Ch 6 Flashcards
Cold War
● The rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union
● Started after the end of WWII and lasted over 40 years
● It did not erupt into an open war
Igor Gouzenko
● A Russian clerk at the Soviet embassy in Ottawa
● Decided to defect from the Soviet Union to Canada
○ Had documents that proved the existence of a Soviet spy ring within the Canadian government.
○ Nobody believed him at first, but his claims were eventually heard.
○ Was given another identity after the ordeal to protect him from the Soviets.
Superpowers
● Powers capable of inflicting massive destruction
● The Soviet Union and the United States are examples of it
Capitalist
● Economies were based on private enterprise, with individuals investing in business for profit
● Citizens had basic freedoms such a free press and freedom of speech
● The United States and most Western countries were examples of it
NATO
● North Atlantic Treaty Organization
● Formed in 1949
● A military alliance including Canada, US, Britain, and other Western European nations
● Any attack on one NATO member was to be treated as an attack on all
Warsaw Pact
● Established by the USSR in 1955
● This alliance made up of Eastern EUropean countries, was to protect these countries and the Soviet Union from attack
NORAD
● North American Air Defence Agreement
● Canada and the US agreed in 1957 to establish NORAD
● Integrated the air-defence forces of the US and Canada under joint command
● Renamed to the North American Aerospace Defence Command in 1981
United Nations
● Established in April 1945 by fifty one countries
● Based on the idea of collective security
● Include General Assembly as a forum and Security Council as a body to maintain peace and security
Security Council
● Body of U.N that’s responsible for maintaining peace and security
● Have five permanent members
WHO
● World Health Organization
● Agencies created by UN to abolish disease and famine
UNICEF
● United Nations Children’s Fund
● Agencies created by UN to abolish disease and famine
IMF
● International Monetary Fund
● To stabilize the world economy by helping countries that face great debt and the collapse of their currencies
Korean War
● 1950-1953
● Started when North Korea (communist) invaded South Korea (democratic)
● UN force was sent to force the invaders to retreat
● A ceasefire was reached in 1953
● Increased tensions between the West and the communist nations
Suez Crisis
● 1956
● Egypt took control of Suez Canal that was previously owned by British and French investors
● Israel invaded Egypt, supported by Britain and France
● USSR supplied Egypt immediately
● The US was angry
● Canada asked UN to mediate the two forces
Louis St. Laurent
● Liberal PM.
● Denounced British & French intervention during Suez Crisis, refused to support them
Lester Pearson
● Canada’s Minister of External Affairs
● Went to U.N. during Suez Crisis told U.N. Emergency force to be sent to Suez Canal to separate and mediate between the rival armies
● Defused the Suez Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
● USSR was installing offensive nuclear missile bases in Cuba
● US blockaded Cuba
● Soviet ships agreed to dismantle the missile bases in exchange for a promise that the US would not invade Cuba
Avro Arrow
● A state-of-the-art supersonic jet aircraft developed by Canada and the AV Row Company as a part of its military program in 1950s.
● Project was cancelled because when the superpowers developed long-range missiles, interceptor fighter planes like the Arrow became useless.
● Also was very expensive
● A popular opinion states that the Senior American officials wanted to kill the project because they could not build the fighter by themselves.
John Diefenbaker
● Became Prime Minister in 1957
● Did not get along well with John Kennedy (U.S. President)
● Canadian PM during Cuban Missile Crisis
○ Initially refused to place Canada’s NORAD forces on alert and did not allow US planes with atomic weapons to land at Canadian basis.
○ Eventually put Canadian troops on alert.
Nikita Khrushchev
● Soviet premier during Cuban Missile Crisis
○ Refused to remove missiles from Cuba, at first, but agreed to dismantle the missile bases at the last minute.
Vietnam War
● Vietnam was divided into two–north = communist supported by USSR and China, south = supported by US
● In 1968, Tet Offensive and My Lai
● The last US troops were pulled out in 1973 and South Vietnam fell in 1975
Middle Power
● Not a superpower, but still has large/moderate influence and international recognition
● Canada was a middle power– Trudeau attempted to bridge gaps between East/West & North/South during the Cold War
Pierre Trudeau
● A liberal elected prime minister in 1968.
● Believed Canada’s foreign policy should be less dependent on U.S. approval
● Formed the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in 1968
Free Trade Agreement
● Agreement signed in 1989 between Canada & U.S. to allow goods produced in each country to cross border tariff-free
NAFTA
● North American Free Trade Agreement
● Signed in 1992 between Canada, Mexico, and U.S. to create a free trade zone amongst countries
Perestroika
● Associated with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms near the end of the cold war
● A policy of reconstruction; political movement for reformation in the Soviet Union
Glasnost
● Instituted by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev near the end of the cold war.
● A Soviet policy of openness; allows for open discussions of political/social issues.
Globalization
- Process which regions and countries in world are becoming interconnected
- A vast network of business, communications, and cultural links among countries.
Rwanda
● Central African country that was torn apart by ethnic rivalries.
○ France/Belgium sent troops to try to control the slaughter
○ A small detachment of UN peacekeepers were sent under the command of Canadian Major General Roméo Dallaire.
Somalia
● East African nation than had been ravaged by years of civil war and starvation.
● UN launched “Operation Restore Hope” here in 1992.
○ Mission was directed by the US, but Canadian forces & other countries helped distribute food/essential supplies.
FIRA
● Foreign Investment Review Agency
● Established by Pierre Trudeau
● Ensured that foreign establishment of business in Canada was beneficial to country
What happened in 1945?
● World War II ends
● United Nations in created
What happened in 1949?
● United States, Canada, and ten Western countries form NATO
● Communists take over China
What happened in 1950?
● North Korea invades South Korea
● Korean War begins
What happened in 1955?
● The Warsaw Pact was established
What happened in 1956?
● Lester Pearson, as Canada’s Minister of External Affairs, works to defuse the Suez crisis
What happened in 1957?
John Diefenbaker became prime minister.
When was the Vietnam War?
1961-1975
When was the Berlin Wall built?
1961
When did the Cuban missile crisis occur?
1962
Who became prime minister in 1963?
Liberal leader Lester Pearson
When did USSR invade Afghanistan?
1979
What happened in 1989?
● Berlin Wall is destroyed, marking symbolic end of Cold War
● Canada-US Free Trade Agreement is implemented
When did Canada participate in the Gulf War?
1991
When did Canada join NAFTA
1994
When did Canadian air force join NATO attacks on Yugoslavia?
1999
What did Igor Gouzenko do after he decided to defect from the USSR to Canada?
● He took the documents, proving that a Soviet spy ring was operating within the Canadian government, to the Ottawa Journal and tried to convince the newspaper of the Soviet spies’ existence
● He went to the offices of the RCMP, the department of justice, and the prime minister’s office the second time
What was the reaction to Gouzenko’s documents initially?
● No one paid attention
What did the RCMP do to people suspected of being Soviet spies?
● The RCMP arrested several people in February 1946
● They kept the suspects in isolation, without charge, and without legal counsel
What happened to the people who were accused of involving in the Soviet spy ring?
● Eighteen people were brought to trial
● Eight were found guilty and imprisoned
What was likely the spy ring’s objective?
● Possibly trying to discover the secrets of the atomic bomb
- The Soviets had learned very little
How did USSR and US “fight” during the Cold War?
● Used espionage (spies)
● Helped their allies in “little wars” and revolutions – proxy war
● Built stockpiles of conventional arms, powerful nuclear weapons, biological and chemical weapons, long-range bombers, missiles, and atomic submarines
● Space race/arms race
● Compete for political influence
● Signed military alliances with supporting countries
● Used propaganda
What made USSR and US superpowers?
The military strength that are capable of inflicting massive destruction
What are the differences between communism and capitalism?
USSR – Communism
● the government controlled all industry and commerce
● no political opposition was tolerated
US/most Western countries – Capitalism
● Their economies were based on private enterprise, with individuals investing in business for profit
● Citizens had basic freedoms such a free press and freedom of speech
Why were Western countries suspicious of communism?
● They had opposite ideologies
● They feared that communists aimed to overthrow Western societies in a world revolution
● They believed that communism will keep spreading out
Why was USSR suspicious of Western countries? What did USSR do?
● The Soviet Union believed that the Western countries might try to invade Soviet territory through Europe, particularly through East Germany
● USSR created a buffer in the Eastern Europe and established communist governments there
What is red menace?
● The term used to describe the Soviets
How did the Conservative Party try to make red menace an issue in 1949? What was Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent’s response?
● The leader accused the government of harbouring communists in the civil service
● Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent refused to outlaw communism
- He reminded Canadians that such tactics were the trademarks of dictatorships, not democracies
What groups of Canadians came under suspicion of being communists? What actions were taken against some of these people?
● Union leaders, peace activists, artists, and intellectuals who were seen in any way to criticize the Canadian government came under suspicion
● The RCMP Special Branch was set up to watch those who “might be or might become” a security risk
● Defence industries secretly sent lists of their employees to Ottawa for screening
● Anyone suspected could be prosecuted, fired, and blacklisted–prevented from finding another job
What was Quebec’s stand on the communism issue? What law was passed?
● Premier Maurice Duplessis took a strong stand against communism
● Police raided offices and private homes in search of “revolutionary” material
● The Padlock Law was used to shut down suspected organizations and newspapers
When and why was the NATO formed?
● It was formed in 1949 by Canada, US, and ten Western countries
● It was a military alliance to protect Western countries from the threat of invasion by the Soviet Union
What was the principle of NATO?
● Any attack on one NATO member was to be treated as an attack on all
● If conventional weapons were not sufficient, they would use tactical nuclear weapons – or even wage total nuclear war
What did the Soviet Union do in response to NATO?
The Soviet Union felt threatened by NATO countries, and it established the Warsaw Pact in 1955
What is the Warsaw Pact?
● It is an alliance made up of Eastern European countries
● It was to protect these countries and the Soviet Union from attack
What became a symbol of the Cold War?
● The Berlin Wall built by communist-controlled Eat Germany in 1961
● The wall was to keep East Berliners in and West Berliners out
What is the “Iron Curtain”?
It is the dividing line between the Western European and communist countries
What commitments did Canada make as a member of NATO?
● It agreed to keep a full army brigade and several air squadrons in Europe
● It built and supplied military bases overseas
● Canadian ships and aircraft tracked the movements of Soviet submarines
● Canadian forces participated regularly in military exercises with Canada’s allies