Unfit For Heroes: Reconstruction and Soldier Settlement in the Empire between the Wars

Description

Over 5 million service personnel were demobilized by Great Britain and her four self-governing dominions after World War I. For many their re-adjustment to civilian life was difficult and full of bitter disappointment. This book studies one of the principal solutions advanced by the reconstruction planners - resettlement of returning veterans on the land. This text not only examines the dominions' attempts to meet the daunting challenges of the post-war world, but also the political manoeuvres and economic initiatives which formed the basis of a new period in Anglo-dominion relations, for soldier settlement was seen as the economic cornerstone of a new and dynamic post-war society. The participation of British veterans provided the foundation for the more ambitious empire migration strategy developed by the imperial architect Leo Amery. This study explores important social and economic aspects of the transition of Anglo-dominion relations between the onset of World War I and the beginning of the Great Depression. Front matter Contents General editor's introduction Acknowledgements List of abbreviations Dedication Introduction Past policies and precedents, 1650–1914 Empire migration, soldier settlement and British wartime initiative, 1914–22 Maintaining a tradition Soldier settlement in Canada: a dominion responsibility Anglicisation, soldier settlement and the politicisation of British immigration to South Africa Australia and New Zealand: the failure of the Anzac legend Conclusion: Foredoomed to failure? Appendix one Appendix two Bibliography Index