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War Refugees
The United Nations helped the war refugees to keeping peace. Even before the war was over the United Nations set up the Relief and Rehabilitation Administrative and they helped provide relief for millions of Europeans. This was beacuse many were homeless and had to leave their homes to prevent from fighting. Forty different nations helped with this but Canada played a major role because Canadian Lester Pearson was chair of the Supplies Committee and toured refugee camps. (Wilson, 285) -
United Nations Committees beginning.
In 1945 the United Nations finally came together with about fifty countries including Canada all signing the United Nations Charter in San Francisco. This Charter replaced the League of Nations because it clearly did not prevent another World War, where it did not prevent from World War ll from happeneing. Canada participated at the San Francisco conference and became one of the founding members of the United Nations Committees. (Wilson,282) -
United Nations Security council is formed
On this day the United Nations security council was formed. This is a special organ of the United Nations that's main focus is keeping peace between nations and resolving conflicts between those nations if there are any. The victors of World War II China, the U.S.S.R., France, the United Kingdom, and the United States created the United Nations security council and made themselves permanent members of the council with the special power to veto resolutions. -
Human Rights
Canada played an important role in the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural committee, because in Montreal Canadian, John Humphrey set up the human rights division of the United Nations and also became the first director; this was one of the United Nations most important achievements. He then wrote the first draft of the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights with some help by others, in response of the Holocaust and he later used the declaration all over the world. (Wilson, 287) -
First meeting of UN security council
The first meeting of the members of the UN security council took place in the Church House, Westminster, London. It was the first time members of the council were meeting to discuss important issues that could affect the peace between nations. Like the Suez crisis. It was a major step forward to begin change. -
First deployment instigated by the UN security council
This was the first time since the UN security council needed to send a peacekeeping operation somewhere. The first mission of UN military observers was to monitor the armistice agreement between Israel and Arab countries surrounding it. The agreements between the countries went accordingly. -
Start of NATO
April 4, 1949, was when NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) came to be. Escott Reid had wanted to have a group for defence in the Atlantic area, in 1947, and St.Laurent liked this as well in 1948. No military group existed in the UN and so a group of defence was important. If the Soviet Union attacked Canada, the UN would not be of much help. (North Atlantic Treaty Organization- NATO, Cuxton, Bradley. W. Douglas Wilson 291) -
Korean War begins with Canada involved
Canada sent troops to the Korean War in a United Nations-supported military action. 26,000 Canadians participated on the side of the United Nations, and Canada sent eight destroyers. After the war, Canadian troops remained for three years as military observers. Over 500 Canadians were dead or left with life threatening injuries. (Canadian encyclopedia- Korean war) -
North Korea invades
Communist North Korean troops launch a full-scale invasion of the South, beginning the open military phase of the Korean War. North Korean tanks and infantry surge across the 38th parallel into South Korean territory, quickly overrunning the defensive positions of overmatched South Korean forces. The Communists continue their southward advance, meeting little resistance in the countryside. (Canada encyclopedia- Korea war) -
Canada's Contribution in the Cold War
NATO wanted to stop the Soviet Union and so countries in NATO helped. In Europe, ten thousand Canadian soldiers existed in France and West Germany, six thousand six hundred and seventy were in an infantry brigade group, there were twelve squadrons that were in an air division which contained about three hundred aircrafts, and there were about 40 warships. All of this took a bit less than half of Canada's federal budge, specifically 45 percent of it. (Matthews 33, Oliver) -
Peacekeeping talks with Korea
Diplomats from China, North Korea, and the United States convene in Panmunjom—the so-called "Peace Village" located on the border between North and South Korea at the 38th parallel—to plan a political conference to reach agreement on a final, permanent peace treaty to end the war. Even this preliminary planning breaks down amidst angry accusations and counter-accusations from both sides.(Canadian encyclopedia-Korean war) -
Start of the Suez Crisis
The Suez Canal belonged to Britain and France, but in 1956 it belonged to Egypt through nationalism. Britain and France were going to attack Egypt, but Canada and other countries did not want this. So, Lester B. Pearson tried to tell Britain many times about the potential problems of attacking Egypt. (Cuxton, Bradley. W. Douglas Wilson 295-296, The Suez Crisis- 1956 The Middle Power At Work) -
Pearson's Solution
The Suez Crisis was a big issue, and panic was the atmosphere of the United Nations at the time. Soldiers who were in Egypt, had to return to their respective countries, because Pearson told the General Assembly to do so. This showed Canada's independence, since Canada opposed Britain, and it showed Canada's negotiation skills. (Spotlight of Canada, The Suez Crisis- 1956 The Middle Power at Work, First United Nations Emergency Force) -
Impact of the UNEF (November 1956- June 1967
The UNEF did not fight but still manage to preserve peace in Egypt and stop Britain, France, and Israel. The UNEF was led by General E.L.M. Burns, who was Canadian. There were 6000 men under him, which were from ten United Nations countries and Canadians made one-third of the UNEF. The UNEF had to leave Egypt in 1967 on Egypt's orders, but up till that time, there was peace. (Cuxton, Bradley. W. Douglas Wilson 296, Suez Canal Crisis, First United Nations Emergency Force) -
Lester B Pearson resolves the the Suez crisis
Britain and France were preparing to invade the Suez Canal after it was nationalized by Egypt. The UN saw it was an issue that could possibly lead to another world war, which was unwanted. Then Lester B. Pearson Canada's minister of External affairs had a plan. His plan was to create a peacekeeping force that would drive out France and Britain, after a few months it did and Egypt claimed the Canal for itself. -
Pearson proposes a Peacekeeping force
Lester Pearson becomes Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations. As a contributor to the UN army and, in 1952, served as president of the UN General Assembly, where he tried to find a solution to the conflict. His greatest diplomatic achievement came in 1956, when he proposed a UN peacekeeping force as means for easing the British and French out of Egypt during the Suez Crisis. (Canadian encyclopedia- Lester Pearson) -
Pearson sends Peacekeeping troops to Suez Crisis
The first U.N. peacekeeping troops, in a decision negotiated by Lester Pearson, are sent to prevent war in the Suez Crisis. He spent the summer and fall of 1956 working toward a diplomatic solution to the Suez Crisis. When that failed, and the bombing began, Pearson changed tactics. Working with colleagues at the UN, he developed the idea for the UN’s first, large-scale peacekeeping force. (Canadian encyclopedia- Suez Crisis) -
The North American Air Defence Agreement
The defence co-operation between Canada and the U.S increased as the North American Air Defence Command was set up, but was later changed to the North American Aerospace Defence Command but they still kept NORAD as an acronym. This defence brought both Canada and the United States under a fully combined joint command.On August 1st both Canadian and American governments announced that Canada and the United States will bring their command defence together in Colorado. (thecanadianencyclopedia.ca) -
Lester B. Pearson wins the Nobel Peace prize
With Lester Pearson's major role in resolving the Suez crisis he was recognize by the world with one of the most prestigious awards a person can get. The contributions Pearson made to resolving the crisis was so important he put himself and Canada on the map to be known as major peacekeepers of the world. With his outstanding work Pearson was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1957. -
The Debate over Nuclear Warheads.
Canadians started to become aware that there was a nuclear warhead in the country. Canadian and American governments agreed to put the armed force on alert, but the problem was that it was obvious that NORAD forces were under American command. The federal governments gave out pamphlets for making underground shelter, but this led to an even more tense atmosphere. The purpose of these shelters were to protect people for a nuclear fallout. (Wilson, 293) -
Lester Pearson becomes Prime minister of Canada
After five years of being the liberal party's leader and rebuilding it the way he imagined it to be, Pearson finally became the Prime Minister of Canada (Marshall). Pearson's goal helping the people of Canada. He wanted to help fix the problems between the British and French Canadian citizens. It did not necessarily work, but he did many more amazing and notable things that helped Canada he made a Canada Pension Plan, a universal medicare system, a unified armed force, and a new flag (Marshall). -
Canada helps with a peacekeeping mission in Cyprus
Canada participates in a U.N. peacekeeping mission to Cyprus. Canadian and the other UN peacekeepers suddenly found themselves in the middle of a war zone where there was little stability and much violence. After several weeks of active fighting in which three Canadians died and 17 were injured, a cease-fire was negotiated. (Canadian Encyclopedia- peacekeeping) -
Cheyenne Mountain
NORAD's command moved into Cheyenne Mountain Operations Centre, and was a big underground complex in Colorado Springs. Later the NORADS command in Colorado became a backup complex when they moved it near Peterson Air Force Bace. (thecanadiaencyclopeda.ca) -
NATO's Change After The Cold War (1990 Onwards)
The early 1990s was when the cold war was over. This marked a change in NATO's role, and now they helped the United Nations in making the Balkans a non-violent place. During the Kosovo conflict in 1999 and around that time, NATO fought Serbia in the air, and Canada helped a lot. This showed that Ottawa now again was deeply connected with NATO. (Oliver, Dean) -
Canadian Forces in Bosnia
The European Community Monitoring Mission, was a mission that involved Canadian Forces as well as other forces. Canadian helped from 1991-1992. 16500 Canadians were a part of UNPROFOR, which is the United Nations Protection Force starting in 1991. This was a peacekeeping force. Eleven Canadians in UNPROFOR in Bosnia died. (The Canadian Armed Forces in the Balkans, United Nations Protection Force) -
Canadian Impacts on Bosnia (1991 Onwards)
Canadian Force soldiers, Bosnian communities, CIMC, and the CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) have made electrical structures in rural areas, have made and fixed schools, have fixed water well problems, and much more. (ARCHIVED- Canadian Forces Operations in Bosnia- Herzegovina) -
Attack on Sarajevo
When Sarajevo was being attacked, so were UN soldiers in 1992. Canadian General Lewis MacKenzie was in charge of the UN soldiers. This attack was the aftermath of the start of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sector Sarajevo was what MacKenzie started in the May of 1992 and the Sarajevo airport as well which was helped by the UN soldiers to create. International celebrity was something he was recognized as since he made efforts to make peace through media. (Peacekeeping, Lewis MacKenzie).
