-
The United Nations is created
The United Nations (UN) was created after the Second World War due to the failure of the League of Nations. Its job is to keep peace in the world to make sure another war does not break out. In April 1945, 50 countries led by Britain, the Soviet Union, the United States, and Canada, met in San Francisco to create the UN. Canada's involvement was that it has been one of the original founding members and attain a leading role as a peace keeping nation. -
World War II ends
Due do the participation of Canadians at Juno Beach and two bombings in Japan, the Second World War had ended. Canadian soldiers had returned home and Canada began a period of economic prosperity. But soon after, the United States and the Soviet Union embrioled the War of Ideologies also known as the Cold War. Because of Canada's strong bond with the US, we took their side. We had a role as a middle power. We were free to do as pleased, but we were not as powerful as the United States. -
Creation of NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization also known as NATO was prompted by the Americans. It was designed almost solely for mutal defence. Each member state contributed to NATO's defence force. They agreed that an atttack on one member would be considered an attack on them all. Canada's involvement was that it had been one of the nations who agreed to help stop communism around the world. -
Communist take control of China
In 1949, Mao Zedong had taken over China making it a communist country. Countries including Canada, recognized the communist government as the official government of China while others such as the US refused to. By 1971, the US allowed Red China to replace Taiwan on the Security Council which paved the way for China to become a dominant force in internation relations. -
The Korean War
After WW2, Korea had been divided to North and South. The North had been a communist while the South was democratic. Later, the North Korean troops were to invade South Korea. When the North refused the withdraw, the US asked the UN to come for defense of the South. 32 countries including Canada served as a member of the UN in this war. Out of 26,000 Canadians who had joined, 1,000 were wounded and 400 were killed. -
Creation of the WARSAW Pact
The Warsaw Pact was developed in responce to NATO, as a defensive alliance of the Sovet Union and its satellite states. They were to continue the spread of communism around the world. NATO, including Canada, had a job to stop it from spreading. -
Vietnam War
Before, Vietnam had once been a colony of France. There was the Communist side (North) and the Demicratic side (South). If the communism in Vietnam wasn't stopped, there would be a domino effect leading up to many more countries become communist. The war ended with the French and Americans leaving and Vietnam is now fully communist. When Canadians had found out about this war, many had joined the American army. -
Lester Pearson diffuses Suez Crisis
President Nasser of Egypt seized the Suez Canal from Britain and France. So the two countries had joined with Israel to attack Egypt. The Soviets sided with Egypt and demanded a withdraw. Lester Pearson who was Canada's Minister of Externam Affairs went to the UN and suggested the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) that would keep the combatants apart while a settlement to the Suez Crisis was worked out. The result was that battle forces were to be withdrawn and replaced with UN peacekeeping. -
Berlin Wall is built
The Berlin Wall was constructed to seperate East and West Berlin. The Sovets had been the ones who built the wall to cut off democratic West Berlin. This wall had been the symbol of the Cold War. It prevented people from the East going to the West so the Americans flew supply missions for one year to West Berlin. Because of the wall, majority of Canadian forces were stationed in West Germany as part of the NATO alliance. They supplied them with supplies that they had from East Berlin. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
This event is when the US and Soviet Union piled their nuclear weapons in various countries around the world. Since the US has been kicked out of Cuba, they saw the Soviets missles in Cuba facing straight into the US. The Americans requested that Canada put its NATO forces at Defcon 3 and send its naval forces to sea to assist in detecting Soviet submarines. The Prime Minister hesitated which was a problem because Canadians believe Canada should have responded to the request right away. -
USSR invades Afghanistan
Russian paratroopers landed in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The Soviets had fired missles at Afghanistan as part of their invasion on the country. After their successful invasion, they had installed a new leader named Babrak Karmal. Until this day, Canadian troops are still in Afghanistan fighting. -
The destruction of the Berlin Wall
Due to protests from the people, the Berlin Wall had been torn down.The Soviets had left Easter Europe because they had gotten tired. Because of the fall, it ended communism in Europe. But most importantly, it ended the Cold War. The destruction of the wall reunited Germany.
