Canadian History Commons^™

Remembering Tim Cook, Kevin Spooner

Canadian Military History

Tim Cook, C.M., F.R.S.C., Ph.D passed away on 26 October 2025, aged 53. Tim was a prolific contributor to this publication and a pillar of the two organisations that publish it, the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada (LCSC) and the Canadian War Museum. LCSC Director Kevin Spooner offers this remembrance.

Behind Barbed Wire: Jack Powerful Griss And The Material Culture Of Dieppe Pows At Stalag Viii-B, Teresa Iacobelli

Canadian Military History

Through a collection of material culture that includes letters, ephemera and objects, this article traces the Second World War service of Private Jack Powerful Griss. Griss was a survivor of Dieppe and subsequently interned as a POW from 1942 to 1945. Griss’ collection of donated materials reveals his personal story but also sheds light of the broader experience of captivity, especially among the Canadians captured at Dieppe, France in 1942 who were imprisoned in Germany until the end of the Second World War.

À travers une collection de documents culturels, incluant des lettres, des documents éphémères et des objets, cet …

“Mud, Mud, Mud To The Right Of Us”: How Canadian Reconnaissance Regiments Adapted To The Terrain Of The Scheldt Estuary, Victoria Sotvedt

Canadian Military History

During the Battle of the Scheldt, Canadian reconnaissance regiments played a crucial role in gathering information for their attached divisions and participating in combat operations. To be effective in this role, these regiments needed to maintain a high level of mobility and be adept at operating at or beyond the divisional front. As First Canadian Army moved into the Scheldt Estuary in autumn 1944, the reconnaissance regiments’ mobility and efficiency were challenged by the difficult terrain. These regiments therefore developed new techniques to allow them to continue fulfilling their role despite these challenges, including the adoption of new weaponry and …

A Clash Of Conflicting Priorities: Why Did The Battle For The Beveland Causeway Last Almost Three Weeks? 7 October - 24 October 1944, Robert W. Catsburg

Canadian Military History

This article examines the 2nd Canadian Division’s nearly three-week campaign to drive German forces from the Beveland Causeway, a key part of the Battle of the Scheldt. Despite having superior numbers, the Canadians—led by Brigadier Holley Keefler—were unable to break through the enemy lines at Woensdrecht. In the secondary literature, high praise is given to the skill of the German battle group, at the expense of Canadian combat effectiveness. Drawing on primary sources, this article highlights the aggravating factors that contributed to this unexpected stalemate. It shows that, independent of the courage and ability of the soldiers on the ground, …

The Clear-Up: The Anglo-American Experience In Southeastern Italy, 1943–1946, Amy Muschamp

Canadian Military History

As Allied forces gradually ascended Italy in the arduous Italian Campaign, the newly liberated country was left in chaos. Focusing on the often-overlooked experiences of Southeastern Italy, and in particular the area known today as the region of Molise, this article presents an analysis of the Allied clear-up operation within this tumultuous situation. The mass movement of people southwards has been described as the “real drama” of the war for those living in Molise and the experiences of the people here are representative of many in the rural south. Moreover, knowledge gained by Allied forces here would impact future operations …

Lieutenant-Colonel Donald Mackenzie And The 48th Highlanders Of Canada: A Study In Battalion Command And Officer Progression, Tyler Wentzell

Canadian Military History

Lieutenant-Colonel Donald Mackenzie was the commanding officer of the 48th Highlanders of Canada from June 1944 until his death in April 1945. He had been a lieutenant in the militia when the war broke out. His chain of command quickly made him a company commander, then sent him away from the unit to gain valuable staff training and experience. Although lacking combat leadership experience, he rejoined the 48th Highlanders in Italy, became the battalion’s second-in-command, and, after only five months, took over as the commanding officer at the age of twenty-nine. Mackenzie’s experience provides valuable insight into the challenges faced …

Henry Norman Bethune: Controversial Canadian Vs. Bia Qui En: Chinese Model Cadre, Ashley Schepis

The Graduate Review

Canadian thoracic surgeon Dr. Norman Bethune is known for his dichotomous legacy in Canada and China. In China, Bethune is remembered as a model cadre, a foreigner who died for the Chinese Communist cause. In 1938 Bethune travelled to China to prove his loyalty to the communist cause and be a part of something bigger. Bethune’s medical inventions and ideas, such as mobile blood transfusions left a lasting impression on the Chinese medical system, yet he did not become a household name until the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. Mao Zedong used Bethune as a martyr in propaganda which resulted …

Anishinaabe Nibiing: Anishinaabe Waterscapes And Canoe Building As Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Jeremy Kingsbury

The Cicadian

This paper explores the cultural, ecological, and technological significance of birch bark canoe (wiigwaasi-jiimaan) building among the Anishinaabe people, emphasizing their identity as an inland maritime society. Drawing on historical accounts, oral traditions, and personal experience as a park ranger, the author examines the intricate process of harvesting materials and constructing canoes, highlighting the deep environmental knowledge and gendered labor involved. The canoe served not only as a vital means of transportation and subsistence—facilitating fishing, wild rice harvesting, and seasonal migration—but also as a symbol of familial and spiritual connection. Through detailed descriptions of material selection and craftsmanship, …

The Métis And The Manifest Destiny Of The Canadian Northwest, Donald Holler

The Ozark Historical Review

As the United States, hoping to pursue “Manifest Destiny,” attempted to expand until North America truly was the “American” continent, the newly formed Dominion of Canada, ever fearful of its expanding neighbor to the south, tried to cobble together a trans-continental nation and forge its own unique identity and destiny. These two competing impulses came to a head in the long neglected Métis Red River Rebellion of 1869–1870 which sealed the future of the North American continent.

Combat Motivation And Swift Trust In Canada’S Battle Of Hong Kong, 1941, Robert C. Engen, Maxwell Putnam

Canadian Military History

Abstract: In December 1941, the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong was the site of a doomed last stand, when the Imperial Japanese Army assaulted the British enclave near-simultaneously with the strike on Pearl Harbor. Among Hong Kong’s multinational defenders were two battalions of Canadian infantry, designated “C Force.” They held out for a significant period and inflicted heavy casualties upon the Japanese, despite the fact that the Canadians were under-trained, under-equipped and fighting a battle that could not be won. This article is the first major study of combat motivation in the Battle of Hong Kong, taking the Canadian …

Review Of “Pathway To The Stars: 100 Years Of The Royal Canadian Air Force” By Michael Hood And Tom Jenkins, Randall Wakelam

Canadian Military History

Review of Pathway to The Stars: 100 Years of the Royal Canadian Air Force by Michael Hood and Tom Jenkins

Review Of "Boosters And Barkers: Financing Canada’S Involvement In The First World War" By David Roberts, Bradley Shoebottom

Canadian Military History

Review of Boosters and Barkers: Financing Canada’s Involvement in the First World War by David Roberts

Review Of "Silent Partners: The Origins And Influence Of Canada’S Military Industrial Complex" Edited By Alex Souchen And Matthew S. Wiseman, Peter Kasurak

Canadian Military History

Review of Silent Partners: The Origins and Influence of Canada’s Military Industrial Complex edited by Alex Souchen and Matthew S. Wiseman

Review Of "Scandalous Conduct: Canadian Officer Courts Martial, 1914-45" By Matthew Barrett, Daniel German

Canadian Military History

Review of Scandalous Conduct: Canadian Officer Courts Martial, 1914-45 by Matthew Barrett

Review Of "Sir John A. Macdonald & The Apocalyptic Year 1885" By Patrice Dutil, Tim Cook

Canadian Military History

Review of Sir John A. Macdonald & the Apocalyptic Year 1885 by Patrice Dutil

Through The Eyes Of A Guard: Watson Kirkconnell And Great War Internment In Canada, Daniel R. Meister

Canadian Military History

Histories of internment in Canada have paid much attention to internees’ experiences but far less to those of the guards. Correcting this trend, this article offers a detailed case study of one soldier, Watson Kirkconnell, who worked at the Fort Henry and Kapuskasing internment camps. Drawing on his valuable but heretofore unutilised archive of material, this article provides a vivid social history of the camps through Kirkconnell’s eyes. Nuancing the historiography of wartime internment, this article demonstrates how commandants determined the experiences of both internees and guards alike and, at the same time, that staff could sometimes mitigate their superior’s …

“Your Lads […] Looked Much Like The Reappearance Of Jesus Christ To Us”: Canada, The Iccs And The Release Of Us Prisoners Of War In Vietnam, Jean-Michel Turcotte

Canadian Military History

Abstract : Between January and July 1973, 240 Canadian military personnel took part in the International Commission for Control and Supervision (ICCS), responsible for monitoring the Paris Peace Agreements ending the American war in Vietnam. Canadian military observers notably supervised the release of 595 Americans prisoners of war (POWs) as well as over 32,000 Vietnamese captives. This article suggests that the ICCS, often viewed in the historiography as ineffective because of the numerous violations of the agreements, was much more successful in terms of monitoring US POW releases. In addition, it argues that helping the ally was a priority for …

The Fear Of Being Unknown: First World War Identification Discs In The Canadian War Museum’S Collection, Brittany Dunn

Canadian Military History

Abstract : The Canadian War Museum holds nearly 250 identification discs from Canadian soldiers and nurses of the First World War. Identification discs were objects of bureaucracy, designed to ensure accurate record keeping of the dead and their places of burial. But these discs were more than just an administrative tool, they represented the hopes and fears of soldiers and their loved ones—the hope of being identified in death and the fear of being one of the missing. Military authorities understood the importance of a known grave to soldiers and their families so burial policy evolved over the war to …

The Canadian Press Views The 1908 American Presidential Election, Harvey Strum

Journal of 20th Century Media History

"How many people appreciate the tragedy of the defeat of Mr. Bryan," asked the anti-Bryan Toronto World on 5 November 1908. This expression of sympathy for the Great Commoner's defeat by Republican candidate William Howard Taft, represented the opinion of a minority of the Canadian press. Newspapers representing western agrarian progressives, trade unions, militant Protestant nativists, independent reformers, and social reform Liberals regretted Bryan's defeat since he symbolized reform that might creep across the 49th parallel. If Bryan's third defeat did not prompt the majority of Canadian editors to dance in the streets it did prompt them to raise their …

The British Invasion Of Tea: How Advertising Wars Influenced America's Tea Drinking Habbits, Maddux L. Mullinax

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

This paper examines the historical shift in American tea consumption from green to black tea during the early to mid-20th century. Initially, green tea from China and Japan was predominant in the U.S. until the 1920s. The transformation to black tea was spearheaded by British tea growers from India, notably through the strategic marketing efforts of Sir Charles Higham and the India Tea Growers Association (ITGA). Their campaigns focused on aligning black tea with American tastes, distancing it from its British colonial connotations, and leveraging global trade dynamics. The influence of World War II further entrenched black tea's dominance, with …

The Impact Of American Politics On Canadian Voters, Reilly Funk

Political Science Theses and Capstones

I analyze to what degree American political forces shape Canadian elections. Due to the unique economic and cultural relationship between the countries, U.S. political and policy changes impact the Canadian political landscape. I examine this relationship with a comparative study using the Canadian Election Study of the 2021 federal election. This data enables analysis of voter behaviour within a wide variety of voters. Tentative findings show that major political events within the United States, such as presidential elections and major policy shifts, have a major impact on election results in Canada. Canadian political parties consistently adjust their messaging strategies to …

Becoming Part Of The Town And Gown: A History Of Wilfrid Laurier University's First Racialized Faculty And Students, Tedla Desta

The Laurier Legacy Project

In this article, Tedla Desta explores the deep connection between Wilfrid Laurier University and the Kitchener-Waterloo region, focusing on the historical contributions of the Black community, which has been present in the area since the early 1800s. Early Black settlers, such as Peter Edward Susand and John Frederick Augustus Sykes Fayette, played key roles in shaping the region’s social and cultural foundations. Desta also addresses the increase in racialized students during the 1950s and 60s, particularly through the International Business Program, while questioning why the university prioritized international students over established local Black communities. Early Black students like Seth K. …

Complexity Machines: New Histories Of North American Automobile Production, 1900-1950s, Kevin A. Moskowitz

History Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation examines the design and manufacture of the mass-produced automobile in North America from its inception at the start of the twentieth century through the height of production in the late 1950s. This network of producers constituted the single largest industry in North America. The success of this market required producing a product that was desirable to consumers in design, affordable to purchase, and could be built in high enough quantities to justify the realignment of the rest of North American society to serve this new method of transportation. This dissertation is a shift away from demand studies concerned …

Blackness And Nineteenth-Century Art In The Atlantic World, Rachel Hooper

Curatorial Publications

No abstract provided.

Cascadian Independence: A Rising Movement For An Independent Northwest Amid Growing Regionalism In The United States And Canada, Elias V. Savitt

Capstone Showcase

Because of the Civil War, secession is a sore topic to many Americans. However, the idea of secession has not been confined to this notorious example. My essay focuses on the idea that Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia could be the basis for a unified autonomous or even independent entity called Cascadia. First, I discuss the history of secession as such, and the arguments that have been made pro and con as to its legality and under what situations. I then situate this within the histories of the United States and Canada and the phenomena of regionalism and independent movements. …

From Conscientious French Canadian To Enterprising American: Making Memory & Measuring Social Mobility Of French Canadians 1880-1940, Brooke S. Schwaderer

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis studies the social mobility of French-Canadian immigrants to the Keweenaw Peninsula 1880-1940 and memory among their descendants to explain how French-Canadian culture in the Keweenaw faded over time. Oral histories were conducted to gain an understanding of the current French-Canadian culture in the Keweenaw, understand how the current generation perceives changes in culture over time, and provide possible explanations for why French-Canadians thrived in the Keweenaw. Tax records from the Michigan Technological University Archives and social mobility scores, mother tongue, and homeownership information from the United States census was analyzed to measure language loss, and the social mobility …