The Road to the Cobourg Court Room: New Material from the Archives of the Canadian War Museum on the Sir Arthur Currie-Sir Sam Hughes Dispute, 1918-1919

Authors

Barbara M. Wilson, Canadian War Museum

Abstract

The post-First World War dispute between Sir Sam Hughes, Minister of Militia and Defence from October 1911 to November 1916 and Sir Arthur Currie, General Officer Commanding the Canadian Corps from 9 June 1917 to the end of the war, must be one of the least dignified episodes in Canadian military history. Hughes, although very energetic, was erratic and arbitrary and was fired by Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden for his inefficient administration of the Canadian military forces overseas. Currie, on the other hand, led the Canadian Corps in a stunning series of successes: Hill 70, Passchendaele, Amiens, the Drocourt-Queant Line, the Canal du Nord, and the final entry into the Belgian town of Mons on the last day of the war. He has, indeed, been viewed by historians as one of the war’s most capable field commanders and, arguably, as Canada’s greatest native-born military commander.

Recommended Citation

Wilson, Barbara M. "The Road to the Cobourg Court Room: New Material from the Archives of the Canadian War Museum on the Sir Arthur Currie-Sir Sam Hughes Dispute, 1918-1919." Canadian Military History 10, 3 (2001)