Collaborer avec le Commonwealth? Les relations canado-britanniques et la détention de guerre au Canada, 1940–1945

Abstract

This article examines the detention of German prisoners of war in Canada between 1940 and 1945. More specifically, it examines Canada-UK relations regarding this wartime captivity. Relatively unexamined in historiography, relations between Ottawa and London concerning the treatment of enemy prisoners reveals the political dynamic existing between the two Commonwealth allies as the conflict progressed. Examining intra-Commonwealth relations surrounding the issue of German prisoners and its consequences allows us to highlight the interactions as the basis of this cooperation, and the constraints they imposed on the Canadian government. In so doing, the study shows that the position imposed by the War Office in London regarding its authority over the detention in Canada was strongly questioned by Canadian authorities. These authorities went so far as to reject certain British policies by invoking Canada's national sovereignty. The nationalism defended by the Mackenzie King government, that is the duality of the predominance of Canadian interests and Ottawa's contribution to the allied war effort, clearly influenced the Dominion's positions and its relations with Great Britain. Through discussions about the detention of German soldiers in Canada between 1940 and 1045, Canada's international status emerges as a central issue.