Germany and the Soviet Union Divide up Europe
German troops were advancing through Europe from the west, attempting to invade and take over the smaller countries as part of their lebensraum (living space) campaign, by using the "Blitzkrieg" tactic. They were successful with invading many countries: Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece (all in 1939-1941).
The Blitzkrieg was a strategy where there were a series of attacks which was guaranteed to overwhelm opposition. They first started with air strikes, which was used to destroy bridges to block pathways, as well as command centres. The next step would be infantry, where they would confuse and distract the enemies. The third step would follow, where then they use mechanized forces to surprise and penetrate their enemies. The main force comes in while the enemies are occupied and finish the rest of the enemies and take over.
However, the Soviet forces were coming from the east, and had the same plans as the Germans. They had both invaded Poland, and sooner than later, by September 1939, Poland had lost its power. Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, invaded Finland in November 1939. The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were also in power by the Soviets.
What did the Canadians do?
When Denmark and Norway fell in 1940, Canadian troops from Britain had been sent to help fight against the Germans taking control over Norway. However, they were sent back because the battle was already over.
The Blitzkrieg "Lightning War"