Submitted by: 12173 Dr Richard Gimblett, MSC CD RCN (ret’d)
The Point Before RMC
Robert D. Banks, Warships and Warriors: Conflict on the Great Lakes and the Legacy of Point Frederick. Toronto ON: Dundurn Press, 2023. 368pp. ISBN 978-1 45975-77-7 (E-book available) https://www.dundurn.com/books_/t22117/a9781459750777-warriors-and-warships
9884 Robert “Bob” Banks already has made his contribution to the history of RMC, being recognized on the Wall of Honour (inducted September 2020 / https://www.rmc-cmr.ca/en/college-commandants-office/9884-lieutenant-colonel-robert-douglas-bob-banks) for his many accomplishments primarily in the field of aerospace medicine and occasional literary forays into air force and naval air squadron histories. But before all that, he graduated from the College in 1974 with a degree in civil engineering, and it was a return to that formative scholarly training that led him to produce this in-depth and literally ground-breaking survey of military activity on Point Frederick. Covering the breadth of time, reaching back to recently documented archeological evidence of indigenous fishing and hunting camps dating to at least 1100 BCE, through the short-lived French presence and then the much more pervasive British naval and military occupation in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Banks ends his narrative with the establishment of the Royal Military College of Canada in 1876. As such, this book forms the “prequel” to Richard Preston’s classic Canada’s RMC and deserves to find a home on bookshelves alongside it.
Aside from the RMC connection, most histories relating to Point Frederick are focussed on its central place as the Royal Navy’s only freshwater Dockyard and home for its squadron on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. Banks certainly covers that historic moment, including the massive British shipbuilding program undertaken on Navy Bay as well as the associated actions during that war, but he broadens the scope followed by previous historians in terms of both time and the range of activities. Two chapters entitled “The Shipwrights’ War” and “The Winter of Illness and Death” advertise his deep-dives into respectively the logistics of constructing and maintaining a fleet on such an isolated colonial station, and the unintended consequences of billeting so may sailors, soldiers and civilians on the effectively open sewer they had made of Navy Bay in a time before “germ theory” was postulated let alone understood. Another chapter on “Garrison Life in the Age of Steam” illustrates the “gap years” following the War of 1812 and before Confederation that have never been properly addressed (but now are, quite satisfactorily).
Those three chapters also are indicative of the multi-disciplinary approach that makes this micro-history of Point Frederick such an important new contribution to the scholarship. But it was his CIV ENG-inspired interest in urban planning that first led Bob to seek more background on the various buildings and other structures located on the peninsula. In the course of his research, he fell in with the Kingston Historical Society and archeologist Susan Bazely. They have profited from their mutual interest and together have produced a YouTube® video (Remarkable Point Fredrick: A Walk Through Canadian History / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVUGqVy9M4w) that gives a brief summary of the many structures that have festooned the Point, including some still in view (the Stone Frigate, Fort Frederick, the Queen Anne-era canons on either side of the gate at the Guardhouse) but many more forgotten, now revealed in fresh perspective, and described in so much more beautifully illustrated detail in the book.
Written in a most engaging fashion, this is truly “accessible” history, and highly recommended. Available in good bookstores everywhere, including the RMC Kit Shop in Panet House.
Book Review – The Lion, The Fox & The Eagle: A Story of Generals and Justice in Yugoslavia and Rwanda – Carol Off
Reviewed by Captain Alexander Landry, MBA, Engineering Staff Officer at NATO Allied Land Command
Toronto, CanadaRandom House Canada, 2000
406 pp.
ISBN: 9780679310495
As the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) undergoes a period of review and cultural renewal, it is the reviewer’s belief that one of the keys to sustainable progress lies in the analysis of a previous tumultuous period for the organization, including the strategies that ultimately led to its exit. Amid the review of CAF missions abroad in the 1990s—perhaps as part of a self-reflection on a time synonymous with what the organization is experiencing today—Carol Off’s The Lion, the Fox & the Eagle becomes relevant once more, particularly given that one of its principal characters is the former Supreme Court justice currently conducting an independent review of the CAF. Ultimately, it is a self-proclaimed story of generals and justice in Rwanda and Yugoslavia, or perhaps of a lack of justice, depending on how history is interpreted thirty years later.
Carol Off is indisputably a living legend among Canadian journalists; she previously hosted CBC Radio One’s As It Happens and is one of the leading journalists on CAF involvement in the Balkans during the decline of the former Yugoslavia. Accordingly, The Lion, the Fox & the Eagle provides background on the eruption of conflicts in both Bosnia and Rwanda in detail prior to specifically diving into Canadian involvement through two former generals and a judge.
The author first investigates the “lion” of the story, Romeo Dallaire, a self-proclaimed “NATO man” with experience in preparing for what was supposed to be the zenith of confrontation with the Russians. He was arguably unprepared for the powder keg that was Rwanda at the time, leading into one of the worst ethnic cleansing campaigns in recent memory. The author takes great care in outlining the story of a stellar military leader who would unfortunately become embroiled in the politics of the affair. He would realize too late that the cavalry was not coming and that the international community was ready to sit on its hands in anticipation of what was believed at the time to be a conflict between two parties, not an ethnic massacre. Throughout the text, Off provides detail not only on the conflict itself but also on the resulting effects it had on Dallaire in what the reviewer found to be a prelude (as the book was written in 2000) to Shake Hands with the Devil and subsequently Waiting For First Light. Considering its release date and its inclusion of interviews with the retired general, this alone makes it a must-read for Dallaire fans and United Nations military historians alike.
Changing gears to represent the “fox” of the story, the author brings readers into the setting that saw a city sieged for three years in modern times while a peacekeeping force once again debated moral equivalency between two seemingly armed forces in the area. In this instance, the Canadian at the helm of the task force was Lewis MacKenzie, a general who would become famous (and perhaps later infamous) for his use of the media to bring the eyes of the world onto the conflict between parties. Many things can be said on both sides of the metaphorical token about the former general, and Carol Off emphasizes many of them. In an incredibly fair portrait of someone who could be considered the foil of Dallaire in many respects, the author demonstrates what can happen when the neutral force arguably becomes biased towards one side of the conflict. It also delves into the question of how the bias can consequently compromise the situation through its resulting effects on moral equivalency (if there even was such a thing) or simply the relations between the factions involved.
Finally, Off provides an overview of the “eagle” of her narrative, depicting Justice Arbour’s appointment to the world stage for both the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). From within this portion of the text, it becomes evident that Justice Arbour was an incredibly fair leader of those two courts, making the best of a difficult situation when the United Nations was looking to lighten the burden of dismay following two arguably failed missions. Although inconsistencies exist within the scope of these tribunals, Arbour moved the yardstick forward concerning international law and successfully underlined the importance of such prosecutions––the first of their kind since Nuremberg. Regardless of the overall storyline, which is detailed in an exciting manner by the author, criminal authorities, including a head of state, were brought to justice for crimes against humanity. That, to an extent, provided some reconciliation for the prior two portions of the book, previously leaving readers distraught with how two situations could have been fumbled in such a manner.
Overall, The Lion, the Fox & the Eagle remains a foundational review of CAF and Canadian interest in peacekeeping pre-Afghanistan. The context of the book is becoming increasingly relevant once again, as the world enters a new era of near-peer confrontation and sabre-rattling amidst neighbouring countries in the hot spots of the globe. Two decades onward from its publication, Off’s account of two Canadian peacekeeping affairs reminds us of our role in the world and of the times when Canada was at the forefront of foreign affairs in trying to make sense of fairness within declining empires and long-standing ethnic feuds. Although it remains to be seen where the future of the United Nations and its peacekeeping missions lie amid renewed tensions between global powers, The Lion, the Fox & the Eagle provides insight into what can happen when these missions go wrong and the situation is not managed in its precursor phases. The book is highly recommended to CAF members as well as to any Canadian looking to get a glimpse of the past when Canada played a pivotal role on the world stage.
This article first appeared in the April, 2024 edition of Canadian Army Journal (20-2).
Critique de livre – Off, Carol – The Lion, The Fox & The Eagle: A Story Of Generals And Justice In Yugoslavia And Rwanda
Critique préparée par le capitaine Alexander Landry, M.B.A., officier d’état-major du génie au Commandement terrestre allié de l’OTAN
Toronto, CanadaRandom House Canada, 2000
406 pp.
ISBN: 9780679310495
Alors que les Forces armées canadiennes (FAC) se trouvent sous la loupe et repensent leur culture, le critique estime que le progrès durable passe par l’analyse d’une période tumultueuse de l’histoire l’organisation, mais aussi des stratégies qui ont finalement mené à sa conclusion. Analysant des missions des FAC à l’étranger dans les années 1990, et constituant peut-être même une introspection sur une époque ayant fait de l’organisation ce qu’elle est aujourd’hui, l’ouvrage The Lion, the Fox & the Eagle de Carol Off est toujours d’actualité, d’autant plus que son récit met en avant l’ancienne juge de la Cour suprême à la tête de l’examen externe indépendant des FAC. Tout compte fait, il s’agit d’une histoire qui se veut celle des généraux et de la justice au Rwanda et en Yougoslavie – ou peut-être d’un défaut de justice, selon l’interprétation de l’histoire qu’on fait trente ans plus tard.
Carol Off est indiscutablement une légende du journalisme canadien; elle a déjà animé As It Happens, à la Première chaîne de la CBC, et est l’une des principales journalistes à avoir couvert les opérations des FAC dans les Balkans pendant l’éclatement de l’ex-Yougoslavie. The Lion, the Fox & the Eagle fait la genèse des conflits en Bosnie et au Rwanda, avant d’analyser l’engagement canadien en se penchant sur le rôle de deux anciens généraux et d’une juge.
L’auteure s’intéresse d’abord au « lion » de l’histoire, Roméo Dallaire, qui se décrivait comme un « homme de l’OTAN » et qui possédait l’expérience de la préparation à la supposée culmination de la confrontation avec les Russes. Disons néanmoins qu’il n’était pas préparé à la poudrière qu’était le Rwanda à l’époque, où s’est joué l’un des pires génocides de mémoire récente. L’auteure prend soin d’esquisser l’histoire d’un chef militaire de premier plan qui allait malheureusement se retrouver empêtré dans la politique d’un conflit. Il comprendrait trop tard que la cavalerie ne viendrait pas, et que la communauté internationale resterait les bras croisés face à ce que l’on croyait à l’époque être un simple conflit et non un véritable massacre ethnique. Tout au long du texte, Mme Off décrit non seulement le conflit en lui-même, mais aussi ses conséquences sur Dallaire, ce qui, aux yeux du critique, constitue un prélude à J’ai serré la main du diable et à Premières lueurs, deux livres qu’il publierait plus tard. Compte tenu de l’époque de sa publication et des entretiens avec le général à la retraite qu’il contient, l’ouvrage est un incontournable pour les supporteurs et les supportrices de Dallaire et les historiens militaires s’intéressant aux Nations Unies.
Passant à l’analogie du « renard », l’auteure transporte le lecteur et la lectrice dans le contexte (moderne) d’une ville assiégée pendant trois ans et où une force de maintien de la paix se trouve une fois de plus à juger de l’« équivalence morale » dans un conflit opposant deux forces apparemment armées dans la région. Dans ce cas, le Canadien à la tête du groupe de travail est Lewis MacKenzie, un général qui sera reconnu (et peut-être plus tard vilipendé) pour s’être servi des médias afin de faire voir le conflit à la face du monde. Il y a long à dire sur le personnage controversé qu’est l’ancien général, et Carol Off y parvient avec brio. Dans un portrait incroyablement juste de celui qui pourrait être considéré comme le faire-valoir de Dallaire à bien des égards, l’auteure illustre ce qui peut se produire lorsque la force neutre prend manifestement parti. Elle se demande également comment un parti pris peut compromettre une situation par ses effets sur l’équivalence morale (si tant est qu’il y en ait une) ou simplement les relations entre les factions impliquées.
Enfin, Mme Off dépeint l’« aigle » par son récit de la nomination de la juge Arbour au Tribunal pénal international pour l’ex-Yougoslavie (TPIY) et au Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda (TPIR). Il ressort de cette partie du texte que la juge Arbour s’est avérée une leader incroyablement juste de ces deux tribunaux, tirant le meilleur parti d’une situation difficile alors que les Nations Unies cherchaient à apaiser la consternation suscitée par deux missions vraisemblablement ratées. Bien qu’il persiste des incohérences au sein de ces tribunaux, Mme Arbour a fait avancer les choses en matière de droit international et a souligné avec succès l’importance du genre de poursuites intentées, les premières depuis Nuremberg. Au-delà de la trame générale de l’histoire, livrée dans un style captivant, on rappelle que des autorités criminelles, dont un chef d’État, ont été traduites en justice pour crimes contre l’humanité. Dans une certaine mesure, cela vient jeter un baume sur les deux parties précédentes du livre, qui plongent le lecteur et la lectrice dans deux grands gâchis.
En résumé, The Lion, the Fox & the Eagle demeure une analyse fondamentale de l’intérêt des FAC et du Canada pour le maintien de la paix avant l’Afghanistan. Le contexte dans lequel s’inscrit ce livre retrouve sa pertinence, alors que le monde entre dans une nouvelle ère de confrontation et d’intimidation entre pays voisins de force quasi égale dans les points chauds de la planète. Deux décennies après sa publication, le récit que fait Carol Off de deux opérations canadiennes de maintien de la paix nous rappelle notre rôle dans le monde et l’époque où le Canada était à l’avant-garde des affaires étrangères et cherchait à donner un sens à la justice au sein d’empires en déclin et dans des querelles ethniques de longue date. Bien que l’avenir des Nations Unies et de ses missions de maintien de la paix reste incertain dans un contexte de tensions renouvelées entre les puissances mondiales, The Lion, the Fox & the Eagle apporte un éclairage sur ce qui peut se produire lorsque ces missions tournent mal et que les crises ne sont pas gérées dans leur phase précoce. Nous recommandons vivement cette lecture aux membres des FAC, ainsi qu’aux Canadiennes et aux Canadiens souhaitant s’imprégner de l’époque à laquelle le Canada était un grand acteur sur la scène internationale.
Cet article a été publié pour la première fois dans l’édition d’avril 2024 du Journal de l’Armée du Canada (20-2).
Andrew Brown’s book Building the Army’s Backbone: Canadian Non-Commissioned Officers in the Second World War just received a glorious review in the latest issue of the Journal of Military History. It was described as a “historiographical masterpiece” by Dr John Hinck from the Air University in Montgomery Alabama.