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The Cold War - Canada as a Middle Power

By sagarika25

  • Gouzenko Affair "The Man with the Hood"

    Gouzenko Affair "The Man with the Hood"
    • Igor Gouzenko: the man who worked in Ottawa embassy of the Soviets; he later learned that he was going to be sent to the Soviet Union to live
    • but he did not want to live in a communist country and so he decided to trade secrets from the Soviet Embassy to get protection in return
    • the Canadain government gave him permanent protection for his entire life since he told them about the spies surrounding Canada, gathering info about atomic bombs
    • this led Canada to take an anti-soviet stance
  • Period: to

    The Cold War - Canada as a Middle Power

    The Cold War: A war of words and nerves; the deliberate actions of rival super powers to frustrate, criticize, undermine and spy on opposing forces without openly declaring war.

  • Iron Curtain

    Iron Curtain
    • the dividing line between the democratic and communist countries in Europe
    • it is called the Iron Curtain because it effectively blocked the free movement of information, products and people between Western and Eastern Europe
    • its former allies (U.S., Canada, France and Britain) began to suspect the Soviet Union
    • later the Soviet Union were found operating in Ottawa, Washington and other western capitals
    • Canada contributed to the constant tension between the governments

  • Civil Defence

    Civil Defence
    • communities developed and practiced procedures and attack drills in the event of an enemy attack
    • radio and television programs were interrupted to test emergency broadcasts
    • this helped the Canadians train and prepare themselves in the case of an enemy attack

  • NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

    NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
    • a defence pact intended to protect members against further Soviet aggression
    • founding members include: Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United States
    • any attacks would be effectively deterred or discouraged
    • since 1949, many others have joined the alliance
    • this was Canada's first peacetime military alliance

  • Korean War

    Korean War
    • communist North Korea supported by communist China attacked South Korea in 1950
    • the U.S. supported South Korea and called on UN "to render every assistance" to South Korea
    • only 16 aided South Korea
    • Canada ranked third in total aid
    • nearly 25 000 Canadians saw action before the truce of 1955
    • over 1000 Canadians were wounded and 406, killed
    • UN then ensured independence of South Korea
    • Canadian troops stayed in Korea untill 1955

  • DEW Line (Distant Early Warning)

    DEW Line (Distant Early Warning)
    • Canada permitted Americans to build several defence installations in Northwest Teritories to create DEW line
    • on Feb. 15th, 1954, Canada and America agreed to jointly to build a third line of radar stations (DEW lines)
    • high powered radar attennae at stations along DEW line picks up appraoching enemy aircraft and missiles from 4800 kilometres away
    • was established across the tundra of Northern Greenland, Canada and Alaska

  • Suez Crisis

    Suez Crisis
    • an offensive war fought by France, Britain and Israel against Egypt over a man-made canal (the Suez Canal) that the Europeans used as a shipping lane short-cut
    • Canada became involved with the Suez Crisis on Oct. 29th, 1956 through an innovative peacekeeping scheme instead of agression
    • if Canada had not joined, world war three would have started
    • as a result, Canada put a stop to World War 3

  • NORAD (North American Air Defence)

    NORAD (North American Air Defence)
    • a military operation run jointly by the U.S. and Canada
    • its goal was to monitor all possible approaches to the U.S. via air and space for potential attacks
    • by the terms of NORAD, the U.S. and Canada agreed to defend each other
    • also, it created the DEW line
    • NORAD made the U.S, and Canada allies and without it, they wouldn't have come together

  • Cuban Missile Crisis

    Cuban Missile Crisis
    • American spy planes had photographed the construction of Soviet missiles on island of Cuba
    • President Kennedy set up a blockade to stop missilles from reaching American land
    • Soviets turned back before reaching American land
    • and the Cuban Missile Crisis ended
    • the Cuban Missile Crisis was the peak of the cold war since it was the closest to a Nuclear War
    • the crisis is significant to Canada becasue once again it shows their wllingness to act as an independent country