2.  The United Nations was created in October 1945.  One of the Allies goals during World War II was to create an international organization to ensure global collective security.

3.  (I) maintain international peace & settle disputes  (ii) develop equal rights & national self determination  (iii) solve social, economic & humanitarian problems

4.  The League of Nations had been too weak to stop aggression because major powers were unwilling to get involved.  President Roosevelt of the United States made the United Nations a strong organization by ensuring that all major powers be involved.  To make sure that the Americans were committed, Roosevelt placed the United Nations headquarters in the United States and created the “ Veto “.

5.  The United Nations was divided into two parts  1. The General Assembly in which each country had one vote  2. The Security Council controlled by the major powers. Dealt with matters of peace and international security.  Five permanent members ; US, Britain, USSR, France and China.  Each had the power of veto.

6.  Canada was one of the middle powers who played an active role in the development of the United Nations organizations.  Some of Canada’s ministers of external affairs were able to make influential recommendations within the United Nations.  Example the “Suez Canal”.

7.  The period following World War II, 1945 to 1990. A period of espionage, arms build-up, and tension.  Time of increasing diplomatic and political tension between the West/United States and the East/Soviet Union.  The western world was divided into two camps - The Americans and their allies, and the Soviets and other communist nations, which created the constant threat of war.

8.  In 1956 the world was faced with the possibility of another major war.  Egypt seized control of the Suez Canal from a British/French company.  Britain, France and Israel attacked Egypt  The Soviet Union announced their support for Egypt.  Fear of World War Three.

9.  Lester Pearson was Canada's minister of external affairs.  Pearson recommended the establishment of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF).  The forerunner of the UN Peacekeepers  This force would be placed in the middle of the fighters until a peaceful settlement could be reached.  Resulted in the formation of the UN Peacekeepers and the Nobel Peace Prize for Pearson

10.  It was a mutual defence pact to counter the threat of the spread of Soviet communism in Europe.  An attack on one country would be an attack against all.  The establishment of NATO indicated the West’s intent to meet Soviet expansion with collective resistance.

11.  The founding members included the United States, Canada, Britain, and France.  Presently the members include the United States, Canada, Britain, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Turkey and Spain.

12.  Louis St. Laurent was Canada’s minister of external affairs in 1947.  He convinced Canadians that The United States was the only nation strong enough to withstand the Soviet threat.

13.  As a result Canada connected itself to the American Foreign Policy known as “Truman Doctrine.”  The Truman Doctrine was based on the belief that Communism must be contained, and not be allowed to spread throughout the world.  In 1948 Prime Minister St. Laurent proposed an organization of Western nations to protect the West against Communist aggression.  A year later NATO was formed.

14.  A joint American-Canadian organization established in 1957.  The headquarters was located in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  It monitor nuclear tracking, warning, and control stations across the northern Arctic.  The name was changed in 1981 to North American Aerospace Defence Command. (NAADC).

15.  The island of Cuba, 150 Km off the coast of Florida, had long been in the American sphere of influence.  Most of the wealth in Cuba belonged to American businesses.  The U.S. supported Cuba’s corrupt dictator, Batista, while the people lived in poverty.

16.  In 1959 a young socialist named Fidel Castro overthrew Batista and took control in 1959.  Castro wanted to regain control of Cuba’s economy, for Cubans,  He nationalized all privately owned businesses.  American investors were outraged (having lost approximately 1 billion dollars).

17.  As a result President Eisenhower imposed a trade embargo that continues to this day.  Castro succeeded in creating a first class health care and public education system.  However his socialist policies pitted him against the United States.

18.  Castro’s nationalization of American businesses resulted in souring Cuban-American relations.  In need of economic and military support Castro found a friend in the Soviets.  The Soviets bought huge quantities of Cuban sugar and shipped military weapons to Cuba.  Threats from the United States and economic pressure pushed Cuba closer to the Soviets.

19.  In April 1961 a small army of Cuban exiles, trained by the American CIA invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs.  The invasion failed as the invaders were quickly defeated.  More importantly the invasion strengthen Cuba’s ties to the Soviets.

20.  In October 1962 American spy planes revealed that the Soviets were building missile bases in Cuba.  These missiles could be used to launch nuclear weapons at the United States.  A nuclear war seemed likely. President Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba in order to keep supplies needed to complete the missile bases from reaching Cuba.

21.  Kennedy secretly sent his brother to meet with the Soviet Ambassador to the United States to present an ultimatum to the Soviets.  Remove the missiles by the following day or the United States would remove them by force.  In return Kennedy guaranteed that the United States would not invade Cuba and that the U.S. would remove missiles, aimed at the USSR, in Turkey.

22.  The crisis was over and both sides realized there could be no victory in a nuclear war.  The crisis also demonstrated the need for better communication between the two countries.  As a result the famous hotline was established.

23.  The Crisis caused tension between Canada and the US  The US had not informed Canada of the Blockade until after the fact. ( contrary to NORAD terms). PM Diefenbaker delayed putting Canadian Forces on alert.  President Kennedy was upset over Canada’s slow response.  Most NATO countries put their armed forces on immediate alert.