Canada and the Far East crisis in 1941: Intelligence, strategy and the coming of the Pacific War

Abstract

Historians specializing in the Second World War have often characterized Canada as an Atlantic Power whilst tending to ignore its important role in the Pacific. Moreover, historians have often characterized Canada as a very minor component of the Anglo-American alliance that emerged in 1941. Canada's response to the Far East crisis may be better understood through a detailed study of the intelligence operations and strategic planning that preceded the outbreak of war in the Pacific. Several primary sources, including contemporaneous war records, internal histories, memoirs and post-war accounts from former participants in wartime intelligence operations, suggest that Canada was better prepared for the Pacific War than previously known. In 1941, Canadian intelligence staff and strategists worked closely with their Allied and American counterparts to prepare for war with Japan. Canada monitored Japan's preparations for war and participated in Allied-American conferences concerning the Far East crisis, using multiple intelligence sources to optimize strategic planning. Throughout the developing crisis in the Far East, Canada sought to avoid conflict with Japan until American participation was assured, but fully anticipated action in Southeast Asia and the North Pacific, making various preparations for national and imperial defence.