Canadian Military History

The First World War between Memory and History: A Conference Retrospective

by Christopher Schultz

Co-authored with Jonathan Weier, Canadian Military History, Vol. 20, No. 4 (Autumn 2011): 75-80.

Long after the guns of the First World War went silent on November 11th, 1918, the events of those four years of war... more Long after the guns of the First World War went silent on November 11th, 1918, the events of those four years of war continue to spark debate at a variety of levels, both academic and popular, and private and public. The many points of contention were on full display at the "From Memory to History" conference, hosted by Western University in London, Ontario, over three days in November, 2011. Scholars and enthusiasts from around the world gathered to share, debate and ultimately demonstrate that the war's many legacies are still open to interpretation, even as the centenary of the war's outbreak approaches. Perhaps the most crucial lesson learned is that both memory and history are malleable concepts, prone to revision at all turns, and that there are still many narratives in many disciplines that are yet untold--even with an event as well-documented as the First World War.

Responsibility, Nostalgia, and the Mythology of Canada as a Peacekeeper

by David Jefferess

:
University of Toronto Quarterly, Volume 78, issue 2, 2009, p.709-727
URI:
http://utpjournals.metapress.com/content/T1430242UK07M311

This article critically examines three examples of the way in which peacekeeping functions as a mythological sign... more This article critically examines three examples of the way in which peacekeeping functions as a mythological sign within the Canadian national imaginary, connoting a distinctly Canadian political ethos and ethics: the 1994 documentary Peacekeeper at War; the image “Remembrance and Peacekeeping” on the ten-dollar bill; and Lloyd Axworthy's 2003 political memoir Navigating a New World. The author argues that these representations of Canada's peacekeeper mythology reflect a nostalgic hunger for national distinction. As such, historical policies and initiatives such as Canada's contribution to the 1991 Persian Gulf War, its military intervention and abuses in Somalia in 1993, and the Canadian mission in Afghanistan's Kandahar province are produced within the narrative of peacekeeping as either acts of responsible action (i.e., bringing peace to the Other) or aberrations in an otherwise continuous narrative of Canada's benevolent action in the world.

Nouveaux films, vieux débats : Le Déserteur et Passchendaele / New Movies, Old Debates : Le Déserteur and Passchendaele

by Caroline D'Amours

Will be publish in the Bulletin d’histoire politique, Spring 2012.

This article proposes to explain how the movies Le Déserteur and Passchendeale help to strengthen both sides... more This article proposes to explain how the movies Le Déserteur and Passchendeale help to strengthen both sides conventional wisdom on subjects ultimately unknown to the general public. On a more theoretical level, it is shown here that these movies have less to do with history than with use of the past in the service of a cause or political identity. In this case, it is important to discuss Passchendaele and Le Déserteur as mirrors of the two Canadian solitudes : the Québécois and the English Canadians. As stated in a Béatrice Richard’s recent article, "[u] nderstanding how the 'other' perceives the past can open new avenues of thought and research, broaden our vision and, at the same time, without one feeling compelled to deny his own culture. "

“PRIMA IN LACUBUS: Over a Century of Naval Activity at the Lakehead”

by Michel S Beaulieu

co-authored with David Ratz and Chelsea Degagne. Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society Papers and Records 37 (2009): 46-59.

The Disposal of World War One Canadian Military Equipment, 1918-1921

by Bradley Shoebottom

This article identifies how the Canadian Military and specifically the Canadian Corps disposed of its military... more This article identifies how the Canadian Military and specifically the Canadian Corps disposed of its military equipment at the end of the First World War. The Canadian government was the first country to sell off its assets, thus gaining the best price. The paper also identifies what military equipment was brought back to Canada for its future Army. In fact, the majority of the heavy equipment (guns, armoured cars) were brought back, but items like tanks, horses, and trucks were either given back or sold to civilians. The Canadian Corps sold 17,000 horses to the Belgian government to assist with the revitalization of Belgian agriculture in 1919. The paper also discuss the equipment status of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force in the same time frame.

Arbitrary Justice: A Comparative Analyses of Death Sentences Passed and Death Sentences Commuted During the First World War

by Teresa Iacobelli

Published in Canadian Military History, 2007

"La Bénédiction Paternelle"

by Nanette Norris

Interview with Lieutenant-Gen'l (Ret'd) Michel Maisonneuve, 22e Regiment, Canadian Forces. Video Essay 2011.

The Formative Years of Canadian Foreign Intelligence

by Tim Sayle

“The Formative Years of Canadian Foreign Intelligence,” Intelligence & National Security, 25, no. 2 (Winter 2010).