If Day
Encyclopedia
If Day was a simulated Nazi invasion of the Canadian city of Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, and surrounding areas on February 19, 1942, during the Second World War. It was organized by the Greater Winnipeg Victory Loan organization, which was led by prominent Winnipeg businessman J. D. Perrin. The event was the largest military exercise in Winnipeg to that point.
If Day included a staged firefight between Canadian troops and volunteers dressed as Nazi soldiers, the internment of prominent politicians, the imposition of Nazi rule, and a parade. The event was a fundraiser for the war effort: over C$3 million was collected in Winnipeg on that day. It was later the subject of a 2006 documentary, and was included in Guy Maddin
's film My Winnipeg
.
If Day was an elaborate campaign to promote the purchase of Victory Bonds
. These bonds, which were loans to the government to allow for increased war spending, were sold to individuals and corporations throughout Canada. The drive of which If Day was a part was the second Victory Loan campaign of the Second World War. The campaign began on February 16, 1942, and continued until March 9. Manitoba
’s fundraising target was $45 million ($620 million as of 2011), including $24.5 million from Winnipeg
. The Greater Winnipeg Victory Loan committee, a regional branch of the National War Finance Committee
, organized If Day under chairman J. D. Perrin. The organizers believed that bringing the war (or, rather, a simulation thereof) to people's homes would result in a change of attitude among those not directly affected by the war.
The committee drew up a map of Manitoba, which was divided into 45 sections, each representing $1 million of their fundraising target. As money came in from those selling Victory Bonds, the sections were "reclaimed" from the Nazi invaders. The map was posted at the corner of Portage and Main, the city's central intersection. The campaign was publicized in local newspapers for a few days before the event, although the "invasion" took many citizens by surprise. To prevent a rush to emergency shelters, residents of neighbouring northern Minnesota
were also warned because radio broadcasts dramatizing the event could be received in that area. Royal Canadian Air Force
aircraft painted to look like German fighter planes flew over the city on February 18. Selkirk
, a small town northeast of Winnipeg, held its own fundraising simulation, a one-hour blackout and mock bombing, on February 18 in preparation for the main If Day event.
s E. A. Pridham and D. S. McKay. Troops were drawn from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Winnipeg Grenadiers
, Winnipeg Light Infantry, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, Veteran's Guard of Canada (including over 300 veterans of the First World War), 18th (Manitoba) Armoured Car Regiment, No. 10 District Engineers and Signals, and a number of reserve and civilian groups. The 'Nazi' troops were volunteers from the Young Men's Board of Trade, using uniforms rented from Hollywood and with painted sabre scars on their faces. They were commanded by Erich von Neurenberg.It is unclear whether this was a real name or a pseudonym. Approximately $3,000 was spent on the event.
Nazi patrols in the city began before 5:30 am on February 19. A radio announcer was detained and his microphone commandeered for radio broadcasts, beginning at 5:45 am. Nazi troops assembled on the west side of the city half an hour after the first patrols. Canadian troops were massed at Fort Osborne barracks and the Minto and Macgregor armouries at 6:30 am, and at 7 am air-raid sirens
were sounded and a blackout
ordered in preparation for the invasion. The aerial blitzkrieg
began before 7 am with mock bombings. Beginning at 7:03 am, Nazi troops started their simulated attack on the city, which was defended by a small group of active and reserve troops assisted by local community groups. The troops formed a defensive perimeter around the industrial and downtown areas of the city, approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from City Hall, retreating to a 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) perimeter at 7:45.
The firefight included large-scale troop movements and the simulated destruction of major bridges. Nine troop formations held three positions each during the tightly scripted invasion sequence; they were directed via telephone (one line per formation) and flash-lamp
signals from the headquarters established at the Chamber of Commerce building. The defensive pattern employed was similar to that used during the First World War in Paris
to conduct soldiers to the front
. Light tanks were stationed at road and rail junctions as fighting intensified. Thirty anti-aircraft vehicles fired blanks
at fighter planes overhead, assisted by anti-aircraft gunners on buildings downtown. The first mock casualty was reported at 8 am. Dressing stations were set up at strategic points to treat the mock casualties; they also treated the two real casualties of the event, a soldier who sprained his ankle and a woman who cut her thumb preparing toast during the early-morning blackout.
At 9:30 am, the Canadian troops surrendered to the Nazis and withdrew to the downtown muster point, and the city was occupied. The fake Nazis began a widespread harassment campaign, sending armed troops throughout the city. A tank was driven down Portage Avenue, one of the main streets of the downtown area. Some people were taken to an internment camp at Lower Fort Garry
; those interned included prominent local politicians like Premier John Bracken
(arrested with several members of his cabinet
at a caucus
meeting), Mayor John Queen
, Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
Roland Fairbairn McWilliams
, and visiting Norwegian ambassador to the United States Wilhelm de Morgenstierne. One council member, Dan McClean, escaped but was recaptured after an intensive search. Chief of Police George Smith avoided capture because he was dining out when soldiers arrived at his office. The Union Flag
at Lower Fort Garry was replaced with the swastika. The city was renamed "Himmlerstadt
", and Main Street was termed "Hitlerstrasse".
Erich von Neurenberg was installed as gauleiter
(provincial leader); he was assisted by George Waight, who acted as the local Gestapo
chief. Their stated purpose was to assist Hitler in his plans to take advantage of Canada's relatively low population density by colonizing the country. Von Neurenberg issued the following decree, which was posted throughout the city:
Notices were posted on churches forbidding worship services, and priests who objected were arrested. Buses were stopped and their passengers searched by armed troops. The Winnipeg Tribune
was renamed Das Winnipeger Lügenblatt ("The Winnipeg Lies-sheet"), a Nazi publication featuring heavily censored columns and a front page written almost entirely in German. One satirical story noted that "this is a great day for Manitoba ...The Nazis, like Der Fuehrer, are patient, kind and tolerant, but THEIR PATIENCE IS RAPIDLY EXHAUSTED BECOMING", while another included an "official joke", approved by the German authorities, at which all readers were ordered to laugh or be imprisoned. Henry Weppler, a newspaper seller for the Winnipeg Free Press
was attacked and his papers ripped up. The Winnipeg Free Press featured a front-page story about the "invasion", describing in great detail the devastation caused by the Nazis in Winnipeg.
Books were burned in front of the main Carnegie
branch of the Winnipeg Public Library
(the books had been pre-selected for incineration as damaged or outdated). Soldiers entered the cafeteria at Great West Life and stole lunches from workers. They seized buffalo coat
s from the police station and wore them throughout the day, as the temperature was below −8 °C. At one local elementary school, the principal was arrested and replaced with a Nazi educator dedicated to teaching the "Nazi Truth"; special lessons were prepared for high-school students throughout the city. Some stores and homes were looted by the fake troops. Canadian currency was replaced with fake German Reichsmarks, the only propaganda notes that Canada created during the war.
The day ended at 5:30 pm with a ceremonial release of prisoners, a parade and speeches from the released dignitaries. Members of the organizing committee and local businesspeople marched down Portage Avenue with banners reading "It MUST Not Happen Here!" and "Buy Victory Bonds". Following the parade, a banquet was held at the Hudson's Bay Company
building. Ambassador de Morgenstierne spoke about his experiences with If Day and in Norway, suggesting that the "make-believe Nazi occupation of [Winnipeg] was an authentic glimpse of German behavior in German-ridden Europe".
Surrounding towns were also affected by the invasion: for example, in Neepawa
Nazi soldiers confronted citizens in the streets. Virden
was renamed "Virdenberg". A mock attack was planned for strategic targets in Brandon
. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
broadcast a program called "Swastika over Canada" on the radio throughout the province, along with military music and extracts of Hitler's speeches.
, The New York Times
and The Christian Science Monitor
, were also present for the event; cameraman Lucien Roy shot newsreel footage. Newspapers as far away as New Zealand included stories about the event. An estimated 40 million people worldwide saw coverage of If Day.
The money raised for the Victory Loan campaign on If Day was $3.2 million, which was the city's largest single-day total. Winnipeg passed its $24 million Victory Loan quota on February 24, largely because of the effects of If Day. The provincial total for the entire campaign was $60 million, well above its target quota of $45 million. The campaign raised approximately $2 billion nationwide for the war effort, and If Day was considered one of the most successful fundraising events of the nationwide drive. Officials had expected a significant increase in army recruits as a result of the event, but it failed to end the long-term decline in recruitment numbers: 23 people enlisted at the Winnipeg recruitment office on If Day, compared to an average of 36 per day for the first half of February.
If Day was successful enough to spark imitations in other communities. The US government contacted the organizing committee for details of the event. A smaller-scale invasion was staged in Vancouver
, using promotional materials from the Winnipeg campaign.
In 2006, a television documentary of the events was made by Aaron Floresco. The work incorporates newsreel footage from the event, as well as interviews with historians and participants. Filmmaker Guy Maddin
included a brief newsreel clip of If Day in his film My Winnipeg
.
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, and surrounding areas on February 19, 1942, during the Second World War. It was organized by the Greater Winnipeg Victory Loan organization, which was led by prominent Winnipeg businessman J. D. Perrin. The event was the largest military exercise in Winnipeg to that point.
If Day included a staged firefight between Canadian troops and volunteers dressed as Nazi soldiers, the internment of prominent politicians, the imposition of Nazi rule, and a parade. The event was a fundraiser for the war effort: over C$3 million was collected in Winnipeg on that day. It was later the subject of a 2006 documentary, and was included in Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin, OM is a Canadian screenwriter, director, cinematographer and film editor of both features and short films from Winnipeg, Manitoba...
's film My Winnipeg
My Winnipeg
My Winnipeg is a feature film directed by Guy Maddin. Starring Ann Savage, the film is a surrealist-inflected pseudo-documentary about Winnipeg, Maddin's home town...
.
Background
War bond
War bonds are debt securities issued by a government for the purpose of financing military operations during times of war. War bonds generate capital for the government and make civilians feel involved in their national militaries...
. These bonds, which were loans to the government to allow for increased war spending, were sold to individuals and corporations throughout Canada. The drive of which If Day was a part was the second Victory Loan campaign of the Second World War. The campaign began on February 16, 1942, and continued until March 9. Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
’s fundraising target was $45 million ($620 million as of 2011), including $24.5 million from Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. The Greater Winnipeg Victory Loan committee, a regional branch of the National War Finance Committee
National War Finance Committee
The National War Finance Committee was set up in Canada in December 1941 by the Department of Finance. It was initially chaired by George Wilbur Spinney, president of the Bank of Montreal, and later by Graham Towers, the Governor of the Bank of Canada. The Committee was responsible for raising war...
, organized If Day under chairman J. D. Perrin. The organizers believed that bringing the war (or, rather, a simulation thereof) to people's homes would result in a change of attitude among those not directly affected by the war.
The committee drew up a map of Manitoba, which was divided into 45 sections, each representing $1 million of their fundraising target. As money came in from those selling Victory Bonds, the sections were "reclaimed" from the Nazi invaders. The map was posted at the corner of Portage and Main, the city's central intersection. The campaign was publicized in local newspapers for a few days before the event, although the "invasion" took many citizens by surprise. To prevent a rush to emergency shelters, residents of neighbouring northern Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
were also warned because radio broadcasts dramatizing the event could be received in that area. Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
aircraft painted to look like German fighter planes flew over the city on February 18. Selkirk
Selkirk, Manitoba
Selkirk is a city in the western Canadian province of Manitoba, located about 22 km northeast of the provincial capital Winnipeg on the Red River, near . As of the 2006 census, Selkirk had a population of 9,515....
, a small town northeast of Winnipeg, held its own fundraising simulation, a one-hour blackout and mock bombing, on February 18 in preparation for the main If Day event.
Events
The simulation included 3,500 Canadian Army members, representing all of Winnipeg's units, making it the largest military exercise in Winnipeg to that point. The defending forces were commanded by ColonelColonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
s E. A. Pridham and D. S. McKay. Troops were drawn from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Winnipeg Grenadiers
The Winnipeg Grenadiers
The Winnipeg Grenadiers was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army formed on 1st April 1908 under General Order No. 20. Initially it was raised with Headquarters at Morden, Manitoba and companies at: ‘A’ Company at Morden, ‘B’ Company at Morden, ‘C’ Company at Manitou, ‘D’ Company at Carmen,‘E’...
, Winnipeg Light Infantry, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, Veteran's Guard of Canada (including over 300 veterans of the First World War), 18th (Manitoba) Armoured Car Regiment, No. 10 District Engineers and Signals, and a number of reserve and civilian groups. The 'Nazi' troops were volunteers from the Young Men's Board of Trade, using uniforms rented from Hollywood and with painted sabre scars on their faces. They were commanded by Erich von Neurenberg.It is unclear whether this was a real name or a pseudonym. Approximately $3,000 was spent on the event.
Nazi patrols in the city began before 5:30 am on February 19. A radio announcer was detained and his microphone commandeered for radio broadcasts, beginning at 5:45 am. Nazi troops assembled on the west side of the city half an hour after the first patrols. Canadian troops were massed at Fort Osborne barracks and the Minto and Macgregor armouries at 6:30 am, and at 7 am air-raid sirens
Civil defense siren
A civil defense siren is a mechanical or electronic device for generating sound to...
were sounded and a blackout
Blackout (wartime)
A blackout during war, or apprehended war, is the practice of collectively minimizing outdoor light, including upwardly directed light. This was done in the 20th century to prevent crews of enemy aircraft from being able to navigate to their targets simply by sight, for example during the London...
ordered in preparation for the invasion. The aerial blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg
For other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
began before 7 am with mock bombings. Beginning at 7:03 am, Nazi troops started their simulated attack on the city, which was defended by a small group of active and reserve troops assisted by local community groups. The troops formed a defensive perimeter around the industrial and downtown areas of the city, approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from City Hall, retreating to a 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) perimeter at 7:45.
The firefight included large-scale troop movements and the simulated destruction of major bridges. Nine troop formations held three positions each during the tightly scripted invasion sequence; they were directed via telephone (one line per formation) and flash-lamp
Flash-lamp
The electric flash-lamp is a device that uses an electrical circuit to trigger a fuse to ignite explosive powder for a brief sudden burst of bright light from a chemical reaction of flash powder burning...
signals from the headquarters established at the Chamber of Commerce building. The defensive pattern employed was similar to that used during the First World War in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to conduct soldiers to the front
Front (military)
A military front or battlefront is a contested armed frontier between opposing forces. This can be a local or tactical front, or it can range to a theater...
. Light tanks were stationed at road and rail junctions as fighting intensified. Thirty anti-aircraft vehicles fired blanks
Blank (cartridge)
A blank is a type of cartridge for a firearm that contains gunpowder but no bullet or shot. When fired, the blank makes a flash and an explosive sound . Blanks are often used for simulation , training, and for signaling...
at fighter planes overhead, assisted by anti-aircraft gunners on buildings downtown. The first mock casualty was reported at 8 am. Dressing stations were set up at strategic points to treat the mock casualties; they also treated the two real casualties of the event, a soldier who sprained his ankle and a woman who cut her thumb preparing toast during the early-morning blackout.
At 9:30 am, the Canadian troops surrendered to the Nazis and withdrew to the downtown muster point, and the city was occupied. The fake Nazis began a widespread harassment campaign, sending armed troops throughout the city. A tank was driven down Portage Avenue, one of the main streets of the downtown area. Some people were taken to an internment camp at Lower Fort Garry
Lower Fort Garry
Lower Fort Garry was built in 1830 by the Hudson's Bay Company on the western bank of the Red River, north of the original Fort Garry, which is now in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Treaty 1 was signed there....
; those interned included prominent local politicians like Premier John Bracken
John Bracken
John Bracken, PC was an agronomist, the 11th Premier of Manitoba and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ....
(arrested with several members of his cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
at a caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
meeting), Mayor John Queen
John Queen
John Queen was a Manitoba politician, and the second parliamentary leader of that province's Independent Labour Party...
, Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
The Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba is the viceregal representative in Manitoba of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
Roland Fairbairn McWilliams
Roland Fairbairn McWilliams
Roland Fairbairn McWilliams was a Canadian politician and office-holder. He served as the 13th Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba from 1940 to 1953....
, and visiting Norwegian ambassador to the United States Wilhelm de Morgenstierne. One council member, Dan McClean, escaped but was recaptured after an intensive search. Chief of Police George Smith avoided capture because he was dining out when soldiers arrived at his office. The Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
at Lower Fort Garry was replaced with the swastika. The city was renamed "Himmlerstadt
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
", and Main Street was termed "Hitlerstrasse".
Erich von Neurenberg was installed as gauleiter
Gauleiter
A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau.-Creation and Early Usage:...
(provincial leader); he was assisted by George Waight, who acted as the local Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
chief. Their stated purpose was to assist Hitler in his plans to take advantage of Canada's relatively low population density by colonizing the country. Von Neurenberg issued the following decree, which was posted throughout the city:
- This territory is now a part of the Greater Reich and under the jurisdiction of Col. Erich Von Neuremburg, Gauleiter of the Fuehrer.
- No civilians will be permitted on the streets between 9:30 pm and daybreak.
- All public places are out of bounds to civilians, and not more than 8 persons can gather at one time in any place.
- Every householder must provide billeting for 5 soldiers.
- All organizations of a military, semi-military or fraternal nature are hereby disbanded and banned. Girl Guide, Boy Scout and similar youth organizations will remain in existence but under direction of the Gauleiter and Storm troops.
- All owners of motor cars, trucks and buses must register same at Occupation Headquarters where they will be taken over by the Army of Occupation.
- Each farmer must immediately report all stocks of grain and livestock and no farm produce may be sold except through the office of the Kommandant of supplies in Winnipeg. He may not keep any for his own consumption but must buy it back through the Central Authority in Winnipeg.
- All national emblems excluding the Swastika must be immediately destroyed.
- Each inhabitant will be furnished with a ration card, and food and clothing may only be purchased on presentation of this card.
- The following offences will result in death without trial
- Attempting to organize resistance against the Army of Occupation
- Entering or leaving the province without permission.
- Failure to report all goods possessed when ordered to do so.
- Possession of firearms.
No one will act, speak or think contrary to our decrees.
Notices were posted on churches forbidding worship services, and priests who objected were arrested. Buses were stopped and their passengers searched by armed troops. The Winnipeg Tribune
Winnipeg Tribune
The Winnipeg Tribune was a metropolitan daily newspaper serving Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from January 28, 1890 to August 27, 1980. The paper was founded by R.L. Richardson and D.L. McIntyre who acquired the press and premises of the old Winnipeg Sun newspaper. It was often viewed as a liberal...
was renamed Das Winnipeger Lügenblatt ("The Winnipeg Lies-sheet"), a Nazi publication featuring heavily censored columns and a front page written almost entirely in German. One satirical story noted that "this is a great day for Manitoba ...The Nazis, like Der Fuehrer, are patient, kind and tolerant, but THEIR PATIENCE IS RAPIDLY EXHAUSTED BECOMING", while another included an "official joke", approved by the German authorities, at which all readers were ordered to laugh or be imprisoned. Henry Weppler, a newspaper seller for the Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
was attacked and his papers ripped up. The Winnipeg Free Press featured a front-page story about the "invasion", describing in great detail the devastation caused by the Nazis in Winnipeg.
Books were burned in front of the main Carnegie
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
branch of the Winnipeg Public Library
Winnipeg Public Library
The Winnipeg Public Library is a public library service that is provided by the municipality of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Most branches provide programming for children, teens, and some to adults. The Library also contains an Outreach Department which works with the community, as well as people...
(the books had been pre-selected for incineration as damaged or outdated). Soldiers entered the cafeteria at Great West Life and stole lunches from workers. They seized buffalo coat
Buffalo coat
A buffalo coat is a heavy winter garment made from animal hair. They were popular during the early settlement period of the American West and the Canadian prairies. The use of the word "buffalo" is a misnomer, as these coats were actually made from American bison...
s from the police station and wore them throughout the day, as the temperature was below −8 °C. At one local elementary school, the principal was arrested and replaced with a Nazi educator dedicated to teaching the "Nazi Truth"; special lessons were prepared for high-school students throughout the city. Some stores and homes were looted by the fake troops. Canadian currency was replaced with fake German Reichsmarks, the only propaganda notes that Canada created during the war.
The day ended at 5:30 pm with a ceremonial release of prisoners, a parade and speeches from the released dignitaries. Members of the organizing committee and local businesspeople marched down Portage Avenue with banners reading "It MUST Not Happen Here!" and "Buy Victory Bonds". Following the parade, a banquet was held at the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
building. Ambassador de Morgenstierne spoke about his experiences with If Day and in Norway, suggesting that the "make-believe Nazi occupation of [Winnipeg] was an authentic glimpse of German behavior in German-ridden Europe".
Surrounding towns were also affected by the invasion: for example, in Neepawa
Neepawa, Manitoba
Neepawa is a town in Manitoba, Canada located on the Yellowhead Highway at the intersection with Highway 5. its population was 3,298. Neepawa was incorporated as a town in 1883. It is located in the Rural Municipality of Langford and bordered to the north by the Rural Municipality of Rosedale....
Nazi soldiers confronted citizens in the streets. Virden
Virden, Manitoba
Virden, Manitoba is a town in southwestern Manitoba. Oil was first discovered in 1951, and Virden has since come to be known as the "Oil Capital of Manitoba"....
was renamed "Virdenberg". A mock attack was planned for strategic targets in Brandon
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
broadcast a program called "Swastika over Canada" on the radio throughout the province, along with military music and extracts of Hitler's speeches.
Effects
The If Day event not only resulted in Victory Bond sales well over Greater Winnipeg's goal, but brought Winnipeg's innovative efforts to the attention of people throughout North America. Life Magazine ran a pictorial spread of the If Day activities in Winnipeg and in smaller centres across Manitoba, photographed by William Shrout. Reporters from several American publications, including NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily online, Monday to Friday, and weekly in print. It was started in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As of 2009, the print circulation was 67,703.The CSM is a newspaper that covers...
, were also present for the event; cameraman Lucien Roy shot newsreel footage. Newspapers as far away as New Zealand included stories about the event. An estimated 40 million people worldwide saw coverage of If Day.
The money raised for the Victory Loan campaign on If Day was $3.2 million, which was the city's largest single-day total. Winnipeg passed its $24 million Victory Loan quota on February 24, largely because of the effects of If Day. The provincial total for the entire campaign was $60 million, well above its target quota of $45 million. The campaign raised approximately $2 billion nationwide for the war effort, and If Day was considered one of the most successful fundraising events of the nationwide drive. Officials had expected a significant increase in army recruits as a result of the event, but it failed to end the long-term decline in recruitment numbers: 23 people enlisted at the Winnipeg recruitment office on If Day, compared to an average of 36 per day for the first half of February.
If Day was successful enough to spark imitations in other communities. The US government contacted the organizing committee for details of the event. A smaller-scale invasion was staged in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, using promotional materials from the Winnipeg campaign.
In 2006, a television documentary of the events was made by Aaron Floresco. The work incorporates newsreel footage from the event, as well as interviews with historians and participants. Filmmaker Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin, OM is a Canadian screenwriter, director, cinematographer and film editor of both features and short films from Winnipeg, Manitoba...
included a brief newsreel clip of If Day in his film My Winnipeg
My Winnipeg
My Winnipeg is a feature film directed by Guy Maddin. Starring Ann Savage, the film is a surrealist-inflected pseudo-documentary about Winnipeg, Maddin's home town...
.
External links
- Trailer for television documentary of If Day, including newsreel footage from the event