The article “The Military in Disaster Relief after the Explosion in Halifax, Nova Scotia, December 1917” examines the immediate and large-scale response of the Canadian and American military forces to one of the most devastating non-nuclear explosions in history. When a French munitions ship, the Mont-Blanc, collided with another vessel in Halifax Harbor and detonated, the blast obliterated much of the city, killing more than 1,900 people and injuring over 9,000. The study details how local militia units, naval personnel, and the Canadian Army quickly organized search and rescue operations, established field hospitals, and restored order amid chaos and destruction. It also highlights the rapid arrival of U.S. military medical teams and supplies from Massachusetts and other nearby states, who played a major role in humanitarian aid and infrastructure repair. The article underscores how the Halifax disaster marked one of the first large-scale joint civil-military disaster relief operations in North America, demonstrating the vital role of disciplined military organization in restoring stability, coordinating logistics, and saving lives when civilian systems were overwhelmed. The event ultimately influenced both Canadian and American emergency management practices, serving as a key historical precedent for modern military-led disaster response.
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