Canada has a "raider" attitude.
Discuss.
Stand Fast. Stand Firm. Die Hard. Regimental mottos and exhortations encouraging soldiers to hold to the last man. Much like the French Foreign Legions Camerone stand.
The FFL is remarkable because it was a bunch of foreigners operating on foreign soil for a paycheque that held to their contract. That and personal honour.
The other instances reflect groups of soldiers that not only held for honour but because they felt they had to defend their own people and their own turf. Their options were fewer and limited.
Canada's army, by contrast, beyond the war of 1812, the Fenian Raids and the Riel Rebellions, has always had more in common with the French Foreign Legion than the Devons or the Middlesex.
It only exists because the Brits left and Gladstone told Sir John A. to get on with it. The Brits weren't paying any more.
In 1885 the Mounties needed a few more hands and the Government summoned up a bunch of volunteers.
In 1900 a Brit businessman hired a bunch of cowboys to head off to South Africa and the Government organized a couple more groups of short timers to keep them out of political troubles
In 1914 another businessman hired a bunch of British ex-pats while the Government created an army out of similar "Canadians" for the duration.
In 1939 despite hoping that teaching people to fly and building Mosquitoes would be enough of a contribution the Government was cajoled into organizing an Army
In 1949 in order to maintain diplomatic recognition the Government hired another group of temporary special service men to fight the good fight in Korea.
Similar short term engagements in limited numbers have defined the actions of the Canadian Army to the present day - routinely with the Government relying on "volunteers" rather than regs and staying well away from anything that might suggest that the Government actually wants to commit Canadians to a fight. They will only commit so long as the supply of volunteers continues. No volunteers. No fight.
The regs of today are a force in being of "volunteers". They are few in number. The Government would prefer that they not be seen in case a groundswell of new volunteers occurs creating pressure on the Government to use them and to finance them.
Consequently the forces are geared, and accustomed to, a life of short, sharp strikes out of sight of the public.
The definition of a raider force - more in common with Vikings and Sioux.
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