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History General

Canada's Greatest Wartime Muddle

National Selective Service and the Mobilization of Human Resources during World War II

by (author) Michael D. Stevenson

Publisher
McGill-Queen's University Press
Initial publish date
Dec 2001
Category
General, Security (National & International)
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780773569652
    Publish Date
    Dec 2001
    List Price
    $110.00

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Description

To determine the government's commitment to a comprehensive mobilization strategy, Stevenson considers the effect of NSS policies on eight significant sectors of the Canadian population: Native Canadians, university students, war industry workers, coal miners, longshoremen, meatpackers, hospital nurses, and textile workers. These case studies show that mobilization officials achieved only a limited number of their regulatory goals and that Ottawa's attempt to organize and allocate the nation's military and civilian human resources on a rational, orderly, and efficient scale was largely ineffective. This detailed assessment of the effect of NSS activities on a broad cross-section of Canadian society provides a fresh perspective on the domestic impact of the Second World War. It will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in Canada's economic, military, social, and political history.

About the author

Editorial Reviews

"A considerable achievement ... Stevenson has pillaged a grand collection of primary sources for this work, and supports it with a good sampling of secondary material. His work in several areas has, to the best of my knowledge, never been equalled." Dean F. Oliver, Canadian War Museum "An original and significant contribution to knowledge." Stephen Harris, chief historian, director of History and Heritage, National Defense

"A considerable achievement ... Stevenson has pillaged a grand collection of primary sources for this work, and supports it with a good sampling of secondary material. His work in several areas has, to the best of my knowledge, never been equalled." Dean F. Oliver, Canadian War Museum
"An original and significant contribution to knowledge." Stephen Harris, chief historian, director of History and Heritage, National Defense