Lester B. Pearson and the Peacekeeping Concept, 1930-55
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Abstract Despite the considerable attention United Nations (UN) peacekeeping has received fiom scholars, the origins of it are still rnisunderstood. In Canada, the popular perception for over forty years bas been that Lester B. Pearson invented peacekeeping in 1956 during the Suez Cnsis. Contrary to this, peacekeeping existed even before the creation of the UN. Mile there is some suggestion that peacekeeping is an ancient concept, more recent and familiar exarnples exist. One notable precursor to UN peacekeeping was the League of Nations' Saarforce. The Saarforce was an international force mandated to help keep law and order in the Saar Territory during the plebiscite of 193 5 that was to decide if the inhabitants wanted to join with France, Germany, or remain under the League. This force matched the modem concept of peacekeeping before it was even recognized. This concept existed in the minds of the international community long before the creation of the United Nations Emergency Force. Pearson had knowledge of it as early as 1945 and actively supported the concept within the UN. ûthers also expresseci an understanding of the concept, some before Pearson and some independently fkom him. The peacekeeping concept was a popular idea with a broad following. Therefore it did not spring fully formed fiom Pearson's mind during the Suez Cnsis in 1956 as popularly believed. While he did work hard to brhg it into the world that November, he was peacekeeping's midwife, not its father. Acknowledgements "Are you done yet?" This thesis would not have been completed without the support and encouragement (and sometimes nagging) of a number of people. Special thanks go to my partner in life - Tara Crouse, my family, the Crouse family for generously allowing me unlimited access to their cornputer, and the Smith family for their hospitaiity, rwm and board during my research trip to Ottawa. This thesis would not have attained the level of quality it has without the support of many others. Professor David Charter provided coaching and extensive proof reading. The Inter-Library Loans ofice were invaluable to the research for this paper, as were the staff in the Government Documents section at the Harriet Irving Library. The staff of the Directorate of History for the Department of National Defence and the staffat the National Archives of Canada were also very helptiil. A thanks also goes to the faculty and staff of the Hiaory Departments of both the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University, and the Center of Conflict Studies at W. iii Table of Contents Abstract Ac knowledgements Table of Contents Introduction 1 What is Peacekeeping? 2 Ancestry ? The League of Nations and the Saarforce, 1934-35 3 Lester B. Pearson and the Peacekeeping Concept, 1930-55 4 Descendent: Creation of the United Nations Emergency Force, 1956 Conclusion Bibliography Introduction The Lester B. Pearson International Auport, Lester B. Pearson High School, the Lester Pearson Schofarship Fund, the Pearson Peacekeeping Center. The name Lester B. Pearson adorns the title of many public buildings and institutions in Canada- Over a quarter of a century afier his death, many Canadians cm still identie the name and the significance it holds. The reason for the popularîty of this man, more than any other single reason, is the perceived contribution he made to international peace. Canada invented peacekeeping in 1956 when Lester Pearson, then Secretary of State for Externaf Anairs, went to the United Nations during the Suez Crisis, personally took charge of the Canadian delegation, and came up with the suggestion which saw troops deployed to the Middle East to help supervise the cease fire put into place as a stopgap masure in response to the crisis.' Alex Momson made this statement in his opening remarks to Peacekeeping '93, a combined acadernic conference and tradeshow. At the time he was the Executive Director of the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies, and the following year he founded the Pearson Peacekeeping Center. Morrison, a retired Canadian Army officer, was simply re-stating the conventional wisdom about Pearson and peacekeeping. And he was not alone. One year Iater, at Peacekeeping '94, David Collenette, the Canadian Minister of National Defence, made a similar assertion: Canada has always been a prominent player in UN missions, with Canadians serving in the first mission back in 1947. Then in 1956 came the Suez intervention force. This was the first time the terrn 'peacekeeping' was used, and it resulted fiom an idea developed by the Honourable Lester B. Pearson, who later became Prime Minister of canada.' Other members of Canada's governrnent have also attributed the creation of the peacekeeping concept to Pearson. At a conference in 1995, Govemor General Romeo Leblanc said, ". .. it was a Canadian, Lester B. Pearson who developed the modem concept of peacekeeping that the Blue Helmets embodied for the past four decades."' Members of the rnilitary also have accepted Pearson's role uncritically. Former Canadian Major-General Lewis MacKenzie, himself a peacekeeper for several decades, claimed 'the whole idea of using lightly-med forces to keep belligerents apart was developed by a Canadian, Lester Pearson.. the strategy worked, and the concept of UN peacekeeping as we know it entered our vo~abular~."~ Members of the media also have adopted this truism. Paul Lewis, a UN correspondent for the New York Times recentiy stated that "peacekeeping is found nowhere in the UN Charter. Its invention is credited to.. Lester Pearson and Secretary- -- - I Alex Momson, TheChanging Face of Peacekeeping" in The Chanp3np: Face of Pacekee~ing, Russ Tychonich and Susan McNish, ed. (Toronto: nie Canadian Wture of Strategîc Smîies, 1993), p. 6, 2 David Collenette, "Openhg Address by the Honourable David Collenette, Minister of National Defence," in nie New Peacekee~innPartnershiv? Aiex Monison, ed. (Cornwallis, NS: Pearson Peacekeeping Center. 19941, p. 3. 3 Romeo Leblanc, "Message of His Excellency the Governor General of Canada," in Peacekee~inn18 15 to Todav: Proceedines of the XM Collmuium of the International Commission of 4 Lewis MacKem-e, Peacekeemr, Road to Saraievo. (Toronto: Douglas and Mchtyre, 1993), p. xiy see also p. 29, General Dag ~ammarskjold."~In John McQuarrie7s collage of photographs on peacekeeping, a caption reads: "It was the beginning of a new type of soldier the world would corne to know as Peacekeepers - and this would earn ME Pearson the Nobel ~rize."~ Indeed, these perceptions of Pearson can easily be traced back to his being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. It is believed that the Nobel Cornmittee received a remarkable eighteen to twenty nominations for Pearson fiom various national and international institutions whose representatives witnessed his performance during the Suez crisis.' When it was announced tbat he had won, the Globe mid Md made claims like ". .. no one at the UN disputes the importance of the role Mike Pearson played during the critical days of early November. Pearson, long an energetic and resourceful negotiator, was fafher of the UN Emergency Force. Perhaps the initiative of the Canadian diplornat in proposing the creation of UNEF, more than any one factor, pointed the way to the cease-tire."' At a dinner held in his honour after retuming from Norway with the award, Pearson received lofty praise fiom Sir Leslie Munro, the President of the UN General Assembly. He labeled Pearson's proposal for a peacekeeping force "the most imaginative plan that any man in the post war era has conceived. Mr. Pearson is not only a Canadian but one of the world's foremost citizens s Paul Lewis, "A Short History of United Nations Peacekeeping," in Saldiers for Peace, Barbafa Benton, ed (New York: Facts on File hc., 19%), p. 30. 6 John McQuame, Between the Lhes: Canadians in the Service of Peace. (Toronto: MacMillan Canada Ltd., 1993). 7 Terence Robertson, Crisis; The inside Storv of the Suez Conmiracy. (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Ltd, 1964), p. 335, 8 Italics added by the author. See "Many Years a Peace-Maker, Rewived Nobel Nod for Egypt Peace Role," Globe and Mail, 15 October 1957, p. 10. of the ~orld."~Mer this dimer, admiren and autograph-seelcers reportedly swarmed Pearson- These perceptions of Pearson as the 'inventor' of peacekeeping can be excused in light of the comments that he himself made. The Secretariat found little in their files concerning collective measures which might give a lead on how to proceed. It was a new course on new ground. Some experience could be drawn tiom earlier activities of the military observers groups but no rdprecedent existed for a major, genuinely United Nations military operation-. - Lit] was the first of its kind in history.10 Thus, a mythology of sorts has arisen around Canadian involvement with peacekeeping. Monuments have been built to honour peacekeepers, their images adom Canadian currency, pichire books have been published, and a centre has been established to study peacekeeping and train peacekeepers fiom around the globe.