War Junk by Alex Souchen
$34.95
During WWII, Canadian factories produced vital war assets, but postwar, these became liabilities. In “War Junk,” Alex Souchen details the disposal crisis after Allied victory, showcasing how policymakers navigated it for postwar reconstruction. The book explores the political, economic, and social legacies of munitions disposal, illustrating how wartime tools shaped postwar Canada. Canadians responded by creatively reusing military surplus to improve their lives.
During the Second World War, Canadian factories produced mountains of munitions and supplies, including some 800 ships, 16,000 aircraft, 800,000 vehicles, and over 4.6 billion rounds of ammunition and artillery shells. Although they were crucial to winning the war, these assets turned into peacetime liabilities when hostilities ended in 1945.
Drawing on comprehensive archival research, Alex Souchen provides a definitive account of the disposal crisis triggered by Allied victory and shows how policymakers implemented a disposal strategy that facilitated postwar reconstruction. Canadians responded to the unprecedented divestment of public property by reusing and recycling military surpluses to improve their postwar lives. War Junk recounts the complex political, economic, social, and environmental legacies of munitions disposal by revealing how the tools of war became integral to the making of postwar Canada.
Alex Souchen is a historian specializing in warfare, society, and the environment in Canada. He received his PhD from the University of Western Ontario and is based in Kingston.
