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Use of the Atomic Bomb
The United States drops 2 atomic bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. Upon learning of the weapon, the U.S.S.R. procede to attempt to steal it to produce it, which
prompts the Cold War. Canada provides both materials as well as scientists towards the Manhattan Project,
the project to develop the weapon. -
Formation of the UN
Established during the autumn of 1945, following WWII. The union had
the goal of preventing another disaster like World War II and served as place of negotiations of countries
around the world. Canada was one of the original 51 members of the United Nations and cotinues to serve
as an important voice on the international stage. -
Gouzenku Affair
1945, the Gouzenku Affair refers to when Igor Gouzenku, a clerk for the Soviet Embassy in
Ottawa, revealed the plan to steal neuclear secrets from Canada. It is believed by some that the this
started the Cold War, all happening in the capital of Canada. -
Formation of NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Orginization or NATO was formed in 1949 and consists of 28
different states, including Canada. During the Cold War, the Warsaw Pact was signed and brought together
another large clump of states in a military alliance. -
Korean War
1950-1953, over the course of these 3 years began the next notable war following WWII. A proxy
war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. With the U.S.S.R. and China fighting along side the North
Koreans against a collection of nations, including U.S, Canada and the U.K. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact is an military allience pact signed in 1955 as a response to NATO, mainly
controlled by the Soviet Union. Countries include, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and East Germany. -
Vietnam War
Spanning almost 20 years it was a proxy war between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. While the
U.S.S.R supported North Vietnam for sharing their idealolgy, while the U.S. supporting South Vietnam along
with other anti-communism countries including Canada. While Canada did not militarily participate in this
war, Canada did provide humanitarian aid as well as mediation between the two warring sides. -
Suez Crisis
Lasting only a week, the Suez Crisis was an operation to take control of the Suez Canal and take
the Egyptian President out of power by Isreal, France and Britain. Many world powers asked for the Coaltion
of troops to withdraw, including both the U.S.S.R. and the U.S. Canada was not involved in the conflict but
did have some involvment with Lester Pearson who assisted in creating the United Nations Emergency
Force as well as proposing the ceasefire between Egypt and Isreal. Winning a N.P. -
Formation of NORAD
Announced in 1957 during the Cold War, NORAD stands for North American Aerospace
Defense Command and was formed for the air defence of both Canada as well as the U.S. in the event of an
attack, most likely that of an neuclear threat. -
Cancellation of the Avro Arrow
The Avro Arrow was an Interceptor aircraft, designed to intercept enemy
aircrafts. Despite being an impressive aircraft that was also an innovative product, when the Conservative
Party took power, they had begun to free up large amounts of money via cutting programs innitated by the
previous governing party, including this project. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Starting on October 14th 1962, began the 13 day standoff where the Soviet Union had
began developing missile facilities in Cuba and the United States formed a blockade, denying any ships
from entering Cuba. Not long after, the two sides came to an agreement to withdraw both missiles in Cuba
as well as Turkey and Italy. -
SALT Treaty
A series of talks involving the use of ballistic missiles between the U.S. and the Soviet Union
where both sides began signing agreements that they would not fire at each other except under certain
circumstances. -
Strategic Defense Initiative
An American proposed defence system that focused more on defense than the
formally implemented mutually assured destrution stratagy. This was mainly due to the fact that neither
country had defence systems designed to stop long-range missiles. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
A wall built by a German politcal party in the Summer of 1961 to seperate the two
halves of Berlin from each others. Both halves shared different politcal views until the demolishion of the
wall which took almost two years. -
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
In Winter 1991, the Soviet Union government had enacted the dissolution of the
Soviet Union which had signaled the end of the Cold War. Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet President at the time
stepped down, handing control of both the country as well as the neuclear missile launch codes over to
Boris Yeltsin.
