The RCN in transition, 1910-1985 / edited by W.A.B. Douglas.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Douglas, W. A. B. (William Alexander Binny), 1929-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Canada. Royal Canadian Navy--History--20th century.

Canada.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (440 p.)

Place of Publication:

Vancouver : University of British Columbia Press, 1988.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book is about the life of a navy, from its conception in the nineteenth century to its seventy-fifth birthday in 1985. Born in the midst of political controversy, the Royal Canadian Navy traces its roots to conflicting British and Canadian interests during the prime ministerships of Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir Wilfrid Laurier, as well as to Anglo-German naval competition in the early years of the twentieth century. The RCN played a more important role in World War I than has generally been realized and, despite neglect between the wars, rose to a position of some prominence in World War II. Except for a demoralizing period of retrenchment from 1945 to 1949, it then flourished until the early 1960's, before the twin agonies of unification and defence cutbacks began to influence its development. Total unification of the navy with the army and air force has been a unique Canadian experience. How Canada weathered the transition from RCN to "Marine Command" is illuminated by the discussions in this book. The navy appears as a resilient institution in the face of change, particularly in the last two decades of its first seventy-five years. This collection of papers by leading authorities in naval history and defence policy provides a record of Canadian naval problems, the navy's pragmatic search for solutions, and its prospects for the future. The authors open up areas of discussion that will be of fundamental importance in the critical years to come.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Abbreviations

Introduction: The Canadian Navy in the Modern World

Naval Mastery: The Canadian Context

Strategy and Maritime Law: "Free Seas" and the Canadian Navy

Historical Strategy and Its Uses in Large and Small Navies

Marcom Education: Is it a Break with Tradition?

The End of Pax Britannica and the Origins of the Royal Canadian Navy: Shifting Strategic Demands of an Empire at Sea

Hard Luck Flotilla: The RCN's Atlantic Coast Patrol, 1914-18

Inshore Asw in the Second World War: The U-Boat Experience

Inshore Asw: The Canadian Experience in Home Waters

Canada and the Wolf Packs, September 1943

The "St Laurent" Decision: Genesis of a Canadian Fleet

Canada and the Cold War at Sea, 1945-68

International Naval Co-Operation and Admiral Richard G. Colbert: The Intertwining of a Career with an Idea

Economic Considerations in the Development of the Canadian Navy Since 1945

Canadian Naval Responsibilities in the Arctic

Ships: Managing the Need

Canada and Maritime Defence: Past Problems, Future Challenges*

The Future of Naval Warfare

Notes

Contributors

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-283-22617-0

9786613226174

0-7748-5682-3

OCLC:

226375087