'An Articulate Minority': Studies in the Ideas of Canadian Peace, 1945-1963
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Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 6-18-2018 1:30 PM 'An Articulate Minority': Studies in the Ideas of Canadian Peace, 1945-1963 Graeme Phillips The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Wardhaugh, Robert The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in History A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Graeme Phillips 2018 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Recommended Citation Phillips, Graeme, "'An Articulate Minority': Studies in the Ideas of Canadian Peace, 1945-1963" (2018). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 5470. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/5470 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract This dissertation examines how Canadians defined and conceptualized peace from 1945 to 1963. Historically, Canadians have traditionally defined peace within the country’s dominant political ideology, liberalism. Consequently, “liberal internationalism,” characterized by its support for multilateralism and collective security, became Canada’s most widely accepted form of peace activism during the postwar and Cold War period. The Canadian liberal internationalist conception of peace was highly militaristic and was epitomized by the country’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): a Western, regional military alliance committed to preserving peace by force. There were, however, a small number of Canadians who found the government’s definition of peace unsatisfactory and rejected the idea that military power was necessary to attain or maintain peace. Yet, any Canadian who questioned Canada’s militarized conception of peace, or espoused an opposing vision were labelled subversive, a traitor, and most damning, communist. This dissertation offers a new vantage point on the history of peace in Canada. Rather than exploring peace through liberal internationalism, the study examines positive conceptions of peace in Cold War Canada through the lens of collective biography. The study focuses on six individuals: Abraham Feinberg, Brock Chisholm, John Humphrey, James Endicott, Ursula Franklin, and Norman Alcock. Each individual envisioned a peaceful world that differed from the dominant historical narrative in postwar Canada. In turn, the chapters highlight how Canadian peace activists contested and questioned Canada’s dominant, militarized, liberal internationalist Cold War conception of peace, and strove to remove the root causes of war and create a new social order. In opposing the hegemonic definition of peace, activists and their methods to achieve an alternative positive peace were deemed communist dupes by the government, media, and most Canadians. Ultimately, the chapters reveal that peace activists failed to realize their unorthodox visions of peace. Nevertheless, this dissertation will highlight the previously denied and excluded experiences of Canadian men and women who contributed to building a broad culture of peace in the postwar and early Cold War period; and in doing so, puncture the persistent and dominant myth of Canada as a “peaceable kingdom.” ii Keywords Canada, Canadian History, Cold War, Communism, Hegemony, Liberalism, Liberal Internationalism, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Nuclear Weapons, Pacifism, Peace, Peace- building, Peace Movements, Security, Socialism, Social Justice, Social Movements, Twentieth Century, United Nations. iii Acknowledgements There are so many people to whom I owe a great deal of gratitude. First, I would like to thank my supervisor, Robert Wardhaugh. From my first year in the doctoral program, Rob challenged me to be a better writer, researcher, and historian. He was instrumental in helping me shape my interest in Canadian history and the ideas critical to my dissertation. Just as important, he provided me with moral support. As a supervisor and a friend, Rob was there for me and this dissertation would not have been possible without him. I would also like to thank my second reader, Francine McKenzie. It was her graduate seminar that convinced me to shift the focus of my work from war to peace. I cannot thank her enough for our countless meetings to discuss how people have defined and conceptualized peace throughout the twentieth century. The help of the History Department at Western, financial and otherwise, was also critical to completing my PhD. Professors Keith Fleming, Jonathan Vance, Shelley McKellar, Eli Nathans, Brock Millman, Alan MacEachern, Rob MacDougall, and Nancy Rhoden have all, at one point or another, provided me with invaluable advice and support. In the Department’s main office, Kara Brown and Chris Speed, were quick to answer the many questions that I had and to help in any way they could. I would be remiss if I did not also thank professor Bryce Traister in the university’s English Department. Our long discussions before my comprehensive exams were intellectually stimulating and rewarding. This dissertation has also benefitted from the help of many friends and family. In London, I was lucky to share an office with Steve Marti, who was always eager to help, listen to my concerns, and make veiled (or obvious) Seinfeld references to lighten the mood. I will always be thankful for his support and friendship. To Nolan Brown and Michelle Hutchinson, thank you for opening your home to me and our adventures together. Thank you also to Alex Souchen and Danielle Demiantschuk. In Montreal, I had the privilege to work alongside many creative, talented, and supportive friends and colleagues while I finished my dissertation. Thank you Daniel Finkelstein, Kai Takeshima, Peter Ferguson, Mitz Takahashi, Emma Senft, Lenny Robert, David Gardener, and Zoe Mowat. During research trips to McMaster University, my aunt Carolyn Crum and her partner Mike welcomed me into their home, as did my uncle Andrew Phillips and his wife, Ruth. Thanks also to my mother-in-law Johanne Laporte for her continued support and to my sister, Willa. A special thank you to my furry, feline friends Milo, Rooney, and Jose. This dissertation, however, is dedicated to three people in particular. The unconditional love, support, and generosity of my parents, Iris and Patrick Phillips, have made this dissertation possible. My mother was the first to read each chapter of this dissertation. Her keen editorial eye has made my study infinitely better and I trust her opinion more than any other. Thank you to my dad for our many long talks in front of the fire and in the garden about Canadian history and university life. Last, but certainly not least, I must thank my partner, Natalie Finkelstein. Over seven long years, Natalie has been unwavering in her encouragement and love: even when I was grumpy or stressed out – which was often! Natalie challenged me to think critically about my work and I could always count on her advice and insight when I got stuck. It is difficult to articulate how thankful I am for Natalie’s support, so I will simply say thank you again and I love you. “War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!” v Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………ii Key Words………………………………………………………………………………………..iii Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………….iv Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………vi Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………..........1 Chapter 1 – Rabbi Abraham L. Feinberg and the Brotherhood of Man: 1945-1961…………….43 Chapter 2 – Dr. George Brock Chisholm and the Peace of Mental Health: 1945-1965…………80 Chapter 3 – John P. Humphrey and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 1946-1966...115 Chapter 4 – James G. Endicott and the Canadian Peace Congress: 1948-1963………………..157 Chapter 5 – The Feminist Pacifism of Ursula M. Franklin: 1952-1963………………………..194 Chapter 6 – Norman Z. Alcock and the Canadian Peace Research Institute: 1961-1965……...226 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………...256 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………267 Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………..293 Curriculum Vitae……………………………………………………………………………….308 vi 1 Introduction At the beginning of his book, The Glorious Art of Peace, John Gittings poses a seemingly simple question: “What does peace mean?”1 Gittings’ question, however, has long confounded people. There are many conceptions of peace, and as historians Holger Nehring and Helge Pharo point out, these definitions have long been debated: “‘Peace’ has meant the ending of violent conflict, but has also referred more generally to a state of harmony or a state of tranquility; moreover, it might refer to (political and social) justice. Some have defined ‘peace’ even as a non-violent way of life.”2 The end of the Napoleonic Wars marked the beginning of what is termed the modern peace movement. In 1815, Europe’s Great Powers – Great Britain, Austria, Russia, Prussia, and France – signed a peace treaty at the Congress of Vienna to mark Napoleon’s defeat. Led by politicians such as Britain’s foreign secretary, Lord Castlereagh and Austria’s foreign minister, Klemens von Metternich, the Congress attempted to establish a new European balance of power. In doing so, it hoped to maintain the political, social, and military status quo by thwarting territorial expansion in Europe, preventing liberal/nationalistic revolutions,