When the German attack on Poland on 1 September 1939 finally led Britain and France to declare war on Germany, King summoned Parliament to \"decide,\" as he had pledged. Declaration of war was postponed for a week, during which Canada was formally neutral. The government announced that approval of the \"Address in reply to the Speech from the Throne,\" which stated the government\'s decision to support Britain and France, would constitute approval of a declaration of war.
On September 9 the address was approved without a recorded vote, and war was declared the following day. The basis for parliamentary unity had in fact been laid in March, when both major parties accepted a program rejecting conscription for overseas service. King clearly envisaged a limited effort and was lukewarm towards an expeditionary force. Nevertheless, there was enough pressure to lead the Cabinet to dispatch one army division to Europe. The Allies\' defeat in France and Belgium in the early......
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