(1999). Some thoughts on war and geography. Journal of Strategic Studies: Vol. 22, Geopolitics, Geography and Strategy, pp. 201-217.

Munich: The Price of Peace

Some thoughts on war and geography

Members of the German Social Democratic Party escaped prewar Czechoslovakia, ultimately finding themselves confined to a frozen farmstead in northeastern British Columbia. Wherever and to whomever the Social Democrats had turned they were betrayed, first by the international community, then by their own countrymen and finally by the Canadian government which abdicated its responsibility for the refugees to the Canadian Colonization Association (CCA), the colonization branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). Rigidly adhering to legislation introduced during the Depression, the Canadian government refused to amend its immigration law to allow the predominantly urban, industrial Sudeten Germans to settle in areas where factory work was readily available. Instead, politicians allowed the CCA to dictate the terms of the Sudetens' enforced stay as 'enemy aliens' in a co-operative farming operation at Tomslake, BC. This small group of dissidents, however, overcame all obstacles to build a viable community. This papa details this small group of immigrants' transformation from European dissidents in 1938 to farmers in northeastern British Columbia, using interviews, primary documents and secondary sources. Supervisor: Dr. Ian MacPherson (Department of ~istory) Acknowledgement In writing and researching this thesis, I have been fortunate in acquiring the assistance of many of those who still live in the Tornslake community. I wish to acknowledge and extend a sincere thank you to those who kindly assisted me in my research particularly Linda Bartusek, and Laurel and Horst David. Without the support of those who so graciously agreed to be interviewed: John Neubauer, Walter Schoen, Hedwig Baudisch, Anne Marie Pohl, Werner Tschiedel and Max Lorenz, this would have been a much different piece of work. Their contribution gave this work its heart. To those kind souls in archives and museums from Victoria to Ottawa, who answered my questions patiently and offered helphi suggestions, I appreciate the kindness. To Dr. Patricia Roy to whom I owe the biggest debt of gratitude for her brutal editing and thoughtfbl advice, she is what all graduate advisors should be there. Her support and enthusiasm made working with her a pleasure. Finally, to Dr. Ian MacPherson and Dr. Perry Biddiscombe who offered their expertise to this, the final product, many thanks. To My Patron af the Arts, Greg

Three times betrayed : the Sudeten Germans of Tomslake, BC

The conventional wisdom holds that good advisors are unbiased and neutral. Calvert's (1985) rational choice model of political advice challenges this view. Following Calvert, I argue that biased sources of information are useful to decision makers because an unexpected recommendation from a biased advisor alerts a decision maker to the deleterious consequences of a policy proposal, providing ex ante information that a neutral advisor cannot. Such advice is particularly salient to political leaders who are held accountable for foreign policy mistakes. In this paper, I apply a model of political advice, assess its implications for foreign policy decision making, and analyze three historical examples of foreign policy decision making that illustrate the impact of biased advice.

When biased advice is a good thing: Information and foreign policy decision making

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Munich: The Price of Peace

Citations

Some thoughts on war and geography

Three times betrayed : the Sudeten Germans of Tomslake, BC

When biased advice is a good thing: Information and foreign policy decision making

The Consanguinity of Ideas: Race and Anti-communism in the U.S. - Australian Relationship, 1933 - 1953

Roles and missions

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