Public Opinion and National Prestige: The Politics of Canadian Army Participation to the Invasion of Sicily, 1942–1943

Authors

Brandey Barton, University of Waterloo

Abstract

The participation of Canadian troops in the Sicilian campaign of July and August 1943 marked a distinctive shift in Canada’s war policy, and significantly influenced the employment of the army until the end of hostilities in May 1945. Advocates of Canadian participation in the campaign argued that the overseas army, which had been on garrison duty in Britain since 1939, needed to gain combat experience. Yet it was largely due to political reasons and concerns with prestige rather than military necessity that prompted the Canadian government to bring increasing, and ultimately effective, pressure to bear on the British government to include a Canadian infantry division and tank brigade in Operation “Husky”—the invasion of Sicily.

Recommended Citation

Barton, Brandey "Public Opinion and National Prestige: The Politics of Canadian Army Participation to the Invasion of Sicily, 1942–1943." Canadian Military History 15, 2 (2006)