To What Extent Did Canada Play a Significant Role in Cold War Events? Use Examples from the Period 1945–1990.
To what extent did Canada play a significant role in Cold War events? Use examples from the period 1945–1990.
The twentieth century was a time for bloody warfare, advances in technology, and trends that revolutionized the world. It was also an era in which new political ideologies rose and fell. Of the new types of political philosophies, the two that were most opposite to each other were democracy and communism. From 1945-1990 these two philosophies shaped and changed the world, and was the driving force behind the Cold War. Though the two main superpowers of the Cold War were the Soviet Union and the United States, Canada was inevitably drawn into the Cold War. This essay will examine the actions that Canada took, including the ones that helped fuel the Cold War and the ones that implied they did not support the policies of their allies. One such way that Canada tried to protect itself from the “Russian bear” was make alliances. By the end of WWII, United Nations was formed, with Canada as one of its founding countries. Canada had hoped that his would solve the problem of the Cold War. But the UN, with no military force of its own, could not enforce its rulings on the USSR and the problem worsened as the Soviets were given the power to veto important rulings against them. Therefore, in 1949, Canada joined NATO, an organization based on the principal of collective security and would grant them protection and support from other countries if they were ever invaded. Years after, with the threat of nuclear war still very real, a bilateral alliance was formed among the Canadians and Americans, NORAD. Along with treaties, Canada also made significant contributions to the Cold War. From 1950-1953, Canadian troops participated in the UN’s first ever large-scale peacekeeping mission: the Korean War. Around 30,000 Canadian troops were sent to suppress the communist North Korea. Then three years later, Canada played a significant peacekeeping role during the
The twentieth century was a time for bloody warfare, advances in technology, and trends that revolutionized the world. It was also an era in which new political ideologies rose and fell. Of the new types of political philosophies, the two that were most opposite to each other were democracy and communism. From 1945-1990 these two philosophies shaped and changed the world, and was the driving force behind the Cold War. Though the two main superpowers of the Cold War were the Soviet Union and the United States, Canada was inevitably drawn into the Cold War. This essay will examine the actions that Canada took, including the ones that helped fuel the Cold War and the ones that implied they did not support the policies of their allies. One such way that Canada tried to protect itself from the “Russian bear” was make alliances. By the end of WWII, United Nations was formed, with Canada as one of its founding countries. Canada had hoped that his would solve the problem of the Cold War. But the UN, with no military force of its own, could not enforce its rulings on the USSR and the problem worsened as the Soviets were given the power to veto important rulings against them. Therefore, in 1949, Canada joined NATO, an organization based on the principal of collective security and would grant them protection and support from other countries if they were ever invaded. Years after, with the threat of nuclear war still very real, a bilateral alliance was formed among the Canadians and Americans, NORAD. Along with treaties, Canada also made significant contributions to the Cold War. From 1950-1953, Canadian troops participated in the UN’s first ever large-scale peacekeeping mission: the Korean War. Around 30,000 Canadian troops were sent to suppress the communist North Korea. Then three years later, Canada played a significant peacekeeping role during the