Introduction to Unit 4

1950-1982

Europe’s effort of rebuilding after WWII

created jobs People earned a lot of $$ during war Canada also went through period of prosperity War ends, worry of economy collapse as

factories closed and people lost jobs Cdn govt loosens wartime wage and price

controls, economy remains fairly good People wanted what they couldn’t have during

the war

Post-War Prosperity

Economic Boom

Post-WWII Canada’s natural resources in high demand This leads to:

prosperity new sense of optimism economic development

Result: Money to spend: cars, homes, appliances and luxury items Welfare State – Gov’t creates new social programs (p.305-6)

Family Allowance (aka “Baby Bonus”) Employment Insurance Health Programs Old Age Security expand/improved

Growth of Unions (p.306-7) Women in the Workforce

Economic Boom

Canadians had more money to spend than ever before! new homes, cars, and appliances. 1948 - fewer than 1 million homes had

refrigerators By 1960, refrigerators in more than 4 million

homes.

Men return home after war Time to go out with friends, go on dates, get

married, set up a home, have families Pushed Cdn population up from 13.5 million in

1949 to 17.5 million in 1959 (30%) Housing shortages in urban centres lead to

creation of the SUBURBS

The Baby Boom

Television

Television Comes to Canada (early 1950s) 1952 - First CBC TV stations begin broadcasting

in Montreal and Toronto “Hockey Night in Canada” an early success

By end of 1957 = over 3 million TV sets in Canada (about one for every five Canadians)

Teenage Life in the 1950s

Movies, Motorcars and Music

The new concept of the

teenager Before WWII, the concept of a teenager did

not exist After the war, the “teenager” became a part

of North American culture Because of TV, teens across North America

were able to see and hear the same things. Teens looked to TV for the newest music,

movies, cars and consumer goods Canadian culture became very influenced by

American culture as well Help create a CONSUMER CULTURE (p.298)

Music

Record players were huge and many teens collected ’45s (singles on vinyl).

Variety TV shows like Hit Parade and The Ed Sullivan Show brought live performances to living rooms.

Frank Sinatra and other “crooners” were popular as were folk musicians like The Weavers.

Young white stars began to sing a Black style of music called Rock n’ Roll. Defining this new style was the use of electric guitars.

Many parents disliked the music and thought it was too loud and too sexual.

Singers like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Pat Boone and Jerry Lee Lewis were very popular with teenagers.

Movies

Teenage movie stars set the trends. Marlon Brando was the standard of cool with

his “hood” look: blue jeans (rolled up at the hem), T-shirts (with rolled-up sleeves), flipped up collar and black leather jacket

Kids also tried to copy his “duck-tail” hair, growing hair long on the sides with side burns, and long at the back. Various forms of hair grease were used to keep the hair in place.

Movies

Others copied the Pat Boone look with short hair and dressier shirts, flat-fronted khaki pants and white dress shoes

Girls wore skirts to school, but jeans and “pedal pushers” (capri pants) were popular outside of school. Sweater twin sets, white blouses, pleated skirts, white bobby socks and saddle shoes with hair in a pony tail were popular high school looks.

Popular movie stars were Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, and James Dean

Cars

Cars in the 50s were cool if they were big in size, had large engines, and large fins out the back.

Teens saw the car as a form of independence and were buying used cars for the first time

Used cars were fixed up, “souped up” and made louder, faster and cooler.

Cars allowed teens to “cruise the main drag”, go to school “sock hops”, watch movies at the theatre or drive-in and visit the local drive-in restaurant

…comes more need for infrastructure

(hospitals, schools, roads, libraries, houses) The Trans-Canada Highway connects Canada

coast to coast by road The St. Lawrence Seaway connects ocean-

going ships with cities along Great Lakes Resource at Elliot Lake (Uranium oxide) found

and exported to US (creation of nuclear weapons)

With More People….

After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, fear of potential

of atomic bombs How do we co-exist?

Temporary Peace

How to Kill Everybody

How to Live with Everybody

2 World Wars in 3 decades…

Period of time marked by fear Western democracies banned together: USA,

France, Britain, Canada Eastern communist dictatorships of Europe:

Soviet Union, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania Superpower USA and USSR built nuclear

weapons (competition) Build up of weapons is period of Cold War

New Fears

Cold War

Historical period after WWII No active fighting War of words and ideas State of balance between equally strong enemies USA and Russia are enemies Threats but no war: MAD (mutually assured

destruction) kept fighting away People lived in fear of nuclear war Espionage became a tool for all (spying / info

gathering)

The Cold War

Igor Gouzenko

Broke alliance between Soviet Union, Canada, Britain, USA

Soviet citizen working at Soviet Embassy in Ottawa

Revealed Soviet spies in Can trying to steal secrets to help Soviet Union with nuclear weapons

Didn’t show face in public Fear Soviets would

assassinate him

Fears of nuclear attack were so strong in the late 1950s and early 1960s that the government of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker built a secret underground bunker in Carp, Ontario, near Ottawa.

The bunker was meant to protect 535 top government officials, including the prime minister and cabinet, in the event of a nuclear attack.

The bunker, which didn’t stay secret for long, was quickly nicknamed the “Diefenbunker.” It was designed to withstand a nuclear blast that was the equivalent of five million tons of dynamite exploding 1.6 kilometres away and contained enough food and supplies to last 30 days.

Across Canada, about 50 other shelters were also built, but they were different. They were fallout shelters, rather than shelters built to survive a nuclear bomb.

In 1994, the Diefenbunker, which was never used, was designated a national historic site. It was later transformed into a Cold War museum.

More to The Story

India, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Ethiopia

achieved independence Disagreements about what new government

should look like Sometimes turned into civil wars USA and USSR often picked sides in wars as

wanted to persuade them to join their “camp”

New Independence for Many Countries

Canada more active role in world Growing industries Increased trade Solutions to conflicts Safe haven for displaced people Advocate for protection of natural

environment

Canada’s Role

Canada not superpower Military was smaller than

others but gained influence on superpower countries

Tried to help resolve international disputes through compromises

Large to moderate influence and international recognition

Middle Power

After WWII – what previously was ruled by

Japanese now ruled by Soviet Union in north (communist) and USA in south (democratic driven)

North Korean leader wanted entire country under rule

Wants to invade South Korea Soviets don’t want to clash with USA PROXY WAR breaks out – war fought by 1

country for interests of another

Korea

N. Koreans attack June 1950 Seen by USA as Soviet expansion UN force called in to help South Korea 90% of these troops were American Canada contributes $$ and military personnel

Korea

1850s French co. financed construction of massive

canal linking Mediterranean Sea with Red Sea Britain buys into company Britain ruled Egypt but after WWII independence

movement Egyptians wanted independence West needs more oil due to # of cars 2/3 of oil shipped through Canal Egypt seizes canal to charge fees for profit Britain invades canal zone Soviet Union, USA, UN deem as bullying Britain begins to deteriorate due to decreasing funds

The Suez Crisis

Lester B. Pearson of Canada Found solution using an international

peacekeeping force Peacekeepers replaced occupying forces while

peaceful solution was negotiated Pearson awarded Nobel Peace Prize

The Suez Crisis

International organization Created in hopes of a peaceful world

Save future from war Reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights Establish conditions for justice and respect for

law Promote social progress and better standards of

life

The United Nations