Call for Papers
The RMC History Department is pleased to announce that the next RMC History Symposium will take place on 23-24 November 2023, at the RMC campus, Kingston, Canada. The 2023 symposium theme is “Canada and the Liberation of the Netherlands 1944-1946.”
Between 1944-1946, the Canadian military played a central role in the liberation and immediate post-war recovery of the Netherlands. From September 1944 to 8 May 1945, more than 7600 Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen died fighting to free the Dutch people from the yoke of Nazi oppression and to this day, a special relationship has existed between the Canadian and Dutch governments and people. While this feeling of mutual respect is undoubtedly real, it does not tell the whole story. The liberation of the Netherlands was not exclusively a military affair nor did all those who experienced it have positive memories. Tensions existed between the Canadian Army and Dutch government both during and after the war. Air and land operations, as so frequently happens, resulted in civilian casualties. And Dutch men resented seeing their women marry Canadians and rush off to a new life on the other side of the Atlantic.
This symposium will bring together experts in military, social, and political history from around the world to establish a dialogue on the varying aspects, experiences, and perspectives of the liberation of the Netherlands. We have invited a diverse and exciting group of keynote scholars from Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, and the United States: Major John Rickard (Canadian Army Command and Staff College), Dr. Russell Hart (Hawai’i Pacific University), Dr. Caroline D’Amours (Royal Military College of Canada), Dr. Geoffrey Hayes (University of Waterloo), Dr. Mike Bechthold (Wilfrid Laurier University), Dr. Ben Schoenmaker (Netherlands Institute for Military History), Dr. Stephen A. Hart (Royal Military Academy Sandhurst), Dr. Erwin van Loo (Netherlands Institute for Military History), Melinda Jarratt (Curator New Brunswick Military History Museum), and Dr. Tim Cook (Canadian War Museum).
In addition, the conference organizing committee solicits proposals on all aspects of military, social, and political history related to the liberation of the Netherlands. The deadline for submitting individual papers is 31 August 2023. Individual paper submissions must include names(s) of author(s), institutional affiliation, email address(es), specify if in-person or online, one page CV, title of abstract, and an abstract of 250 words maximum. Proposals for individual papers must be submitted in MS Word format and in Times New Roman font size 12. Papers may be presented in English and French, however, simultaneous on-site translation will not be available.
Please direct your submissions to rmc.symposium.cmr@gmail.com with the subject header “Proposal RMC History Symposium, 2023.” For conference fees and other details access https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2023-rmc-history-symposium-tickets-634220178627.