Right after the end of World War II with the Allied forces rejoicing over a marginal victory over Germany, a new and different kind of war was brewing over the tensions of the Western and Eastern blocs, a kind that wouldn’t be fought on the battlefield. The Cold War began in the year of 1945 and lasted all the way until 1991. A cause of the Cold War was the tension between two former allies of World War II, the United States of America and the Soviet Union (also known as the USSR, which stood for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). The United States had a democratic government and a capitalist economy, while the Soviet Union had a communist government, each trying to spread their political views and gain world power. Neither of the two …show more content…
Because of this, the worry and fear about a nuclear attack starting growing worldwide. The Soviet Union were developing their weapons and advancing their technology for it at startling rates. At their peak in 1985, the Soviet Union had stockpiled about 39,197 nuclear warheads, while the United States stockpiled 31,139 nuclear warheads at their peak in 1965. To protect Canada’s citizens and homeland, the Canadian government built nuclear fallout shelters called Emergency Government Headquarters between the 1950s and 1960s. They were also called “Diefenbunkers”, named after the Prime Minister of the day, John Diefenbaker. This was an important step for Canadians because it provided reassurance and ensured that while they were helping other countries during the war, its own citizens would be safe. The Canadian government also defended itself from the possible spread of communism by inaugurating a project called PROFUNC which stood for “PROminent FUNCtionaries of the communist party”. The objective of this top-secret plan was to track and observe any Canadians who were suspects of “crypto-communism”, which would allow for quick imprisonment of those suspects if a war were to break out. This project was crucial because when war broke out, the real crypto-communists wouldn’t be able to spread their beliefs and try and start a …show more content…
The Korean War was essentially a war that was started when North Korea decided to invade South Korea, each backed up by their respective allies. When Canada first intervened in the war, Canada supplied three Royal Canadian Navy destroyers (HMCS Athabaskan, HMCS Cayuga, and HMCS Sioux) and a Royal Canadian Air Force transport squadron, the No. 426 “Thunderbird” Squadron. After being pressured by the American, UN, and domestic pressure, Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent announced that the Canadian Army Special Force (CASF), later dubbed the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade Group, was to be created and used to expand contributions to South Korea. This was very important because the extra squadrons and machinery helped turn the tides in many battles within the war. Canada also contributed 26000 as part of a United Nations force which consisted of 16 countries at the time. These troops were sent for both combat and for peacekeeping after the war. Out of the 516 Canadians that died, 312 died from combat. The peacekeepers that were left behind after the war stayed for three years as military observers, and the final few Canadian soldiers left Korea in 1957. These troops were extremely important to the war because they provided backup and aid to the UN force, and also acted as peacekeepers after the war was over to ensure that the Korean War wouldn’t have a repeat. Lastly, Canadian forces helped
Canada maintained both diplomatic and economic ties with Cuba following the Cuban Revolution before the Cuban Missile Crisis. The insistence on a much more placated policy towards the Cuban government became a source of contention between the United States and Canada. Therefore, after the Cuban Missile Crisis began, which was when an American U2 spy plane flying over Cuba and photographed the construction of several missile deployment sites on October 14, 1962, Canada’s military force were expected to go immediate war alert status. However, Canadian Prime Minister Diefenbaker refused to the need of United Nations intervention. After a tense phone call between President John F. Kennedy and Diefenbaker, Canada’
With Canada being close to the Soviets geographically, any attack made by them, whether it was a nuclear strike or an air invasion, they would have to go near or over Canadian airspace in order to attack. Therefore Canada and the United States reached an agreement to create an organization which would control Aerospace in North America. This U.S-Canadian organization was called NORAD (The North American Aerospace Defence Command) and was founded on May 12, 1958 . This organization would detect man-made objects coming into North American airspace, such as Soviet bombers or nuclear warheads. This organization uses aircraft to protect North America from attack. While NORAD would control the skies of North America, it would also monitor the Maritime regions as well. Previous to the establishment of this organization, Canada and the United States also agreed to a long series of radar stations in the Canadian arctic. Known as the DEW line (Distant Early Warning), these radar stations would be used to detect Soviet aircraft coming into North American Airspace. In addition to this DEW Line, which stretched from Alaska to Greenland, Canada also had two more lines of radar stations called “The Mid-Canada Line”, and “The Pine Tree Line”. These radar stations were constructed during the Cold War Era to protect North America from potential Soviet invasion, though the radar lines became obsolete with the invention of Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), which
The Korean War ended after a armistice was signed. Now during this time the newly made United Nations (UN) which had 16 countries, one which include Canada, roughly 26,000+ Canadian soldiers went to go and serve in the war. Now after the two world wars, the Korean War remains Canada’s third bloodiest war, which resulted in a lose of 516 Soldiers and more than 1,200 soldiers wounded. Now Canada also made a huge sacrifice with resources, Canadian Warships were sent to Korean waters to help protect the UN carriers. Not only that Canada’s air force also took people from North Korea and brought them to a safer place, also with these planes they brought resources. There were also Canadian fighter pilots who flew with the United
Canada currently does not, nor have they ever indicated at creating a nuclear weapons program, this is due to their status as a non-nuclear weapon state by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, as well as the reliance on the United States for nuclear defense. The following paper will detail Canadian nuclear energy and weapons policy, beginning with a description of their nuclear program. The next section will discuss the reasons for Canada’s avoidance of a nuclear weapons program and the current policy behind the nuclear program. Following will be a discussion of Canada’s nuclear weapons program and the policy on nuclear weapons. The paper will conclude with Canadian concerns over the current nuclear program of Iran.
Given the progress of globalization, international security has become an entailment that all countries must work on in order to guarantee the perennity of world peace. However, this quietude is threatened by the growing menace of nuclear proliferation. Canada, as a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) since 1969, leads anti-proliferation campaigns to ensure global disarmament.
The Cold War was a period of time in history that was filled with a lot of tension and uncertainty. Lasting from the end of World War II, 1947 all the way to the 1980s, the hostility was between the United States and the Soviet Union. Even thought this war lasted almost 45 years, it wasn’t like any other war that had been fought around this time. What made it so different and the reason it was called a cold war was because there was never actually any military confrontation or combat from either side. The United States did not like how tyrannical and blood thirsty Russia’s leader, Joseph Stalin, was in regards to running his own country. They were also afraid of just how fast communism would have spread if the USSR was given the power it wanted. On the other hand, “the Soviets resented the Americans’ decades-long refusal to treat the USSR as a legitimate part of the international community as well as their delayed entry into World War II, which resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of Russians.” (Cold War History) Even though there wasn’t an actual active war between the two countries, there were other indirect conflicts, such as the Vietnam and Korean wars. There was also the Cuban missile crisis that occurred in the 60’s and the reason that this conflict was so significant is because it was the closest we had come to a possible nuclear war. The Cold War wasn’t just an important part of history but it showed a lot about the relationship between The United States and
The Cold War was the 45-year-long period that followed World War II, which ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The term “cold” comes from the fact that no actual military conflict took place. The “players” involved in it were ideologically opposite: the Soviet bloc, Marx and Lenin followers, and the Western bloc, more of the free-market philosophy of Adam Smith. Even though they did not come to direct combat, there was war in every other aspect: political, ideological, economic, and technological. This time was also determined by investment in mathematical ideas so that they were able to dominate the order through economic strength, political control, espionage and nuclear intimidation.
The Cold war was a period of political, economic, and military tension between the Soviet Union and the United States. Beginning from the end of World WAR II in 1945 to the ending of the Soviet Union in 1991, East-West relations were distinguished between the liberal-democratic-capitalist “West” being the United States along with the allies it paired within western Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. The socialist-communist-authoritarian “East”, also referred to as the Soviet Union and allies Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa. The conflicts that lasted for 45 years became known as the international affairs, also referred to as the Cold War. This being a power driven war, distinguishing the U.S. or U.S.S.R. for influences
Within four years of the United States’ bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soviet Union successfully tested its first nuclear weapon. Ultimately, this test would begin the arms race between the US and the USSR, which would come to be one of the largest sources of political tension between the two countries throughout the Cold War. While lack of information and historical bias from an American point of view suggests that the USSR created its nuclear industry solely to “beat the west,” further analysis shows that the Soviet Union had wide ranging purposes for the creation of its nuclear industry. Therefore, while the United States’ successes in nuclear technology may have expedited the launch of the Soviet Union’s nuclear program, ultimately,
Silent fighting and war without fire, the Cold War was a sequence of events with a major tension between U.S and the Soviets.The cold war was just escalated suspicion of soviet Russia and the U.S.With each battle taking place in another country’s backyard. Taking place between 1949 and 1991.With two major powers with not much in common. The lack of Relations they have for each other has been shown in WWII, when the really needed each other. This has caused their relationship to always have conflicted with a lack of trust. U.S cut off Relations with U.S Bolshevik Revolution. Also known as the Russian revolution this is when Russia had an ending of imperial rule and many social changes, Government corruption was a rampage. Russians Economy started to run backwards and trust with new leaders remained unstable. The Revolution was stirred up in World War I causing
“Just the fact of having nuclear weapons, and letting the rest of the world know, provides a great amount of security” (HR) With war most countries want to be the strongest so that the war can be won. When the people of a country are reassured that their military has nuclear weapons it creates a sense of security that does not go unnoticed. For Example President Barack Obama called for the United States to lead international efforts toward a world free of nuclear weapons. (U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy) “The Task Force report, titled U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy, focuses on near-term policies to reduce nuclear weapons to the lowest possible level consistent with maintaining a credible deterrent.” The United States started to try to ease people’s minds by creating guides to surviving a nuclear attack, should it ever occur. There were even cartoons created to reassure children about this fear, such as Duck and Cover
The Cold War, a conflict between the United States and Soviet Union, the two global superpowers at the time. Given the name “Cold War” only for the fact that neither the Soviet Union nor the United States fought directly with one another, instead the war was waged through allies in the form of proxy wars and through increased use of intensive espionage, a never-ending arms race, immense technological competition and on a political forefront as both sides tried to gain the upper hand. The Cold War defined both countries policies throughout its following years, each side viewed the Cold War as a battle between civilizations; in the worldwide clash between American capitalism and Soviet Communism, ultimately leading to the
The struggle for nuclear power has been a problem since the dawn of the nuclear age. Governments continue to use the threat of a nuclear attack as a deterrent. However, small terrorist groups may not feel threatened by a nuclear attack due to their mobility. Thus, the question remains; are nuclear weapons a necessary safety, or a danger. The solution is therefore to observe the pros and cons of nuclear capabilities, and to look at some precautions that can be taken to help protect people.
Before the Second World War, nuclear weapons did not exist. However, by the end of the Second World War, this was not the case. The United States initiated a top secret program code-named the Manhattan Project. This project brought some of the greatest minds of the world together with the goal of developing nuclear weapons. The United States successfully tested its first nuclear bomb in New Mexico on July 16th, 1945. Three weeks later two atomic bombs had been dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the only use of nuclear weapons in wartime. The atomic age had begun and the race to acquire nuclear technology for peaceful and non-peaceful purposes started around the globe. The United States was the first and only state to posse nuclear weapon but that has changed over the last seventy years. Currently the United States, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, France, Israel, India, Pakistan, China and North Korea have active nuclear arsenals. Attempts to limit, or stop the spread of nuclear weapons immediately, emerged after the first tests in New Mexico. This paper will look at the effectiveness of efforts to stop nuclear proliferation from a Liberal and Realist perspective, and will argue that Realism present the more appropriate approach to the international system due to its explanation of anarchy, cooperation, and power.
In the summer of 1962 the USSR deployed nuclear missiles into Cuba for a number of different reasons. With the constant threat of the USA’s nuclear weapons in Turkey and the knowledge that they were nuclear superior to themselves Khrushchev had to make a decision to try and restore the nuclear balance between the super powers. In addition to this it was felt that the USSR had to defend its communist ally from invasion from the USA who were keen to eliminate their leader Fidel Castro. When the nuclear missiles were deployed to Cuba this held a direct threat to the national security of the USA as now Russia’s nuclear weapons were capable of striking some of America’s largest cities. With tension growing the threat of a nuclear war became