Canadian Military History Volume 21 Issue 4 Article 4 2015 Dieppe The Making of a Myth Béatrice Richard Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Béatrice Richard "Dieppe The Making of a Myth." Canadian Military History 21, 4 (2015) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. : Dieppe The Making of a Myth Dieppe The Making of a Myth Béatrice Richard NOTE: La version originale française de cet article peut être consulté en ligne à l’adresse: <www.canadianmilitaryhistory.ca/richard-dieppe>. he Dieppe Raid of 19 August left operational level of the raid.1 Indeed, which is where the manipulation of Tan indelible mark on Canada. with the exception of the works by information reached new heights, As the first major offensive against Brian L. Villa and Peter Henshaw that with sometimes astonishing results.8 Hitler’s Festung Europa, Operation cover the decision-making process, Jubilee was a severe military setback. most historians have attempted to To Manipulate: Within a few hours, five thousand analyze the operation’s weaknesses a Double-Edged Sword Canadians (over 80 percent of the rather than debate its relevance.2 attacking force) suffered losses The way the planners of Jubilee n the summer of 1942, the Canadian of almost 70 percent. Since that publicized the event, even though the Ipress focused on the battles of fateful day historians have offered episode is etched into our memories, Stalingrad and El Alamein. Except various explanations of the causes has interested historians even less.3 for the attacks by German submarines and consequences of the disaster. It took Timothy J. Balzer’s close look in the St. Lawrence River, the For some, the lessons learned at the communication strategy of war remained a vague concept in contributed to the success of the Combined Operations Headquarters Canada, almost surreal, lived by Normandy landings in 1944. Others to conclude that, overall, the story proxy essentially through the media, have argued Dieppe was nothing fed to the newspapers had been newspapers and radio, or the letters more than a useless sacrifice. Rarely written in advance, regardless of sent home by those fighting the has a military operation so polarized the raid’s outcome.4 Just as historian great crusade. It is in that context opinions and intrigued researchers. Paul Veyne reflected on whether that Canadians received news of That said, virtually every study on the ancient Greeks believed in their Dieppe focuses on the tactical and myth, it is worth asking to what Résumé : Tout comme l’historien Paul extent Canadians were duped by the Veyne se demandait si les Grecs de subterfuge. 5 Polling methods during l’antiquité croyaient à leurs mythes, Abstract: As historian Paul Veyne on peut se demander jusqu’à quel the war were largely experimental wondered whether the ancient Greeks point les Canadiens furent dupes de la believed in their myths, one may wonder and therefore unreliable which makes propagande durant la Seconde Guerre to what extent Canadians were the examining a source as volatile as public mondiale, notamment quand vint le dupes of propaganda during the Second opinion a challenge.6 Nevertheless, moment de relater le raid de Dieppe, le World War, particularly with regards to it is possible to get an idea of the 19 août 1942. Cet article tente d’élucider the Dieppe Raid of 19 August 1942. la question en analysant la façon popular mood by examining indirect This article attempts to clarify the issue dont les journaux canadiens-français « by analyzing the way French-Canadian sources such as newspapers. If we vendirent » la nouvelle et comment cette newspapers “sold” the news and how agree that, in a democratic society, stratégie de communication aboutit this communications strategy lead to the press is the mirror of tensions au résultat inverse de celui escompté. the opposite result to that intended. and power struggles, an analysis of Ironiquement, en mettant l’accent sur le Ironically, by focusing on the heroic combat héroïque de l’unique régiment this complex medium should help struggle of the only French-Canadian canadien-français – les Fusiliers Mont- regiment involved in the operation – us better understand the story that Royal – et sur les pertes francophones, les Fusiliers Mont-Royal – and on its was “sold” to the public and how la presse francophone québécoise casualties, the francophone press in it was received.7 This article will contribua à façonner le mythe voulant Quebec helped shaped the myth that test this hypothesis on a sample of que les troupes canadiennes-françaises French-Canadian troops were the aient été les principales victimes du principal victims of the disaster. Quebec francophone newspapers, désastre. Published© Canadian by Scholars Military Commons History @, Laurier,Volume 2015 21, Number 4, Autumn 2012, pp.33-46. 33 1 Canadian Military History, Vol. 21 [2015], Iss. 4, Art. 4 Canadian Forces Photo Z-8471-11 Photo Canadian Forces This iconic photo of Dieppe, taken by the Germans soon after the end of the fighting, captures the death and destruction suffered by Canadians on the beach. the Dieppe raid. The first press Newspaper accounts evolved raid started, Combined Operations releases confirmed the involvement in three phases: “strategic” (19-20 Headquarters had decided that the of Canadians. On the home front, August) during which a justification operation would be presented as a the war finally became a tangible of the operation was attempted; success, no matter its outcome.9 reality, involving soldiers with which “heroic” (21 August – 14 September), Because media organizations the population could identify. The without doubt the most paradoxical tend to draw from similar sources, public relations service of Combined since the casualty lists were printed the three-phase sequence of coverage Operations Headquarters attempted alongside articles celebrating the can be found in most Canadian to transform a military fiasco into a “exploits” of the soldiers; finally, publications, and it ended with victory with releases insisting that “revelatory” (from 15 September) the same level of bitterness from several objectives had been achieved. that provided the official account of coast to coast. Through the media, For over two months, it would present losses and three days later the release the brutal test of Dieppe tended to the Canadian military debut as a of an official report on the operation. unify Canadians who, at least in turning point in the war, a necessary Was this sequence of coverage the the course of a few weeks, came to sacrifice that would pave the way to result of a specific information share a common understanding of the great invasion of Europe. From strategy? Following a thorough look the raid. The bubble burst at the end these military releases the press of the military archives in Ottawa and of summer, once the extent of the constructed a narrative that various London, historian Timothy J. Balzer disaster was revealed. newspapers adapted according to answered yes to that question. His Surprisingly, the most virulent their particular perspectives. account reveals that, even before the criticisms did not come from French https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol21/iss4/434 2 : Dieppe The Making of a Myth Canada, even though, as its rejection to release in the press portraits of of conscription in the plebiscite of French Canadian soldiers with whom 1942 demonstrated, it remained it was assumed the francophone hostile to any unlimited military public were more likely to identify. commitment to the war. Instead, the The Dieppe operation was a golden most damning critiques first appeared opportunity to promote their valour in the Conservative Anglo-Canadian in combat, however, because of press. Operation Jubilee was used to the outcome of the raid, the result further pressure the government on proved disappointing. Ironically the the question of overseas conscription communication strategy backfired and attack the Liberals’ management and persuaded many French of the war, in particular their Canadians that they had largely been determination not to antagonize sacrificed in this fatal foray. Three the French Canadian electorate. examples illustrate what became a In this regard, the government’s deep-rooted myth in the collective communication strategy, which memory of French Canada. consisted of providing information Vice Admiral Louis Mountbatten, chief In the history of the Stanislas of combined operations, was the overall tailored to French Canadians, College, the two founders of the commander of the Dieppe Raid. He 10 heightened tensions. For example, attempted to control the spin of the raid institution, Jeannette and Guy the coverage of the raid led to a almost as soon as it was over. Boulizon, write that “the ill-fated skirmish between the Toronto Star raid on Dieppe [was to] result in (Liberal), which spoke glowingly of the raid. Mountbatten personally over 2000 victims in several hours, the French Canadians’ participation, intervened to water down an honest essentially French Canadians.”17 and the Globe and Mail (Conservative) document. This deception discredited During an interview, Jeannette which took offence that French the Canadian government. Even Boulizon explained that “the French Canadians received so much the most moderate critics accused were absolutely shocked [to see] that attention. The Star subsequently the government of concealing its Quebecers were sent to the beaches misunderstood the Globe and Mail’s responsibility for the fiasco.13 of Dieppe to get killed, while the criticism, which was explained by Le The francophone press drew from English [Canadians] were taking Devoir: “the Star forgot that the Globe the same sources as its Anglophone it easy…Senior officers remained and Mail believes it can tarnish M.