Felix O.C. Darley/Wikimedia

Atrocious acts: Muddying the bloody waters of war

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

The rules of war exist to prevent atrocities, but war itself is an atrocity, so where does one draw the line?

Rules governing wartime conduct on the battlefield and beyond became a focus of discussion with the onset of the industrialized warfare of 1914-1918 and its mass killing capabilities—primarily the machine gun, poison gas, mobile artillery, tanks and airplanes.

Armies no longer lined up in open fields and commenced firing muskets and cannons at a mutually agreed-upon hour. The First World War was marked by unprecedented death and destruction, believed to be the first in which more civilians were killed than combatants—as many as 13 million to 9.7 million.

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Tecumseh, the great Shawnee warrior, was a towering figure in Native American history. Born in the late 18th century, he rose to prominence as a visionary leader dedicated to preserving the land, culture, and sovereignty of his Shawnee people in the face of relentless westward expansion by European settlers. With his compelling oratory skills and unyielding determination, Tecumseh attempted to unite various Native American tribes into a formidable confederacy, forging a united front against encroachment. His fearless exploits in the War of 1812 earned him widespread respect, but tragically, he fell in battle. Tecumseh’s legacy endures as a symbol of indigenous resistance and unity, leaving an indelible mark on the history of North America.

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A Canadian earns a VC leading a British charge

STORY BY PAIGE JASMINE GILMAR

Philip Eric Bent was a man among tigers, serving as the youngest lieutenant-colonel in the British army. Fighting with the Leicestershire Regiment, nicknamed “The Tigers,” his military service had a unique brilliance that ranks above and beneath him were quick to notice amid the fog and the bleakness of the First World War.

“They said he was a disciplinarian when he got into higher rank, but he was well-liked by his men, well-respected,” historian Kenneth Hillier, who authored a book on Bent’s life, told CBC.

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Good guys versus bad guys: The nuance of history

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

If there is one truth about people and politics, it’s this: nothing is black and white.

Anthony Rota, the Speaker of the House Commons, and his colleagues learned a lesson in nuance recently when they lauded a 98-year-old man sitting in the visitors’ gallery as a “hero” of Ukraine. All parliamentarians—including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—gave the guest a standing ovation.

Trouble is, Yaroslav Hunka served in Nazi Germany’s 14th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division during the Second World War. Commonly known as the Galicia Division, its members have been accused of murdering civilians, including Jews and Polish Citizens.

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Alouette I: A beacon of peace in space

STORY BY PAIGE JASMINE GILMAR

Alongside the pioneering satellites Sputnik and Explorer 1, one uniquely Canadian contribution created an iconic trio in Earth’s orbit. Launched on Sept. 29, 1962, Alouette I was a small ionospheric observatory, which looked like an interplanetary disco ball hurtling 1,000 kilometres above the globe and got its name from a well-known French-Canadian children’s song.

Alouette I “was one of the most successful scientific satellites ever,” wrote Jack Rigley, vice-president of the Satellite Communications Research Branch at Communications Research Centre Canada.

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