Canadians have often been called an unmilitary people but wars not only shaped the map of Canada, they also determined its political history and social development. And although Canadians never went to war for gain, Canadian resources and–more importantly–the lives of Canada’s servicemen bought this nation its autonomywithin the British Empire, then its complete independence and finally a respected place in the important councils of the world. Canadian military history did not begin with Canada’s first overseas battle at Sunnyside Kopje in South Africa on New Year’s Eve 1899. The stage for major military achievement in the 20th century was set by political and military developments that unfolded a half-century before. The creation of the non-permanent active ...

According to assorted popular histories and textbooks, Sir Wilfrid Laurier once proclaimed that "The 20th century would belong to Canada." Well, not quite. What our seventh prime minister really said, when he wound up a speech to a couple of hundred festive members of the Ottawa Canadian Club on the night of Jan. 18, 1904, was that while "the 19th century was the century of the United States, I think we can claim that it is Canada that shall fill the 20th century." Still, it was rather a bold claim–almost unCanadian in its ambition. To be fair, Sir Wilfrid deserves a little context. His audience of lumber barons, grocery merchants and top civil servants would have known that the U.S. had made a booming success of the 19th century, especially by comparison with its humble northern ne...