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The Cold War and Canada  Igor Gouzenko brought the realities of the Cold War home  Canada was now a part of the Cold War; importance of Canada on a world.

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Presentation on theme: "The Cold War and Canada  Igor Gouzenko brought the realities of the Cold War home  Canada was now a part of the Cold War; importance of Canada on a world."— Presentation transcript:

1 The Cold War and Canada  Igor Gouzenko brought the realities of the Cold War home  Canada was now a part of the Cold War; importance of Canada on a world stage (plus right next door to Soviet threat: The Americans!)  Growing Cold War tensions meant that Canada needed to increase its defences  Military spending in ‘peacetime’?!?!!  Need to develop a defense partnership with the US and other democratic nations to stop spread of communism

2 NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization  April, 1949  Canada’s first ever peace-time alliance; developed by Canada  Canada would play a significant role in world affairs and defence policies  Founding nations: Canada, US, France, Britain, Norway, Holland, etc.

3  Commitment by founding nations: army, navy, air force to NATO defense (like an alliance)  Canada: stationed troops abroad as peacetime alliance (France and Belgium; RCAF squadrons)  Soviets responded with the WARSAW PACT in 1955: Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Bulgaria, etc.

4 NORAD: North American Air Defense Agreement/north American Aerospace Defense Command  Technology of WWII: Radar  Significant importance; need to protect themselves of a possible attack by air from Soviets  Canada put in money to build up radar defences (1954: 150 million!!)  Integrated the air defense forces of America and Canada  Diefenbaker (new PM 1957) signed NORAD agreement.  But responsibilities? (join wars?)

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6 Nuclear Research and Nuclear Threats  a Cold War signifier; the more nuclear power you had, the better equip you were for war  Nuclear energy as a good thing: Energy needs in Canada; cheap, widely available, inexpensive (constructive uses, as well)  Nuclear Arms race (fear of Cold War engagement)  1949: Soviets develop nuclear weapons; now US not only one with nuclear capabilities  Hydrogen Bomb (1957): 100 times more powerful than atomic bomb  But MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction): no nation would use nuclear weapons because it would destroy them both

7 What do you think this picture means?

8 Cuban Missile Crisis (1962-1963)  realities of nuclear war to our ‘backyard’  Soviets wanted to station nuclear weapons in Cuba (a communist country)  US Navy formed a blockade around Cuba  Military action to stop ships from S.U. carrying nuclear weapons?!?

9  Brink of nuclear war (S.U. ships positioned along the blockade; if the Americans launched an attack, it would blow up the weapons aboard and possibly?!?!?!)  Canada’s Role: put armed forces on Military alert  Dief said ok, but quietly put them on alert then announces alert 2 days later (to signify Canadian independence)

10 The Race for Space

11  Sputnik I (Soviet Satellite): deliver nuclear warheads anywhere in NA because can detect radar systems; Soviets had better missile launch capabilities.  protection needed in Space (satellites)! Hence the moon landing (Americans prove they have better ‘space capabilities’)  NASA: Canada’s Role: Launch satellite Alouette I in Sept. 1962 (Canada now 3rd nation in space)

12 First Living Organism in Space? Laika: her place in space history is assured and the information she provided proved that a living organism could tolerate a long time in weightlessness and paved the way for humans in space.


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