cold war
Topic: How the Cold War began, ended, and Canada’s involvement in the Cold War.
In October 1962, U.S. planes spotted that the USSR was installing nuclear missile bases in Cuba. These images showed that the threat of a nuclear war could be coming true, and the United States would be vulnerable to get attacked within minutes. The world sank into panic until the Soviet Premier agreed to dismantle the missiles. How close it was the whole world could have been set on fire and destroyed! The ideological differences between the superpowers (the Soviet Union and the United States) resulted in the stockpiling of nuclear weapons between the two alliances, great fear of a nuclear war caused a 44 years long Cold War.
Though it was named the “Cold War”, a few wars were actually fought. The Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War were good examples to understand the structure of the Cold War, and Canada’s position during this era. Both Korea and Vietnam were divided into two parts ----- communists controlled North backed by the USSR, and the democratic South supported by the U.S. And eventually, a cease-fire was reached in both wars. In the Korean Conflict, Canada sent over twenty thousands troops to serve for the battle in Korea. Canada’s Minister of External Affairs, Lester Pearson, encouraged both sides to agree to a ceasefire. Though a ceasefire was reached in 1953, Korea was left with two parts, until today. In the Vietnam War, although Canada didn’t send troops to Vietnam, Canada tried to maintain peace, one Canadian representative was even exchanging secret massages between the U.S. and North Vietnam on behalf of the Americans. When a ceasefire was reached in 1973, thousands of refugees were accepted into Canada. Overall in these two battles, Canada tried to act as a peacekeeper, and was very supportive to the United Nations.
Speaking of peacekeeping, one event must be mentioned, the Suez Crisis. In 1956, the Suez Canal, which previously controlled by Britain
In October 1962, U.S. planes spotted that the USSR was installing nuclear missile bases in Cuba. These images showed that the threat of a nuclear war could be coming true, and the United States would be vulnerable to get attacked within minutes. The world sank into panic until the Soviet Premier agreed to dismantle the missiles. How close it was the whole world could have been set on fire and destroyed! The ideological differences between the superpowers (the Soviet Union and the United States) resulted in the stockpiling of nuclear weapons between the two alliances, great fear of a nuclear war caused a 44 years long Cold War.
Though it was named the “Cold War”, a few wars were actually fought. The Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War were good examples to understand the structure of the Cold War, and Canada’s position during this era. Both Korea and Vietnam were divided into two parts ----- communists controlled North backed by the USSR, and the democratic South supported by the U.S. And eventually, a cease-fire was reached in both wars. In the Korean Conflict, Canada sent over twenty thousands troops to serve for the battle in Korea. Canada’s Minister of External Affairs, Lester Pearson, encouraged both sides to agree to a ceasefire. Though a ceasefire was reached in 1953, Korea was left with two parts, until today. In the Vietnam War, although Canada didn’t send troops to Vietnam, Canada tried to maintain peace, one Canadian representative was even exchanging secret massages between the U.S. and North Vietnam on behalf of the Americans. When a ceasefire was reached in 1973, thousands of refugees were accepted into Canada. Overall in these two battles, Canada tried to act as a peacekeeper, and was very supportive to the United Nations.
Speaking of peacekeeping, one event must be mentioned, the Suez Crisis. In 1956, the Suez Canal, which previously controlled by Britain