War Without Battles: Canada's NATO Brigade in Germany: Amazon.ca: Sean M Maloney: Books

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This book chronicles most vividly and convincingly the significant role played by Canada's NATO Brigade Group at a critical juncture in world history; a period when Soviet expansionism in Europe was checked, communism's contradictions exposed and the USSR itself ultimately collapsing. It further challenges the view held in many Canadian academic and political circles that Canada's NATO role was not important, and that peace in Europe was maintained strictly by the nuclear balance of terror. This simplistic analysis fails to comprehend that strong conventional NATO forces contributed equally to deterrence by showing Western moral resolve and by raising the nuclear threshold, thus reducing the likelihood of immediate use of atomic weapons in a conflict. The Canadian Brigade, because of the critical ground in Germany it defended on, was crucial to this effort. The Cold War was a War Without Battles and Canadians can be proud of the role their soldiers played in it.

This history-sponsored by, worked on, and contributed to by members of the Brigade themselves-is based on previously classified archival research and over 100 interviews, including with British and German Commanders who worked with the Canadians. Particularly fascinating are details of NATO planning for meeting a Warsaw Pact attack, including how nuclear weapons would be used.

Replete with personal experiences, stories and anecdotes, it vividly describes what service life was like in Germany for Canadian soldiers, as well as their families. This includes living among the German citizenry and the mutual acculturation which ensued; the ever present possibility of war and the "Snowball" bugouts which kept attitudes and skills honed; the troops fanaticism with regard to brigade sports, especially hockey; and of course the never-ending training and Fallex's.

War Without Battles is both a superb historical accounting of a just ended era in Canadian military history as well as a fitting accolade to all who served in Canada's NATO Brigade. It deserves to be read by civilians and soldier alike.

From the Back Cover

"Should forward forces not be capable of containing an attack, a withdrawal to more favorable main defensive positions would be mandatory. 4 CMBG is tasked with organizing this position. Without this force.. the forward units in contact would not be capable of being reinforced. This could increase the likelihood of the early use of nuclear weapons..."
--General Andrew Goodpaster
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, 1969

"Full of new information, this is a first class soldier's history of Canada's brigade group in Germany. From 1951 to 1993-- almost one third of Canada's history as a nation--our army played an important, highly creditable role. This is the brigade's story, and it's a bloody good one."
--Jack L. Granatstein

"...the heyday of Canadian army professionalism and this nation's role in winning the Cold War."
--Esprit de Corps magazine

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War Without Battles: Canada's NATO Brigade in Germany [Hardcover]

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