A Thoroughly Canadian General / / Paul Dickson.

• VerfasserIn: Dickson, Paul,
• Place / Publishing House: Toronto : : University of Toronto Press, , [2017]; ©2007
• Year of Publication: 2017
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (528 p.)

General H.D.G. 'Harry' Crerar (1888-1965) was involved in or directly responsible for many of the defining moments of Canadian military history in the twentieth century. In the First World War, Crerar was nearly killed at the second battle of Ypres, was a gunner who helped to secure victory at Vimy Ridge, and was a senior staff officer during the pivotal battles of the last Hundred Days. During the Second World War, he occupied and often defined the Canadian army's senior staff and operational appointments, including his tenure as commander of First Canadian Army through the northwest European campaign.Despite his pivotal role in shaping the Canadian army, however, General Crerar has been long overlooked as a subject of biography. In A Thoroughly Canadian General, Paul Douglas Dickson examines the man and his controversial place in Canadian military history, arguing that Crerar was a nationalist who saw the army as an instrument to promote Canadian identity and civic responsibility. From his days as a student at the Royal Military College in Kingston, to his role as primary architect of First Canadian Army, the career of General H.D.G. Crerar is thoroughly examined with a view to considering and reinforcing his place in the history of Canada and its armed forces.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Abbreviations -- Maps -- Map Credits -- 1. Hamilton Roots -- 2. Baptism of Fire -- 3. The Killing Ground -- 4. Learning the Game -- 5. Stagnation -- 6. The Politics of Preparedness -- 7. Limited Liability War -- 8. Chief of the General Staff -- 9. Hong Kong and the Politics of Army Expansion -- 10. Father of First Canadian Army -- 11. Preparing 1st Canadian Corps -- 12. Dieppe -- 13. Replacing McNaughton -- 14. Corps Command in Italy -- 15. Taking Command of the Army -- 16. First Canadian Army and Overlord -- 17. The Normandy Campaign -- 18. The Learning Curve: Totalize and Tractable -- 19. Coalition Battles -- 20. First Canadian Army and the Scheldt -- 21. The Rhineland Offensive -- 22. Veritable: Crerar's Battle -- 23. The Final Campaign -- 24. Casting the Postwar Army -- 25. Fading Away -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index