Military history of Canada

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Military history of Canada
History of... Canadian Armed Forces Army Navy Air Force Conscription Crown and Forces Militia Colonial New France Acadia Nova Scotia Peacekeeping
Conflicts Beaver Wars Anglo-French War) Acadian Civil War Anglo-Dutch Wars King William's War Queen Anne's War Father Rale's War King George's War Father Le Loutre's War Seven Years' War American Revolutionary War French Revolutionary Wars War of 1812 Pemmican War Rebellions of 1837–1838 Fraser Canyon War Chilcotin War American Civil War Fenian raids Red River Rebellion North-West Rebellion Second Boer War World War I Russian Civil War World War II Korean War Vietnam War October Crisis Oka Crisis Gulf War Somalia Yugoslav Wars Afghanistan Iraq War Libya Mali War ISIL
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The military history of Canada comprises centuries of conflict within the territory, and interventions by the Canadian military in conflicts and peacekeeping missions worldwide. For millennia, the area comprising modern Canada saw sporadic conflicts among Indigenous peoples. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Canada was the site of several conflicts, including four major colonial wars between New France and British America. The conflicts spanned nearly 70 years and was fought between British and French forces, supported by their colonial militias, and various First Nations.

In 1760, the British conquered New France, and its civilians, whom they hoped to assimilate, were subsequently declared British subjects. After the Quebec Act of 1774, Canadians received their first charter of rights under the new regime, resulting in the northern colonies abstention from joining the American Revolutionary War and loyalty to British Crown. The US invaded in 1775 and again from 1812 to 1814 but were rebuffed each time. The threat of US invasion persisted into the 19th century, partially facilitating Canadian Confederation in 1867.

In 1871, the British Army withdrew from Canada, ceding defence responsibilities to the Canadian militia. In subsequent decades, the militia underwent changes that transformed it into a professional force. As a British dominion, Canada participated in the Second Boer War and the First World War. In 1939, Canada issued its first declaration of war, joining the Second World War in support of the UK and the Allies. Since then, Canada has shown support for multilateralism and internationalism through its peacekeeping efforts and participation in multinational coalitions, including the Korean War, the Gulf War, the Kosovo War, and the Afghan war.