The Cold War and Post-War Diplomacy: 1950s

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The Cold War and Post-War Diplomacy 1950s 
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• Superpowers
• USSR and US were rivals now because they were
  trying to compete with one another?known as the
  Cold War.
• Communism vs. Capitalism

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• West (US free press and freedom of speech)
• Western countries were suspicious of
  communismfear of spread
• The Soviet Union were suspicious that Western
  countries might try to invade Soviet territory
  through Europe
• Hostility increased between the Soviets and the
  Americans.
• This was not traditional warfare no shots or
  battles
• Both sides built up huge stockpiles of
  sophisticated arms, including the atomic bomb and
  other nuclear weapons and also spied on one
  another.

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The Cold War at Home

• 1945- a Russian citizen, Igor Gouzenko was
  working in the Soviet embassy in Ottawa. He went
  to a newspaper to prove that a Soviet spy ring
  was operating in the Canadian government. He then
  went to the RCMP. Still no one believed him. He
  finally got protection when the Soviet agents
  broke into his house.
• This brought Canada into the Cold War.
• RCMP Special Branch watched those who they
  suspected as communists. These included artists,
  peace activists, union leaders, and intellectuals
  who were against the government in any way.
• Gouzenko clip http//www.youtube.com/watch?vpM94
  nEQFXEM

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Duck and Cover

• Canadians worried about an open war between the
  Soviets and the United States which would affect
  Canada
• Cities prepared to protect their populations-
  nuclear shelters in deep basements or subway
  tunnels
• Schools ran drills to teach students to duck and
  cover or to lie in ditches.
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v-2kdpAGDu8s

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NATO and the Warsaw Pact

• 1949
• Canada joined US, Great Britain, and other
  Western European nations in military alliance.
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
• Nuclear weapons will be used as last resort
• 1955
• Soviet Union establish the WARSAW PACTmilitary
  alliance with Eastern European countries

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1956 Soviet troops stopped a revolution in
Hungary. 1961 Communist-controlled East Germany
built a wall around West Berlin to keep East
Berliners in and West Berliners out Berlin Wall
Symbol of Cold War Symbol of divided world (east
and west) Division between NATO and Warsaw Pact
countries is known as the Iron Curtain
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Canadas Commitment to NATO

• Kept a full army brigade and several air
  squadrons (in West Germany)
• Built and supplied military bases overseas
• Canadian ships and aircraft tracked movement of
  Soviet submarines
• participated in military exercises
• Adapt its defence policy to those of its allies

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NORAD and the North American Defence

• 1958 PM Diefenbaker signed an agreement with the
  US committing Canada to the North American Air
  Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD)
• Fighter forces, missile bases, and air-defence
  radar were controlled from a command station deep
  within Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado
• NORAD had a force of 1000 bombers at its disposal
  at any one time
• Canadian command post under joint control was
  deep inside tunnel at North Bay, Ontario
• Canadian Independence?

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• Fear of Nuclear War
• NORAD-responsible for three warning lines of
  radar stations across Canada DEW, Mid-Canada,
  Pinetree
• These compromised Canadian sovereignty
• To visit DEW Line, Canadian MPs and journalists
  had to fly to NY and gain security clearance from
  U.S. authorities
• superpowers developed Intercontinental ballistic
  missiles armed with nuclear warheads
• These can be launched from USSR and reach North
  America in 30 minutes.

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Avro ArrowSupersonic Jets

• Canada had many aeronautical engineers in the
  early 1950s develop supersonic jets know as the
  Avro Arrow.
• These had state-of-the-art engines and faster
  than any other jet of its kind.
• The project was cancelled by the Diefenbaker
  government in 1959 due to the cost of making
  these jets.
• Existing planes were scrapped, and most of Avros
  designers and engineers moved to the US.
• Many Canadians felt they lost the opportunity to
  establish a world-class space and aeronautics
  industry in Canada.
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vRlrfGx4ncgI

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Planning for Peace

• October 1945
• Delegates from 51 countries drew up a charter for
  the United Nations.
• collective security.
• UN powers include
• condemn aggressor through speeches and
  resolutions.
• Economic Sanctions
• Military response
• General Assembly
• forum for member nations to debate
• Each member is given a seat and the right to vote
  on issues
• Security Council
• Responsible for maintaining peace and security
• Five permanent members- Big Five
• Britain, France, US, USSR, and China

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United Nations

• 10 non-permanent members
• 2-year term
• Decisions need consent of 9 members
• Each of Big Five has power to veto reject
  actions with which they disagree

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United Nations

• abolish disease and famine and protect human
  rights
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• UNICEF (United Nations International Childrens
  Fund)
• International Monetary Fund
• Canada supports UN.
• Canada has helped refugees from war or natural
  disasters and worked on development projects in
  various countries.
• Canadian peacekeepers involved in every UN
  operation since 1956.