Maj Nicholas Wheeler

Major Nick Wheeler is an armoured officer with the Royal Canadian Dragoons. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1998 as a non-commissioned member in 1998 before he was selected to attend the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in 2000. After graduating from RMC with an honours degree in Military and Strategic Studies he served in a variety of command and staff positions across Canada, including a tour in 2010 with 1st Battalion the Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group in Afghanistan. He completed his MA in History at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2018, and his PhD in War Studies at RMC in 2024. His doctoral dissertation, “Building Brigadiers: Developing and Managing British and Canadian Infantry and Armoured Brigade Commanders for the 21st Army Group” examines how Anglo-Canadian armies managed and developed middle rank officers into brigade commanders between 1939-1944, how they were selected for brigade command, how they fought their brigades and their performance in Northwest Europe, and why some were relieved of command. 

University Degrees

• PhD - Royal Military College of Canada
• MA - Wilfrid Laurier University
• BA - Royal Military College of Canada

Research Interests 

• The Canadian Army in the World Wars
• Officer Training in the British and Canadian Armies
• Higher Military Education in the British and Canadian Armies

Courses Taught

• HIE103/207 - History of Canada
• HIE203 - Introduction to Canadian Military History
• HIE205 - Canadian Military History: Origins to 1870
• HIE271 - Introduction to Military History and Thought
• HIE340 - History of the First World War

Publications