GEORGE METCALF ARCHIVAL COLLECTION/CWM/19920085-028

From Napoleonic-era ostentation to itchy fatigues: How uniforms evolved in WWI

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

They were hot in summer, barely passable in winter, invited lice, retained copious amounts of water, and they were itchy. But First World War uniforms represented a revolution in combat wear—and a decisive and practical departure from Napoleonic ostentation.

More than 30 nations declared war between 1914 and 1918. Their uniforms were a sartorial feast for the eyes—splashes of red, blue, white and gold. There were capes and greatcoats; kilts and kepis; busbies, bearskins and patent leather boots.

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• The Langemarck Myth: How WW I Germany turned loss into propaganda victory
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DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE

Canadian women in the Persian Gulf War

STORY BY PAIGE JASMINE GILMAR

The Persian Gulf War began on Jan. 16, 1991. It was the first conflict in which Canadian women in the Canadian Armed Forces could serve in combat roles. And it was a crucial milestone in women’s rights, increasing female military recruitment rates in Canada and supporting the idea that female Canadian soldiers, sailors and aircrew could perform just as well as their male counterparts.It had been a long time coming. The CAF had opened almost every military trade to women only a couple of years earlier.

After Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, the U.S. launched Operation Desert Shield, which included a buildup of military assets in the region and a naval blockade in the Persian Gulf in hopes of stymying a further Iraqi advance into oil-rich Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council passed several resolutions, including a trade embargo, focused on forcing Iraq’s withdrawal from Kuwait.

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