John Terry Copp CM (born 1938) is a Canadian military historian and Professor Emeritus at Wilfrid Laurier University [1] and is the co-founder and former Director of the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada. [2] [3] As of 2024, Copp is a member of the Order of Canada. [4]
Copp was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. He was educated at Sir George Williams University (BA) and McGill University (MA), Copp first published The Anatomy of Poverty: The Condition of the Working Class in Montreal, 1897–1929 in 1974. He later moved to Wilfrid Laurier University where he co-founded the Laurier Centre for Military and Strategic Disarmament Studies in 1991, which was later renamed the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada. He founded the journal Canadian Military History. [2]
Copp was instrumental in popularizing battlefield study tours and experiential historical education. He was also the military analyst for the acclaimed television series No Price Too High and a frequent contributor to Legion Magazine . Copp has published numerous battlefield travel guides on Canada's military history in the War of 1812, the First World War and the Second World War.
In addition to many other academic accomplishments, Copp is the author of nearly two dozen articles and book chapters, editor or co-author of 25 books, and author of more than half a dozen titles. His books include Cinderella Army: The Canadians in Northwest Europe, Fields of Fire: The Canadians in Normandy, No Price Too High, The Brigade: The Fifth Canadian Infantry Brigade and The Canadian Battlefields in Italy: Sicily and Southern Italy. His most recent work is Montreal at War 1914-1918 . He is a two time recipient (1990 and 1992) of the C.P. Stacey Prize.
In 2024, he was appointed to the Order of Canada. He lives in Elora, Ontario. [5]
Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier, was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadian prime minister, his 15-year tenure remains the longest uninterrupted term of office among Canadian prime ministers and his nearly 45 years of service in the House of Commons is a record for the House. Laurier is best known for his compromises between English and French Canada.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of the German 6th Army. The battle occurred from 9 to 12 April 1917, marking the commencement of the Battle of Arras and serving as the inaugural assault of the Nivelle Offensive. The objective was to draw German reserves away from the French forces, preparing for a crucial offensive along the Aisne and the Chemin des Dames ridge several days later.
David Jay Bercuson is a Canadian labour, military, and political historian.
The 2nd Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army in the province of Quebec, Canada. The present command was created 2013 when Land Force Quebec Area was re-designated. The main unit housed in this division is the Royal 22nd Regiment based at CFB Valcartier near Quebec City, which is the largest regiment in the Canadian Army.
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a war memorial site in France dedicated to the memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the First World War. It also serves as the place of commemoration for Canadian soldiers of the First World War killed or presumed dead in France who have no known grave. The monument is the centrepiece of a 100-hectare (250-acre) preserved battlefield park that encompasses a portion of the ground over which the Canadian Corps made their assault during the initial Battle of Vimy Ridge offensive of the Battle of Arras.
Norman Ernest Wagner, was a Canadian archeologist, professor and University president.
The military history of Canada during World War I began on August 4, 1914, when the United Kingdom entered the First World War (1914–1918) by declaring war on Germany. The British declaration of war automatically brought Canada into the war, because of Canada's legal status as a British Dominion which left foreign policy decisions in the hands of the British parliament. However, the Canadian government had the freedom to determine the country's level of involvement in the war. On August 4, 1914, the Governor General declared a war between Canada and Germany. The Militia was not mobilized and instead an independent Canadian Expeditionary Force was raised.
Andrew Barrett Godefroy CD is a Canadian strategic analyst and science and technology historian.
Roger Sarty is among Canada's leading historians, specializing in the history of Canada's Navy and coastal defence.
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Joseph Marc Milner is a Canadian military and naval historian, author of several books including one novel. He is Director of the Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society at the University of New Brunswick.
The 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Canadian Army that fought during World War I and World War II. The brigade, along with the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade and the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, formed the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. The division was formed in late 1915 in France and served on the Western Front until the armistice in November 1918. Later, during World War II, it arrived in the United Kingdom in 1940 and spent three years in garrison duties and training in preparation for the assault landings on Juno Beach in Normandy on 6 June 1944. After fighting in Normandy, the brigade took part in the Battle of the Scheldt. After the war, it served on occupation duties until being disbanded in June 1946.
The 272nd Infantry Division was a Type 1944 Infantry division of the German Wehrmacht during World War II, that was originally formed in December 1943. The division fought in many of the major battles throughout Operation Overlord, culminating in the Retreat from Northern France and the Low Countries in late August/early September 1944.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps against three divisions of the German Sixth Army. The battle was part of the opening phase of the Battle of Arras, part Nivelle Offensive and took place from 9–12 April 1917. The objective of the Canadian Corps was to take control of the German-held high ground, along an escarpment at the northernmost end of the Arras Offensive. This would ensure that the southern flank could advance without suffering German enfilade fire.
Major General Harry Wickwire Foster was a senior Canadian Army officer who commanded two Canadian divisions during World War II. He served in both the Pacific and European theatres.
This is a bibliography of works on the military history of Canada.
Dr. Holger H. Herwig is a German-born Canadian historian and professor. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including the award-winning, The First World War: Germany and Austria-Hungary 1914-1918 and The Origins of World War I, written with Richard F. Hamilton. His research focuses on World War I and German military and political history. Dr. Herwig holds a dual position at the University of Calgary as Professor of History and as Canada Research Chair in the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies.
David R. O'Keefe is a Canadian historian, television presenter, and writer. He is known for presenting War Junk alongside Gemini nominated and Emmy award-winning producer and director Wayne Abbott. He has appeared on television and radio networks including CBC Radio, Global Television, CTV Television Network, UKTV Network and History TV channel.
The C.P. Stacey Prize is given by the C.P. Stacey Award Committee and the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies "for distinguished publications on the twentieth-century military experience." It is named in memory of Charles Perry Stacey who was the official historian of the Canadian Army in the Second World War.
Rodney John Charles Preece was a British-Canadian political philosopher and historian of animal rights and vegetarianism. He was professor emeritus in the Department of Political Science at Wilfrid Laurier University. Preece authored and edited 19 books on topics including animal rights and welfare, vegetarianism, German politics, socialization in Europe, and political theory.