Canada and the Cold War. Key Terms Communist Capitalist Cold War Superpowers Gouzenko Affair Red Scare United Nations NATO Warsaw Pact DEW Line NORAD.

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.