Canadian defence policies and military intervention : twenty years and two armed-conflicts later

Abstract

It is no secret that Canada and its military have not placed themselves in a combat role in international conflict missions for quite some time. Therefore, this paper will assess how Canada and its defence policies no longer engage in militaristic intervention in the international security sector. To do so, the researcher assesses Canada and its involvement in two international security missions, Afghanistan, and Libya, through the lens of conflict analysis and resolution theories. The researcher also examines existing literature surrounding Canada and defence. Canada’s three infamous defence policies, the 2005 Defence Policy Statement, the 2008 Canada First Defence Strategy, and 2017 Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada’s Defence Policy, are analyzed and described in the context of when they are written. In addition, the history of the armed conflicts in Afghanistan and Libya is addressed. Finally, in the analysis component of this paper, the researcher explains Canada’s lack of militaristic intervention, citing vast causalities, US-Canada relations, and post-nationalism as the rationale behind Canada’s change.