Introduction to Canada and the Cold War

The Cold War was a time of great tension between the two superpowers at the end of World War II. The United States and the Soviet Union both possessed terrible military power and influence that included nuclear weapons. Both countries had the power to destroy the world if one side decided to attack. The ideologies of communism and capitalism clashed as the world prepared itself for a World War III. Both sides spent incomprehensible amounts of money to advance military hardware and the world was in a constant state of fear.

In the middle of this conflict and in the middle of these two hostile powers was Canada. Canada was in a position to be a middle power in all respects. Its decisions during the Cold War greatly influenced the situation. The question is: Was it for the better or for the worst?

Canada and Peacekeeping Efforts

Canada was influential in keeping peace:

-Lester Pearson

-urged all sides to agree to a ceasefire in the Korean War at the United Nations

-Suez Crisis resolved

-gave successful idea of sending a United Nations Emergency Force

-keep hostile forces apart with neutral third party forces

-this method used for other large-scale peacekeeping situations

-Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize

-Vietnamese War was influenced by then Prime Minister Pearson

-criticized Operation Rolling Thunder

-gave advice for the United States to get out of Vietnam

-risked physical harm by larger, more aggressive President Johnson

-criticized legitimacy of the war

-disagree with saying “better dead than red”

-refused to participate in Vietnam

-Trudeau’s foreign policy focused on making peace

-encourage friendliness over violence

-strong supporter of peaceful organizations

-was a major peacekeeping component of the United Nations

-involved in every peacekeeping effort since its creation

-military used for peace

-rarely sees action other than to be sent for peacekeeping missions

-never started any conflicts during the Cold War

Canada was not influential in keeping peace:

-provoked countries by participating in the Korean War

-part of an aggressive military alliance, NATO

-supported NATO

-participate heavily in NORAD

-allowed foreign military bases in Canada

Canadian Military During the Cold War

Canada's military was influential:
-troop commitment to the Korean War
-contributed more than 26 000 troops to the Korean War
-third largest United Nations contingent sent to Korea
-sent three destroyers to Korea right away followed by a few other destroyers during the conflict
-notable contributions of Canadian military forces in Korea
-naval power
-provide fire support during the crucial attack on Inchon
-ships cover retreating ally forces after Chinese intervention pushes United Nation troops back
-allowed time for more soldiers to withdraw
-was an excellent patrol force and for aircraft carrier protection
-army forces in Korea
-Battle of Kapyong
-stopped Chinese Spring Offensive
-defeated Chinese forces when outnumber 5 to 1
-only unit that never retreated or lost their positions
-did not surrendered when surrounded by enemy forces
-caused 1 000+ kills and several more wounded with less than 50 killed
-kept South Korean capital, Seoul, the main objective of the offensive, out of enemy hands
-peacekeeping forces
-train local police forces such as in Haiti
-patrolled unstable territory to discourage crime and violence

Canada's military was not influential:
-proved relatively unneeded during the Korean War
-army forces were not used often
-only was decisive in a few battles
-kept as only a reserve force for occasional use
-rarely saw the opportunity to take part
-only used in small numbers for patrolling often
-ships not usually decisive in victory
-for most part, used for patrolling duties
-not used consistently for combat purposes
-Canada did not often use its military forces
-the Vietnamese War was not in the least bit influenced by Canadian troops
-generally stayed out of conflicts
-did not send Canadian troops with the intention of fighting
-Canadian peacekeeping forces do not really fight
-Suez Crisis peacekeeping forces did not fight
-size of Canadian forces at peacetime too small to influence others
-was not considered strong enough to influence events
-air force lost status
-no longer had the most advanced fight, the Avro Arrow
-all engineers move to the United States

Canada and USSR-US Relations

Canada was a crucial influence on USSR-US relations:
-Canada’s use of diplomacy was effective in bettering the superpowers’ relations
-promoted peaceful coexistence between the nuclear-capable superpowers
-supporter of Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties (SALT)
-calmed tensions between both sides starting to support disarmament
-Trudeau appealed for both sides to show more restraint when tensions renewed
-appealed for sides to end competition of spending on military and nuclear technology
-told United States to show more constraint after it invaded Grenada
-middle power status made Canada perfect for negotiating with Russia
-openly showed that Canada’s goal is to live peacefully, not fight communists
-ex. Trudeau’s foreign policy
-was not completely attached to the United States with better ground to negotiate
-was in the middle to keep the superpowers apart
-befriended communist states to
-started better relations with China
-first to recognize China as a country
-traded with China, show cooperation
-made communist states calm down and rethink their ideas on democracy/capitalism
-major part of Trudeau’s foreign policy
-made 1972 Summit Hockey series
-show that West can interact with the East without guns
-befriended Castro, the leader of Communist Cuba
-removed nuclear weapons from Canada
-scale back participation in nuclear arms race

Canada was not a crucial influence on USSR-US relations:
-still openly show that Canada was mostly in the United States’ sphere of influence
-support United States in Korean War nearly automatically
-conflict increased tensions between the West and the communists
-participate in NORAD and NATO and a strong supporter
-listen to many of the commands of the United States
-let the Americans build the radar stations for warning about Soviet missiles
-accepted BOMARC anti-ballistic missiles
-escalate the conflict between Soviets, make them nervous
-keep full brigade in Europe and all other military requirements set by US
-sometimes indecisive in events
-did not even do anything in the Cuban Missile Crisis to calm the powers
-was closest to nuclear war, and Canada did not respond well
-sat by without negotiating or pacifying opposing forces
-was not always effective in negotiations
-did not directly effect the end of the Cold War
-only influenced step-by-step process
-could not really force the superpowers to stop tensions
-in the end, the superpowers make the decisions
-they could choose to continue hostilities and normally did to some extent

Canada and Support of Developing Nations

Canada was influential in supporting developing countries:
-provided a lot of aid during this time
-aid rose from $277 million to $2 billion
-made trade and aid policy
-developing countries get Canadian goods
-sponsor health programs in developing countries such as the Philippines
-major aspect of Trudeau’s policy
-helped to build schools, roads, bridges, and dams
-part of several organizations that make giving aid easier
-membership in Commonwealth and La Francophonie
-helped in the Colombo plan to give aid to former British and French colonies
-gives aid to India, Pakistan, Commonwealth Caribbean, Commonwealth Africa and Francophone Africa
-supporter of many aid programs
-has its own section of UNICEF, UNICEF Canada
-part of Red Cross since 1909
-supporter of International Monetary Fund that helps bankrupt nations
-sponsor of World Health Organization
-peacekeeping in unstable countries
-intimidate rebel or radical soldiers
-participated in every United Nations peacekeeping mission since its development
-aid people from war torn or natural disaster stricken countries

Canada was not influential in supporting developing countries:
-aid not always helpful
-most not sent in money, but Canadian goods
-not always useful
-still less than 1% of yearly revenue
-still not enough to end many problems
-many countries continue to need aid
-peacekeeping not always effective
-peacekeepers not very well armed
-not equipped for heavy fighting
-can be slaughtered by rebel or radical forces
-could not always stop mass murders as in Rwanda
-not effective in helping all countries (South America was not helped much)

Conclusion

Although Canada was not a particularly strong or a critical player in the world during the Cold War, the decisions and actions of Canada were, for the most part, influential in many respects. As a middle power, Canada had the ability to maintain peace and prosperity for the East and the West. Canada did, in several cases, bridge the gap between the Capitalist West and the Communist East. These actions stopped the Cold War from escalating into all-out conflict between the major superpowers of the time, the Soviet Union and the United States. The ideas of peaceful coexistence, in some part, ended the costly and potentially apocalyptic situation between these two powers to some extent.

A major aspect of Canada's history during the Cold War were the actions that it took to give aid to the several new nations formed in Asia and Africa after the end of imperialism. Canada's acts that range from peacekeeping through the military in unstable regions, to the trade and aid policy that Canada put into effect, greatly improved the situation in many developing nations at the time. the generosity of the Canadian government provided food, medicine, and other important goods and infrastructures.

Canada was influential in numerous peacekeeping actions that took place during the Cold War. With great leaders such as Prime Ministers Pearson and Trudeau, the world avoided countless incidents that could have developed or escalated wars. As a middle power, Canadian diplomats could find solutions to issues as it would not have bias as a third party. There were many crises that Canada played a critical role in resolving such as the Suez Crisis and both major proxy wars during the 1950's and 1960's.

On the other hand, Canada was not remarkably useful as a military force during the Cold War. With Canada's airplane industry collapsing after the loss of the Avro Arrow and a small unready military force, the main superpowers of the time were the only nations that possessed real military might. Canada was influential and beneficial in several isolated and belittled situations such as the Battle of Kapyong, but in general, the Canadian military was not influential to the point that it could make any noticeable contributions on a global scale.