Canada's army: waging war and keeping the peace

Abstract

Masterfully written and passionately argued, Canada's Army: Waging War and Keeping Peace traces full three hundred-year history of Canadian army, from its origins in New France, through Conquest, Revolutionary War and War of 1812, Confederation, militia reform, South African War, two world wars, Korean War, and postwar peacekeeping and peacemaking. Covering major conflicts in depth, and exploring battles, tactics, and weapons, J.L. Granatstein also offers a rich analysis of political context for battles and events that shaped our understanding of nation's army, not least fluctuations of Canadian defence spending and methods of raising military manpower. Granatstein pays particular homage to foot soldier, interweaving personal anecdotes into history. At once a vivid and impeccably researched history, this major work by one of Canada's leading historians is also a passionate argument for military professionalism, beginning with recognition that soldier belongs to a self-regulating and exclusive organization quite distinct from civil society but nevertheless responsible to civil authority. Canadian disinterest in defence was manifested in popular support for a volunteer (but always untrained) militia. It is historical and continued opposition to a professional army, Granatstein argues, that contributed to extensive loss of life in First and Second World Wars. Canada has traditionally undervalued its army in times of peace, but has repeatedly committed its army to war and other military operations, expecting every citizen to be a superb soldier. And, while army has been able to achieve in times of conflict professionalism needed by a modern army, this has come only with time and at a high price in lives of Canadian soldiers. At start of twenty-first century, after forty years of cutbacks in budgets and personnel, Canadian army continues in same long tradition of unpreparedness. Pointing to inevitable continuation of armed conflict around world, Canada's Army makes a compelling case for Canada's need for professional armed forces with a simple but incontrovertible truth: the equation is and has always been very simple: you pay now in dollars for competent soldiers or you pay later in dollars and your sons and daughters.