The North Atlantic Treaty Organization 1948 1957

Milloy challenges the view that creating greater alliance unity has usually been only a Canadian preoccupation - other members, notably the United States and Britain, displayed a sincere interest as well - and further suggests that Canadian actions sometimes acted as an impediment. He argues that the idea failed partly because the lack of an agreed-upon definition for NATO's non-military potential hampered focused discussion. With NATO facing a post-9/11 relevancy crisis, Milloy shows that there are parallels to the inter-alliance struggles of the 1950s and that many of the early frustrations and obstacles are still present.

In 1951, Canada sent troops to western Europe to support its NATO allies. The brigade helped Canada establish its international status. In private, however, Canadian officials and military leaders expressed grave doubts about NATO's strategies and operational plans. Despite these reservations, they sent military families overseas and implemented personnel policies that permanently changed the distribution of the defence budget and the character of the Canadian Army. This original account of the evolution of the Canadian Army from a small training cadre to a truly national force offers a new perspective on military policy and diplomacy in the Cold War era.