This country is at war with Germany.

We shall go on to the end.

I remember the sheets of flame which came up and almost blinded us from our guns. When World War II began in 1939, it sparked a deadly conflict between the Axis and the Allies,

while also creating tense negotiation amongst Allies.

Diplomacy, military power and economic decisions

determined the fate of nations. In North America the US and Canada worked to build

a military alliance to protect their coasts from German eubotes and the threat of Japanese invasion.

Their economies became intertwined to supply weapons for Britain and other allies.

And defending North America was crucial before sending forces abroad.

I'm Angus Wallace and joining me today is Tim Cook.

Tim is the chief historian and director of research at the Canadian War Museum.

He has penned numerous best-selling books which have won multiple prizes.

His latest being The Good Allies. How Canada and the United States fought together to defeat

fascism during the Second World War. Thanks for joining me Tim so we're going to be

looking at the relationship between Canada and the US during World War II, which I think is probably more complex than one might first think.

But perhaps we should start by looking at their pre-war partnership.

While Canada is a North American nation, at this time it's also a British

Dominion. So where does this place Canada? Is it in the British sphere of

influence or the US? Where does Canada look economically and politically?

It's a great question. It's a bit of a twilight nation or it's got one foot in of course

the British Empire as a British Dominion, as you say, and one as a North American

nation.

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