Canada's Road to the Pacific War

In December 1941, Japan attacked multiple targets in the Far East and the Pacific, including Hong Kong, where Canadian battalions were stationed. The disaster suggested that the Allies were totally unprepared for war with Japan. This book dispels that assumption by offering the first in-depth account of Canadian intelligence gathering and strategic planning leading up to the crisis. Timothy Wilford reminds us that Canada was both a Pacific and an Atlantic power, and the first nation to declare war on Japan. Canadian intelligence officers and strategists monitored Japan's movements and worked closely with their US and Allied counterparts to develop a picture of Japan's intentions and a strategic plan to meet challenges in the Pacific. Although Canada wanted to avoid conflict with Japan until US participation was assured, policy makers fully anticipated action in the Pacific and made preparations for national and imperial defence, which included the internment of Japanese Canadians. 'Canada's Road to the Pacific War' sheds new light on Canadian decision making, Commonwealth strategic planning, and the emerging Anglo-American special relationship during a crisis that led to war in the Pacific, as well as to the creation of the Grand Alliance.--Publisher's website.