A Canadian Civil Affairs Officer in Italy: Lieutenant-Colonel H. S. Robinson, Provincial Commissioner for Brescia in 1945

Authors

Janet Sanders
Rolando Anni
Maria Paola Pasini

Abstract

This article provides an overview of one Canadian Civil Affairs Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Homer Smiley Robinson, and his contribution to the rebuilding of the province of Brescia in north Italy and its eponymous capital after liberation from Nazi occupation. Robinson, as Provincial Commissioner, led the Civil Affairs team from April to October 1945 as the first Canadian to be appointed to the position. Traditionally, Civil Affairs has been studied predominantly as a bureaucratic structure. The human element in terms of staff and stakeholders has been almost entirely neglected. It is hoped that this account of a soldier-turned-governor will prove to be a step towards redressing that neglect.

Recommended Citation

Sanders, Janet; Anni, Rolando; and Pasini, Maria Paola "A Canadian Civil Affairs Officer in Italy: Lieutenant-Colonel H. S. Robinson, Provincial Commissioner for Brescia in 1945." Canadian Military History 33, 1 (2024)