Unlikely Diplomats

In 1951, Canada sent troops to western Europe to support its NATO allies. The brigade helped Canada establish its international status. In private, however, Canadian officials and military leaders expressed grave doubts about NATOs strategies and operational plans. Despite these reservations, they sent military families overseas and implemented personnel policies that permanently changed the distribution of the defence budget and the character of the Canadian Army. By exposing the hidden agendas that pushed NATOs members in different directions even as they presented a united front, this original account of the evolution of the Canadian Army from a small training cadre to a truly national force offers a new perspective on military policy and diplomacy in the Cold War era.