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World War II Ends
World war II ended with the of Axis powers.On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered to the Western Allies and on May 8th to the Soviet Union. A week after, Adolf Hitler had committed suicide, which was the end of WW2. Throughout World War II, over 1 million Canadians served in either the Army, Navy or Air Force. Over 45,000 were killed, and another 55,000 wounded. -
Communist take control of China
In 1949, the communists, led by Mao Zedong took over China. The United Nations refused to recognize the communist government, thereby allowing the former government to hold on of give permanant seats on the United Nations Security Council. Canada saw China as communist who needed help indeed. -
Creation of Nato
The North Atlantic Organization (NATO) was designed for mutual defence. Each member state contributed to NATO's defence force. The members agreed that an attack on one member would be considered an attack on them all. -
The United Nations is created
In April 1945, 50 countries lef by Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States including Canada met in San Francisco to create the United Nations. The United Nations had four goals :
-Keep world peace and prevent new wars
-Encourage cooperation amond nations
- Defending human rights and helping to promote equality
-Improving the standard of living for all nations. -
The Korean War
After the Japanese surrendered in 1945, Korea was split. The North became communist and the south became democratic. In 1950, 100,000 North Korean troops invaded South Korea. The War in Korea was significant for Canada because it showed that Canada supported the United Nations and was willing to fight to support the goals. The Korean War showed the world taht memobers of the United Nations were willing to take action when needed. -
Creation of the WARSAW Pact
The Warsaw Pact was created in response to NATO as a defensive alliance of the Soviet Union and its satellite states. -
Vietnam War
Vietnam was divided between the North, lef by the Communist governemtn, Ho Chi Minh, and the South which was anti-communist and partially democratic. South Vietna, supported the United Stares and soon the fighting escalated to include Communist countries that supported the North and non-communist countries. A couple years later, the Americans soon came to South Vietnam to stop the Communists. Canadian Forces were being cut back and Vietnam allowed Canadian youth to join the US military. -
Lester Pearson diffuses the Suez Crisis
President Nasser seized the Suez Canal from Britain and France, and so, Britain and France joined with Israel to attack Eqypt. Lester Pearson who was Canada's Minister of External Affairs went to the United Nations and suggested creating a United Nations Emergency Force which would keep the comnatants apart while a settlement to the Suez Crisis was worked out. Battle forces were then withdrawdn and replaced with UN peacekeeping forces. -
Berlin Wall is Built
Until 1961 East German citizen were allowed to travel to West Berlin.
Travelling to West Germany became difficult after closing the border between East and West Germany in 1952.
The Wall was created because more than 2.6 million East Germans escaped to West Berlin or West Germany from 1949 to 1961. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
In 1962, the United States found Soviet missiles in Cuba. There would have been a possible nuclear attack on the United States The United States then set up a naval blockade around Cuba, defying Soviet ships to continue bringing in missiles. As a result, the Soviet ships turned back. President Kennedy and Soviet leader Khrushchev wrote letters to each other promising to remove the missiles if the Americans ould issue a promise not to invade Cuba. -
USSR Invades Afghanistan
USSR invaded Afghanistan in 1979 because Afghanistan had become a communist and USSR did not want to make Afghanistan a semi-independent country. -
Berlin Wall is Torn Down
The fall of the Berlin Wall had begun with the building of the Wall in 1961. However it took about three decades until the Wall was torn down. In 1989 the first free labor union was founded in the communist Poland. The end of the communist system had begun.
