief makes a loud hissing noise and fly about the room, rapidly shrinking.
Bruce
No way that would happen right now. We are pretty strong, but no way are we a super-power. Hell we don't even have the population of a Great Power (I think it is at least 50 million). As well the only way we are that strong right now is the fact we have the 800 pound gorilla to the south.
Albeit, compared to the other nations of the world. When it comes to total war, we are far more willing to militarize as much of our population as possible, even though we are not being invaded. 730,000 people served in the Army alone in WW2 (air force 260,000,navy 115,000) and we only took 45,000 dead and 54,000 total wounded. By the end of 1944, Canadian shipyards had launched naval ships, such as destroyers, frigates, corvettes, and some 345 merchant vessels. But perhaps no Canadian contribution to the Allied war effort was so vital as that made by the metals industries: half of Allied aluminium and ninety percent of Allied nickel was supplied by Canadian sources during the war. At one point on the West Coast, we were producing one escort carrier a week for the allies. The Navy grew from only a few ships in 1939 to over 400 ships, including three
aircraft carriers and two cruisers. This maritime effort helped keep the shipping lanes open across the Atlantic throughout the war.
During the war, the automobile industry was put to good use, building all manner of war material, and most particularly wheeled vehicles, of which Canada became the second largest (next to the United States) producer during the war. Canada's output of nearly 800,000 trucks, for instance, exceeded the combined total truck production of Germany, Italy, and Japan, comprising 20% of the combined total production of the US, UK, and Canada.
[13]:167 Rivals Ford and General Motors of Canada pooled their engineering design teams to produce a standardized vehicle amenable to mass production, the
Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) truck, which served throughout the British Commonwealth. Approximately half of the British Army's transport requirements were supplied from Canadian manufacturers. The British Official History argues that the production of soft-skinned trucks, including the CMP truck class, was Canada's most important contribution to Allied victory.
While Canadians served at sea, in the air, and in small numbers attached to Allied formations and independently, the
invasion of Sicily was the first full scale combat engagement by full Canadian divisions since World War I. Canadian soldiers went ashore in 1943 in the Allied invasions of Sicily and
mainland Italy, then fought through the long
Italian Campaign. During the course of the Italian Campaign, over 25,000 Canadian soldiers became casualties of war.
The 1st Canadian Division and the 1st Canadian Tank Brigade took part in the
Allied invasion of Sicily in Operation
Husky, 10 July 1943 and also the
Allied invasion of mainland Italy on September 3, 1943. Canadian participation in the Sicily and Italy campaigns were made possible after the government decided to break up the
First Canadian Army, sitting idle in Britain. Public pressure for Canadian troops to begin fighting forced a move before the awaited invasion of northwest Europe.
[39] Troops fought on through the long and difficult Italian campaign until redeployed to North-West Europe in February–March 1945 during
Operation Goldflake. By this time the Canadian contribution to the Italian theatre had grown to include
I Canadian Corps headquarters, the 1st Division,
5th Canadian (Armoured) Division and an independent armoured brigade. Three
Victoria Crosses were awarded to Canadian Army troops in Italy; Captain
Paul Triquet of the
Royal 22e Régiment, Private
Smokey Smith of
The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, and Major
John Mahoney of
The Westminster Regiment (Motor). Notable battles in Italy included
The Moro River Campaign, the
Battle of Ortona and the battles to break the
Hitler Line.
On June 6, 1944, the 3rd Canadian Division landed on
Juno Beach in the
Battle of Normandy and sustained 50% casualties in their first hour of attack. By the end of D-Day, the Canadians had penetrated deeper into France than either the British or the American troops at their landing sites, overcoming stronger resistance than any of the other beachheads except
Omaha Beach. In the first month of the Normandy campaign, Canadian, British and Polish troops were opposed by some of the strongest and best trained German troops in the theatre, including the
1st SS Division, the
12th SS Division and the
Panzer-Lehr-Division. Several costly operations were mounted by the Canadians to fight a path to the pivotal city of
Caen and then south towards
Falaise, part of the Allied attempt to liberate
Paris. Canadian troops played a heavy role in the liberation of Paris. Some feel[
who?] that Canadian inexperience during the battle to close the Falaise Gap allowed German forces to escape destruction, but by the time the First Canadian Army linked up with U.S. forces, the destruction of the German Army in Normandy was nearly complete. Three Victoria Crosses were earned by Canadians in Northwest Europe; Major
David Currie of the
South Alberta Regiment won the Victoria Cross for his actions at
Saint-Lambert-sur-Dive, Captain
Frederick Tilston of the
Essex Scottish and Sergeant
Aubrey Cosens of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada were rewarded for their service in the
Rhineland fighting in 1945, the latter posthumously.
We had a population of 11.5 million. If the right situation is created then we could possibly become one of two super-powers in the Western Hemisphere.
