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Changing short description from "Simulated Nazi invasion of Winnipeg, Manitoba, during the Second World War" to "Simulated Nazi invasion of Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1942" (Shortdesc helper) |
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[[File:GiveUsTheTools.jpg|thumb|upright|[[A. J. Casson]]'s Canadian Victory Bonds poster ''Give Us The Tools'' 1941]]
If Day was an elaborate campaign to promote the purchase of [[war bond|Victory Bonds]]. These bonds, which were loans to the government to allow for increased war spending, were sold to individuals and corporations throughout Canada. If Day was the second Victory Loan campaign of the Second World War. The campaign began on 16 February 1942, and continued until 9 March. [[Manitoba]]'s fundraising target was $45 million ($620 million in 2011 dollars<ref>{{cite web|
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.<ref name=dawn/> The map was posted at the corner of Portage and Main, the city's central intersection.<ref name=werier/> The campaign was publicized in local newspapers for a few days before the event, although the "invasion" took many citizens by surprise.<ref name=dawn/><ref name=ctv/><ref name=per113>{{cite book|author=Perrun, Jody|title=The Patriotic Consensus: Unity, Morale, and the Second World War in Winnipeg|publisher=University of Manitoba Press|year=2014|isbn=978-0-8875-5749-1|page=113}}</ref> 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.<ref name=dawn/>{{refn|Organizers hoped to avoid a similar situation to the [[The War of the Worlds (radio drama)|1938 radio drama ''The War of the Worlds'']], when a fictional broadcast of an alien invasion was interpreted as real by frightened citizens.<ref name=burch/>|group=note}} [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] aircraft painted to look like German fighter planes flew over the city on 18 February 1942.<ref name=if>{{cite news|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|title=If|page=1|author=Groom, Kick|date=5 January 1985}}</ref> [[Selkirk, Manitoba|Selkirk]], a small town northeast of Winnipeg, held its own fundraising simulation, a one-hour blackout and mock bombing, on 18 February 1942 in preparation for the main If Day event.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|date=18 February 1942|title=War's nightmare staged in vivid Selkirk raid to boost Victory Loan|page=1}}</ref>
== 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.<ref name=burch/><ref name=came>{{cite news|newspaper=Winnipeg Tribune|title=If ...the Nazis came to Winnipeg|date=19 February 1942|page=1}}</ref> The defending forces were commanded by [[Colonel]]s E. A. Pridham and D. S. McKay.<ref name=newman/><ref name=grim/> Troops were drawn from the
'Nazi' patrols in the city began before 5:30 am on 19 February. 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.<ref name=burch>{{cite journal|journal=[[Maclean's]] |author=Burch, Ted|date=10 September 1960|title=The day the Nazis took over Winnipeg|pages=46–47}}</ref> Canadian troops were massed at Fort Osborne barracks and the Minto and Macgregor armouries at 6:30 am, and at 7:00 am [[civil defense siren|air-raid sirens]] were sounded and a [[blackout (wartime)|blackout]] ordered in preparation for the invasion.<ref name=dawn>{{cite news|title=Sirens will wail and guns roar as IF DAY dawns|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|date=18 February 1942|page=1}}</ref><ref name=grim/><ref>{{cite news|title=Blackout 7 am Thursday Begins 'If Day' Events|newspaper=Winnipeg Tribune|date=18 February 1942|page=13}}</ref> The aerial [[blitzkrieg]] began before 7 am with mock bombings.<ref name=burch/> Beginning at 7:03 am, 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 defenders formed a perimeter around the industrial and downtown areas of the city, approximately {{convert|5|km|mi|0}} from City Hall, retreating to a {{convert|3|km|mi|adj=on|0}} perimeter at 7:45.<ref name=if/><ref name=grim/>
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[[File:Lugenblatt.tif|left|thumb|The masthead of the ''[[Winnipeg Tribune]]'', 19 February 1942]]
Notices were posted on churches forbidding worship services, and priests who objected were arrested.<ref name=dawn/> Buses were stopped and their passengers searched by armed troops.<ref name=tactics/> 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.<ref name=floresco/><ref>{{cite news | url=http://manitobia.ca/content/en/newspapers/WPT/1942/02/19/pages/00003996.xml/iarchives | title=Das Winnipeger Lügenblatt | work=Winnipeg Tribune | date=19 February 1942 |
[[Book burning|Books were burned]] in front of the main [[Carnegie library|Carnegie]] branch of the [[Winnipeg Public Library]] (the books had been pre-selected for incineration as damaged or outdated).<ref name=if/><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|date=17 February 1942|page=5|title=More about Victory Loan}}</ref> Soldiers entered the cafeteria at [[Great West Life]] and stole lunches from workers.<ref name=grim/> They seized [[buffalo coat]]s from the police station and wore them throughout the day, as the temperature was below {{convert|−8|°C|°F}}. 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.<ref name=werier>{{cite news|newspaper=Winnipeg Tribune|title=Winnipeg to be 'occupied'|url=http://manitobia.ca/content/en/newspapers/WPT/1942/02/17/articles/3.xml/iarchives|pages=1, 10|date=17 February 1942|author=Werier, Val|
[[File:BondsorBondage.JPG|thumb|upright|Fake German [[Reichsmarks]]; the reverse features an advertisement for Victory Loans.]]
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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.<ref name=if/>
In 2006, a television documentary of the event was made by [[Aaron Floresco]] for [[CTV Television Network|CTV]]'s local series ''Manitoba Moments''.<ref name=PPP>{{cite web|title=If Day (2006)|url=http://www.pastperfectpro.com/ifday.html|publisher=Past Perfect Productions|
==See also==
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