Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 4-9-2013 12:00 AM "Smile and Carry On:" Canadian Cavalry on the Western Front, 1914-1918 Stephanie E. Potter The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Dr. B. Millman 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 © Stephanie E. Potter 2013 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Potter, Stephanie E., ""Smile and Carry On:" Canadian Cavalry on the Western Front, 1914-1918" (2013). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 1226. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/1226 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]. “SMILE AND CARRY ON:” CANADIAN CAVALRY ON THE WESTERN FRONT, 1914-1918 by Stephanie Elizabeth Potter Graduate Program in History A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada Stephanie Elizabeth Potter 2013 Abstract Although the First World War has been characterized as a formative event in Canadian History, little attention has been paid to a neglected and often forgotten arm of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, the Cavalry. The vast majority of Great War historians have ignored the presence of mounted troops on the Western Front, or have written off the entire cavalry arm with a single word – ‘obsolete.’ However, the Canadian Cavalry Brigade and the Canadian Light Horse remained on the Western Front throughout the Great War because cavalry still had a role to play in modern warfare.