Canada and the Cold War

Key Terms

• Communist

• Capitalist

• Cold War

• Superpowers

• Gouzenko Affair

• Red Scare

• United Nations

• NATO

• Warsaw Pact

• DEW Line

• NORAD

• Commonwealth of Nations

• Colombo Plan

• The Korean War

• Suez Crisis

• Cuban Missile Crisis

• Avro Arrow

• The Nuclear Issue

• Vietnam War

Cold War - Definition

• A war with no direct military conflict but a conflict waged through various other means including:

• espionage

• propaganda

• economic warfare

• surrogate wars

• the space and arms race.

Cold War - Origins

• After WWII, two Super Powers emerged - the United States and the Soviet Union (Russia). They engaged in a Cold War from 1945 - 1989.

– The United States was a CAPITALIST country. This meant that private individuals invested in businesses trying to make a profit.

– The Soviet Union was a COMMUNIST country. This meant that the government controlled the economy by owning the means of production and distribution such as farms, factories, stores and railroads.

Cold War - Origins

• Canada was involved in the Cold War as an ally to the United States. Our alliance with them evolved naturally because of our geographic proximity, history of co-operation, similar economic and political systems, and integrated cultures.

Cold War - The Gouzenko Affair

• The Cold War was brought home to Canada by the Gouzenko Affair.

• Igor Gouzenko, a clerk at the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa exposed a Soviet spy ring in Canada in 1945. Newspaper headlines read: “It’s War! It’s Russia!”.

• 18 people were arrested with 8 eventually convicted of spying - likely trying to get Atomic Bomb secrets.

Cold War - The Red Scare

• The Americans, too were afraid of Communism and Communist spies.

• Senator Joseph McCarthy lead a witch-hunt which tried to expose spying in America.

• Long lists of potential communists were accused and interrogated and eventually found guilty - even if evidence was only a set of flimsy rumours.

• The convicted lost their jobs and futures.

Cold War - International Organizations

• Canada was involved in a wide variety of international organisations.

• Some were aimed at maintaining peace.• United Nations

• Others were for defence or waging war.• NATO; NORAD

• One was to maintain independence from the USA.• Commonwealth of Nations

Cold War - Canada’s Red Scare

• In Canada, artists, peace activists, union leaders and intellectuals were labelled ‘security risks’ and investigated by a special branch of the RCMP.

• Some organisations refused to hire people who had been blacklisted.

Cold War - United Nations

• Formed after WWII• goal of Collective security• 51 original members, including Canada• focus on negotiation and mediation• but given 3 powers

• condemnation - through speeches / resolutions

• sanctions - urging members to suspend trade

• military - send in armed forces if necessary

Cold War - United Nations

• Limited Success Resolving ConflictsWhy?

• No permanent armed force

• charter forbids interference in ‘internal’ matters - only between nations (ex. Cannot stop genocide or civil war)

• now, over 190 members - difficult to reach agreement

Cold War - United Nations

• Limited Success Resolving ConflictsWhy?

• Security Council– 5 permanent members: USA; USSR; France; Britain;

China and ten other nations for two year terms

– any permanent member can veto any resolution

– thus, conflicts between major powers cannot be resolved through UN

Cold War - United Nations

• Successes– assistance after natural disasters– building schools; roads; dams– development aid– as of 1999 Canadians had been involved in

every single UN Peacekeeping operation• more than 100 Canadian soldiers have died in

peacekeeping operations

Cold War - NATO

• North Atlantic Treaty Organisation– a military alliance of Western nations set up in

opposition to the Soviets in 1949– “Where force threatens it must be kept at bay

by superior force.” (WLMK)

Cold War - NATO

• North Atlantic Treaty Organisation– Canada had to agree to meet military

commitments to NATO– Canadian soldiers were permanently stationed

in Europe in a state of war readiness– all members agreed that nuclear weapons could

be used if necessary in war against Soviets• total nuclear war, it was agreed was only acceptable

as a last resort

Cold War - Warsaw Pact

• Formed in 1955

• made up of largely Eastern European nations allied with the Soviet Union

• a response to NATO

• Who was the aggressor NATO or Warsaw Pact?

Cold War - NORAD

• Integrated defence of North America from attack by Soviet missiles – DEW lines - lines of distant early warning radar

stations were set up across the Arctic in 1950 and 1957

– American military personnel were stationed on Canadian soil for the first time

• Was the security gainde worth the loss of independence?

Cold War - NORAD

• Both sides soon developed Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM)

• Launched from silos or subs into space could reach one another’s cities in less than 30 minutes

• DEW lines were rendered obsolete

Cold War - NORAD

• The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) was established in 1957– a system including fighter forces, missile bases,

and air defence radar– controlled by and American general based in

Colorado– moon or missiles?

Cold War - Commonwealth of Nations

• Clearly, NATO and NORAD were controlled by the USA

• Canada joined the Commonwealth to link itself to other nations of the world - separate from the USA

• focus was not military

• rather, trade and aid

Cold War - Commonwealth of Nations

• Colombo Plan, 1950

– provide aid to less developed countries

• experts gave technical assistance

• overseas students encouraged to travel to Canada (doctors; engineers; public administration)

• a nuclear reactor was sent to India for ‘peaceful purposes’ - oops...

• Canadians used the Commonwealth as a forum to promote justice and human rights (ex. Spoke out against Apartheid in South Africa)

Cold War - Origins

• Canada was involved in the Cold War as an ally to the United States. Our alliance with them evolved naturally because of our geographic proximity, history of co-operation, similar economic and political systems, and integrated cultures.

Cold War - Origins

• Canada was involved in the Cold War as an ally to the United States. Our alliance with them evolved naturally because of our geographic proximity, history of co-operation, similar economic and political systems, and integrated cultures.

Cold War - Origins

• Canada was involved in the Cold War as an ally to the United States. Our alliance with them evolved naturally because of our geographic proximity, history of co-operation, similar economic and political systems, and integrated cultures.

Cold War - Origins

• Canada was involved in the Cold War as an ally to the United States. Our alliance with them evolved naturally because of our geographic proximity, history of co-operation, similar economic and political systems, and integrated cultures.

Cold War - Origins

• Canada was involved in the Cold War as an ally to the United States. Our alliance with them evolved naturally because of our geographic proximity, history of co-operation, similar economic and political systems, and integrated cultures.