CANADA AND THE COLD WAR By Mariah Simplicio REIGN OF UNION NATIONALE AND MAURICE DUPLESSIS

• Union Nationale referred to the French-Canadian nation • A conservative and nationalist provincial party located in Quebec, Canada • Created and held from 1936-1939, 1944-1960, and 1966-1970 •Founded by Maurice Duplessis and led by him until 1959 when he died • If the Union Nationale was allowed to consolidate its grasp on power it would rival the Mackenzie King Liberals in Ottawa, and by extension the whole system of political accommodation on which Ottawa's policy was founded • Duplessis was determined to stay in power • More conservative than George Drew • “Frightened Jews” THE MASSEY REPORT

• 1951 Royal Commission on National Development in Arts, Letter, and Sciences issued a report, further known as the Massey Report • Chaired by Vincent Massey who believed that Canada was more than economic and political factors • Stated that Canadian culture had become invisible and undistinguished from that of the United States • Argued that the arts provide a “strong sense of national community” and that the government should establish a national board to administer public funds intended to encourage work in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. • Wanted funding for nonprofit agencies, and not for-profit corporations. • Called for more money for universities and strengthening existing public radio system, and its expansion into television • Government accepted the recommendation for more university funding but otherwise ignored the report • Established the: • National Library of Canada in 1953 • The Canada Council for the Encouragement of the Arts, Letters, Humanities, and Social Sciences in 1957 • The Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC) in 1967 THE PASSING OF THE “BRITISH CENTURY” TO THE “AMERICAN CENTURY” “British Century” • Prior and during war • Originally colonized by Britain and gained their independence in 1926 •Controlled most of the trade routes • However, Canada continues to support Britain and its army throughout the first World War • Had the support of Canadian troops • Second World War was fought under Canadian Command •1952 was Canada's last British appointed governor “American Century” • Post-war • Canada become more industrialized with a manufacturing based economy • Discovery of oil in the province of Alberta boosted Canada's economy • Creation of the middle class • Emphasis on their newfound national identity • Shared the same characteristics of Americans and their economy POSITIONS ON NATO & SEATO National Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) • Feared the Soviet Union would expand and take control of other countries intergovernmental military alliance • Canada was a founding member;1949 •During the 1950’s Canada was one of the biggest spenders for military resources in the alliance •Alliance between territories in North America and Europe • Hoped to relieve and eliminate any potential rivalries between the United States, United Kingdom and any other European powers • Foreign policy • Focus on international coordination, foreign intervention, peacekeeping, diplomacy, as a way to establish an international balance of power • Defend each other from the possibility of communist Soviet Union taking control of Canada • Belgium, Great Britain, Italy, Iceland, Luxembourg, United States, Canada, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Portugal Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) • Created by the Manila Pact signed in September 1954 • Block further communist gains in Southeast Asia • Headquartered in Bangkok • Indented to be the Southeast version of NATO • Canada considered joining but decided against it in order to concentrate on its NATO responsibilities • Mostly included countries located outside the southeast Asian region • Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, East Pakistan(now Bangladesh), Philippines, Thailand, United States, and the United Kingdom • Military forces of each member would be coordinated to provide for the collective defense of the members’ country

NORAD The North American Aerospace Defense Command • Created to detect oncoming border attacks against North America • America would defend Canadian soil from foreign empires if they did the same for the United States • Subdivided in regions that overlapped both Canada and the U.S • Headquarters at CFB Winnipeg, Manitoba • Responsible for providing surveillance and control of Canadian • Royal Canadian Air Force provides alert assets to NORAD • Distant Early Warning Line in northern Canada • Established to give warning to Soviet bombers heading over the north pole PARTICIPATION IN THE VIETNAM CONFLICT

• Canadian diplomats were involved in negotiations between Washington and Hanoi, along with successive Canadian governments •Liberals and Conservatives maintained the Ottawa was an impartial and objective peacekeeper • Negotiated peace •From the years 1954 to 1975 Canada served on two international truce commissions • Provide medical supplies and technical assistance • Administer aid to victims of the war • Peacekeeper and innocent bystander • Although Canada never actually chose a side, they secretly supported US counterinsurgency efforts • $10 billion in food, beverages, berets, and boots were sent to American troops • Nickel, copper, lead, brass, and oil for shell casings, wiring, plate armor, and military transport • Canadian firms sold 2.5 billion dollars worth of war material to the Pentagon • Ammunition, napalm, aircraft engines, explosives, etc. • Aid during the war only went to South Vietnam • $29 million from 1950-1975 • COLOMBO PLAN • Canadian Red Cross • Unemployment fell to a low of 3.9% • Gross domestic product rose by 6% yearly • Capital expenditure expanded exponentially in manufacturing and mining • US firms invested more than $3 billion in Canada • Offset shrinking domestic capacity as a result of war WORK CITED:

•http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/vietnam-war/