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DUNKIRK: What effect did it have on WWII?

© Mary M. Alward

Though Dunkirk was not a Canadian battle, I felt that I should write an article giving the facts of what happened there. During WWII, Canada was a British Colony and though I couldn't find any evidence that Canadian soldiers fought there, Canada, as well as every other Allied country was affected by the outcome. I hope you enjoy the article.

Hitler's army, with all of its power, hit Dunkirk on May 16, 1940. German armies moved into the Ardennes Forest and lured the French from their fortified positions. In nine days the Germans reached the sea. More than three hundred thousand troops from Britain, France and Belgium were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk. The situation seemed hopeless. It seemed that death or captivity was imminent for the Allied Forces. All communication was cut off between the British and the main French armies. The troops had no way of replenishing food and ammunition.

The Royal Air Force intervened but its range was limited. A fierce struggle ensued. The Germans were pushed back by the retreating British and French troops. The Royal Air Force continued to engage the German Air Force and inflicted great losses while the British Navy carried 335,000 troops to safety, using one thousand ships of every description. These men would play a great role in the victory the Allied Forces realized some five years later.

The 1939 invasion of Poland by Germany broke agreements made with England and France, which forced them to declare war. This period became known as the Cold War. France relied on the Maginot line to protect its eastern border. This reliance was absurd. Germany's General Von Runsted simply bypassed the Maginot line and marched through Ardennes where he collided with the British and began to push them back to the beaches of Dunkirk.

The evacuation of Dunkirk was known as Operation Dynamo. This evacuation instilled confidence within the ranks of the Allies after the devastating blow suffered at the Battle of France.

Dunkirk was an important catalyst in the defeat of Hitler's army. The evacuation saved thousands of troops from death and captivity, which made operations in Africa and the Mediterranean much easier to carry out later in the war. It gave the British Armed Forces confidence, preparing it to defend Britain from Nazi invasion. The evacuation also brought the United States closer to being involved in the war. The American Government and the public's attitude toward the war in Europe began to change.