Canada + the Cold War, 1945-1991

Propaganda: Popular Culture Propaganda was used heavily by both the USA and the USSR to convince the public, including Canadian citizens, that: 1. A “real” enemy existed that wanted to attack their society, their way of living, and their well-being.

Propaganda: Popular Culture 2. Ironically, the opposing side’s way of life was one filled with injustice, evil, and a lack of morality. 3. Media was the dominant place in which propaganda was disseminated.

Atomic Café Ch. 10 - Duck and Cover “Beware of communist attacks!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w0Up-212g Question: 1. How did propaganda films help to prolong the Cold War? Kept the fear alive.

Canada + the Cold War, 1945-1991

The Creation of the United Nations Created in 1945. International agency that would prevent another international conflict = the idea of collective security and world peace. Not a perfect system.

United Nations Security Council UN Security Council: 5 permanent members. 10 non-permanent with 2 year terms (Canada has served for 12 years the most of any non-permanent members). Decisions require support of 9 members, but the 5 permanent members can veto.

United Nations Security Council UN Security Council: 5 permanent members: USSR (Russia Today) USA Britain France China

The Cold War “heats up” What triggered the escalation? 1. 1949 – The USSR detonates their first atomic bomb, the USA and Canada now has to fear a nuclear attack

The Cold War “heats up” 2. 1949 – The Chinese Communist Revolution takes place and Chairman Mao becomes leader of China. Almost 2 billion communists now in the world.

The Cold War “heats up” 3. Soviet spies are discovered in Canada (Gouzenko - whistleblower), USA (Alger Hiss – accused Soviet spy) and Great Britain = fear and paranoia affected everyone.

Communist Witch Hunts “Witch hunts” led by CIA and FBI in US (McCarthyism) and Canada. McCarthyism (1950-54) = the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence in regards to communism.

The Red Scare in the USA The Red Scare was much worse in the United States under the direction of Senator Joseph McCarthy – “Goodnight and Good Luck.” Called McCarthyism.

Communist in the Canadian Government On Sept. 5, 1945, just after the end of the Second World War, a Russian cipher clerk named Igor Gouzenko fled the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa with 109 documents proving the existence of a Soviet spy ring in Canada.

The Gouzenko Affair Canada was placed at the centre of the Cold War in 1945 due to the Gouzenko Affair, which exposed a Soviet spy ring in the Canadian government.

The Gouzenko Affair Gouzenko exposed Stalin's efforts to steal nuclear secrets, and the technique of planting sleeper agents. The "Gouzenko Affair" is often credited as a triggering event of the Cold War.

The Gouzenko Affair Conservatives thought Communism should be outlawed in 1949. P.M. Louis St. Laurent refused, noting that such tactics were the trademarks of dictatorships, not democracies.

The Gouzenko Affair As a result of the Red Scare/Menace in Canada, RCMP carried out illegal and secret inquiries regarding potential communists in Canada. Potential immigrants were denied entry to Canada and members of the communist party were deported.

The Padlock Law The Padlock Law (officially called "Act to protect the Province Against Communistic Propaganda") (was an Act of the province of Quebec, passed on March 24, 1937 by the Union Nationale government of Maurice Duplessis.

The Padlock Law The Act made it illegal to "use [a house] or allow any person to make use of it to propagate Communism or Bolshevism by any means whatsoever" as well as the printing, publishing or distributing of "any newspaper, periodical, pamphlet, circular, document or writing, propagating Communism or Bolshevism." 

The Padlock Law A violation of the Act subjected such property to being ordered closed by the Attorney General - "padlocked" - against any use whatsoever for a period of up to one year, and any person found guilty of involvement in prohibited media activities could be incarcerated for three to thirteen months.

Cold War Military Alliances 1. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), 1949. Provided for the collective security of Western Europe against the threat of Soviet invasion/spread of communism. Founding Members: USA, Canada, Britain, others.

Cold War Military Alliances 2. The USSR created the Warsaw Pact in 1955 to counter/rival NATO. Alliance of Eastern European Communist countries was officially called 'The Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance.' Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union.

NATO: The Agreement NATO Agreement: Any attack on one NATO member was considered to be an attack on all. Tactical nuclear weapons could be used if conventional weapons failed. As a last resort, total nuclear war would be waged.

Canada and NATO: Commitment Canada’s commitment to NATO: Had to keep Canadian troops based in Europe. Canadian ships and planes tracked Soviet submarines.

Canada and NATO: Commitment Canadian forces participated in regular military exercises with NATO allies. Canada adapted its defence policy to those of its allies. All this meant that, to some extent, Canada’s autonomy was sacrificed.

Nuclear Arms Race As both superpowers developed nuclear capability, tensions continued to grow.

Canada is stuck in the middle of nuclear warhead stockpiles

How does Canada respond? Places Distant Early Warning Line Stations (DEW) in northern Canada. US and Canada form NORAD (North American Defense Agreement); gets involved in Korean War (1950-53).

How does Canada respond? Avro Arrow – Canada builds warplanes in the 1950s. Plan eventually scrapped; many felt Canada had lost chance as technological leader during the Cold War. Many political debates occur over whether following American foreign policy was making us safer, or more at risk of going to war.

North American Defence in Canada Radar Stations: To protect against direct Soviet air attacks, the US built three lines of radar stations across Canada between 1950-57.

North American Defence The Lines were designed to give the USA time to launch a counterattack if Soviet long-range bombers were attacking over the North Pole: Pinetree Line Mid-Canada Line DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line

Warning Lines

Defence and Canadian Autonomy These radar stations were manned by US military personnel on Canadian soil. Many Canadians feared this also compromised Canada’s autonomy, but most accepted this as the price of better security against a Soviet attack.

North American Defense: BOMARC Missiles BOMARC Missile Crisis: 1958 PM Diefenbaker announced an agreement with the US to deploy in Canada 2 squadrons of the American ramjet-powered "Bomarc" antiaircraft missile. This controversial defence decision came from the 1957 NORAD agreement with the US.

North American Defense BOMARC Missile Crisis: Fifty-six missiles were deployed in Ontario and Québec. The Canadian government did not make it clear that the Bomarc-B, was to be fitted with nuclear warheads.

North American Defense BOMARC Missile Crisis: When this became known in 1960 it gave rise to a dispute as to whether Canada should adopt nuclear weapons. Eventually they were delivered (after some bad relations between the US + Canada) but when Pierre Trudeau came to power in 1969 the warheads were removed/phased out.

Defence : ICBMs ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles): development meant nuclear missiles launched from the USSR could reach North American cities within 30 minutes.

Defence: NORAD NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command): Joint fighter forces. Missile bases and radar stations. All controlled by a central command station built in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, and Canadian base in North Bay, Ontario.

Civil Defence Canadians prepared for nuclear war by: Building bomb shelters. Teaching students to “duck and cover.”

Civil Defence Canadians prepared for nuclear war by: Formulating the Tocsin B cross-Canada evacuation plan. Building the “Diefenbunker” = PM Diefenbaker had his own nuclear bunker built.

Defense: MAD In reality, the best deterrent against nuclear attack was the threat of all-out nuclear war.

Defense: MAD Later, both the USA and USSR would follow a policy of M.A.D. (Mutually Assured Destruction) = destroy each other equally.

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