1935 US Plan for Invasion of Canada

[Gunner]

An interesting read. Any comments?

A 1935 US Plan for Invasion of Canada

 

[Bill Smy]

I recall reading years ago that just after World War I, Canada had a plan to invade the United States. Could we have done it? Don‘t know, but we did have 600,000 men who had seen active service, the majority of whom were combat veterans.

 

[Jarnhamar]

And Major Baker, the US would never think of attacking Canada now especially since we have the JTF.

Wait they‘re leaving for private civilian companies.....Were defenseless.

 

[mattoigta]

Originally posted by S_Baker:
[qb] Bullshit....it was written or at least compiled by a MAJOR in the US Army, it seems to me nothing more than a document written by a field grade officer preparing for Command and General Staff Officer Course....

EDIT Major‘s do not write War Plans and sign them.... [/qb]

Things could have been different back then no? Or maybe it was just a "War College assignment"?
Either way, if you read it, it sure seems that theyve got their facts straight

 

[Gunner]

Actually, this really never surprised me at all. The purpose of the general staff was to prepare for war. If they didn‘t have a strategic plan to invade Canada they would have been derelict in doing their jobs.

The use of "colour" plans were used pre-1914 and resurrected in the interwar period. The war plans covered certain hypothetica scenarios, in which a colur was the code name for the strategic plan to be used if America were attacked by a particular nation, for example, red for Britain (Crimson for Canada?), green for Mexico, black for Germany, and orange for Japan. The plans were limited in scope, with only superficila attendtion to logistical aspects and with no provisions for coalitions or for conditions of total or global warfare. They were unrealistic about contemporary or future international alignments... (Makers of Modern Strategy, p 710).

As far as a Major authoring a document, I don‘t think it was that wrong for the times (particularly based on the comments above). Its a sad state that Majors of today are merely coffee boys in NDHQ and the Pentagon. Independent responsibility has been lost to the mediocracy of numberous committees...

 

[Canadian Patriot]

Every military has a plan ready for the invasion of parts of the world...Even most little islands have a prepared plan. This way, if some place ever needed to be atacked, we would save loads of time preparing a plan. They just write these things and throw them in a vault somewhere, and adjust it every once in a while because of new technologies, tactics, and numbers.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

I wonder what the updated version reads like?

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Probably along the lines of just keep supporting the liberal party and they‘ll eventually just have to secede.

 

[Bert]

If I remember my history, didn‘t Canada march into the US early in the 1800s and burn down the White House? We won the war in 1812. Maybe the US never got over that?

What I don‘t get is the beer of choice at the junior mess on my base is Budweizer. I‘m sure Molsons has a plan to invade the USA, take over the brewery, and drain the tap water out of it.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Whats the difference if it was approved or not or who it was written by? The **** thing was made up 70 years ago and who around here is 70 yrs old (well besides George ). So it really affects none of us, for me its just interesting reading about the outlooks of ppl at that time.

 

[kaspacanada]

hey the point where he writes about Canadian Terrirory acknowledges Canadian territory extending beyond the arctic archipelago...isn‘t that what the US says is international waters? hmm, just a thought. Too bad it‘s not an official government position on the matter.

No idea if its real or not, but I am inclined to agree that it is a planning phase for ANY eventuality. It‘s their job to plan. And I also trust Baker‘s judgment. So, don‘t know, and I don‘t think its important since its way outdated. I‘m sure they would have something better planned for us now.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Ok here is what you need to ask yourselves did the US not have a variety of colour coded plans to go to war with any number of countries before WW2? I think that has been established as historical fact. No big deal I think it was only prudent at the time... I think the key word is the US "had" a paper done up in 1935...again who cares that was 70 years ago....as for Quebec seperating and what Canada would do you are trying to change the subject S_Baker. I have been to France and they have little interest in what happens to Quebec. Whenever our guys have tried speaking French in the places I have been to France the native French switch to English or barely even notice that they are there. Hello that should tell you that France could care less what would happen to Quebec should Quebec go its own way.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

I think you should learn to spell CONFEDERATION.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

You are so right Ex-Dragoon. I spend a lot of time in Quebec and trust me S_Baker, having anything to do with France is probably more distasteful to them than it would be for you right now.

 

[Duotone81]

Originally posted by S_Baker:
[qb] It is important ex-dragoon...by the tone of the beginning of the article seems to me that someone is trying to insinuate that the US has a plan and could invade Canada.

[/qb]

I didn‘t read into any insinuation of the sort. Can you please clarify? The plan was drafted in 1935, not the present.

Would it seem foolhardy if the US didn‘t have any plan of action that would deal with any sort of situation to her north? Maybe details that you wouldn‘t be privy too perhaps? Not trying to bark off conspiracy theories but I would think it reasonable for any country to have such plans of action.

BTW, France openly supported the succession of Quebec from Canada. Jacques Chirac went on record (CNNs Larry King Live) and said he would give legitimacy to Quebec as a new nation and would convince other nations to do so. I‘ll try to find the transcript from that episode.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

The islands you refer to[ I can‘t name them off-hand] actually do belong to France, but the chance that France would lay claim to Quebec would be met with the same derision[sp]as Peru laying claim to Texas.
CHEERS

 

[winchable]

I believe they‘re called "L‘Isles de magdalene"
Or something like that.

 

[stukirkpatrick]

St Pierre and Miquelon? or are they too far from the mouth - no map in front of me.

The spanish fishing boat incident was a challenge of our sovereignty, but we won, when the int‘l court refused a Spanish appeal in 1998.

We had the moral ground as well, as it was about conservation.

 

[Kirkhill]

Actually the islands are Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and are off the southwest coast of Newfoundland. The Les Iles-de-la-madeleine (The Magdelene islands are Canadian territory off the Gaspe shore of Quebec).

By the way, I am still looking for it but I concur with Bill Smy‘s post. There was a Canadian inter-war study/plan on the possibility of "invading" the US. To the best of my recollection (demonstrated previously to be faulty but what the heck) it was authored by a Captain, it involved an invasion of Up-State New York and included said Captain wandering the State "spying" out the terrain. I seem to remember that it was more than a staff college study, that it was warehoused by staff in Ottawa as an option.

Cheers.

 

[winchable]

Right, right, just figured that out with a little google-work.
I get those islands confused.

.....PEI is the big one with Labrador attatched to it right? And then Newfoundland is the one where they all speak french?