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Quebec's Padlock Law
This law passed in Quebec making it illegal to be communist or belive in bulshivism. This law was popular, despite the several human rights it violated such as freedom of speech -
Gouzenko Affair: Spies in Canada
Gouzenko Affair- Heritage MinuteIgor Gouzenko was a enciphered and read messages that came in and out of the Soviet embassy in Ottawa. When he learned that he was being sent home, he defected and after hiding from police in a neighbour's appartment, he released several Russian secrets to M15 agents and a few months later he was granted asylum as his family was in danger. After this event, Canada was viewed as a country with great intelligence agencies and a true ally to the US. -
Berlin Blockade
Berlin Blockade- Berlin AirliftThe Soviets were trying to block off allied support into Berlin and effectively take over control of the city by restricting support from the west. The allies eventually solved the issue by having supplies airlifted to the people of West Berlin. Canada refused to help intially as the crisis would have possibly brought Canada into the war. Eventually they did contribute pilots along with most of the British Commonwealth and the US. The blockade ended on May 12th, 1949 -
NATO: International Alliances
The History of NATONATO, or the North Atlantic Trewaty Organization was created to have an official alliance between Western Europe, the US and Canada. They agreed that an attack against any member nation was an attack on all of them and they have been involved in many interventions since their creation. Canada was now, along with the US, considered a strong nation that could protect Western Europe as they rebuilt. -
The Korean War: The Forgotten War
A History of the Korean WarAs the Soviets battled for control of Communism and tensions were flaring between North and South Korea, war broke out. Hoping to subdue the communist Kim Il-Sung of North Korea, the UN and the US gave help to the South Korean troops to take back the north and make one, democratic, Korea. After getting to the border of China, the allied forces were pushed back to where the current borders are today. Canada contributed the 3 most allied troops behind the US and the UK and 400 canadians died. -
Warsaw Pact: International Alliances
Warsaw PactFormed to counter the formation of NATO, the Warsaw Pact was an organization of the biggest communist allies in Eastern Europe. The rivalrybetween the two organizations raised the intensity of the Cold War yet again. -
UN Peacekeeping: The Suez Canal Crisis
After Egypt, under president Gabal Abdul Nasser, decided to nationalize the Suez Canal which meant big European powers couldn't trade so easily with India and China. So along with Israel, both countries invaded Egypt and tried to open the canal again by force. Both the US and the USSR agreed this was not a good idea and along with UN forces went in to help the Egyptians. Egyot eventually won but with regards to the Cold War, the Soviets increased their influence in many middle-eastern countries. -
Sputnik and Canada's Space Program
Sputnik RememberedDuring the Cold War, the US and the USSR also competed in a space race to prove each country's greatness. The Soviets had appeared to have won when Sputnik 1, the first man-made satelitte to be sent into space, was launched by the Soviets. Despite their early success in the space race, the USSR would be passed by the Americans in the years coming, leading to the first man on the moon, being American. -
Lester B. Pearson wins the Nobel Peace Prize
Lester B. Pearson is probabaly best known for his term as Prime Minister or the airport named after him in Toronto. Yet he won a nobel prize for his solution to the Suez Crisis. Despite close ties to the UK, Canada would help contribute to the UNEF or United Nations Emergency Force to help the Egyptians. With help from the Americans and the Soviets, this plan worked and Pearson was given the Nobel Peace Prize a year later. -
Continental Alliances: NORAD and DEW
North America set up several defense programs to ensure that a nuclear attack over the Arctic and Canada would not happen. DEW was the Distant Early Warning Line that was across Canada to detect any nuclear action approaching before the US was in danger. NORAD gave air defense and protection for all of North America. -
Avro Arrow an its Cancellation
A plane that was being built by Canada was thought to be something that would help Canada get on the map, production wise. However, when John Diefenbaker took power in 1958, he decided to cut spending on projects that the liberals were creating and eventually he cancelled the production of the Avro Arrow. This cut jobs in Canada and lost respect we were going to get through the production of the plane. -
Diefenbaker, Bomarc missiles and nuclear warheads
Diefenbaker became Prime Minister in the late 1950's and made it very clear how he was against US policies in Canada. He banned nuclear warheads in Canada and shut down production of the war plane: Avro Arrow. He is mainly remembered for his inaction during the Cuban missile crisis. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis DocumentaryAfter the US had placed missiles in Turkey aimed at Moscow, the USSR countered by planning to place missiles of their own in Communist Cuba. The Kennedy administration sent a warning out to the Soviets to dismantle the nuclear weapons and return them to Moscow. While the ship carrying the missiles came to the Caribbean Sea, an agreement was reached and the ship turned back. The blocakde unded as the agreement called mutally assured destruction (MAD) came into place. -
Vietnam War + Draft Dodgers
Vietnam War in HDThe Vietnam War was a controversial American action that many people opposed. So when President Johnson put the draft into motion, mnay Americans who were drafted moved to Canada to avoid fighting the war. These men were mostly leftists who when they moved to Canada, moved the country's politcal stance a bit to the left, leading to the rise of Pierre Trudeau, a liberal leader who lasted over 10 years in office. -
Canada-Soviet Hockey Series
1972 Summit Series Game 8 and aftermathBattling to prove their strength, The USSR battled Canada, the strongest hockey nation to a series of games. This was another chance for Canada to prove their strength and that they did as they knocked off the Soviets in 8 games (1 was a tie) and the winning goal scored by Paul Henderson in Moscow is remembered as one of the greatest moments in Canadian history. -
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
Moments in History- Fall of the Berlin WallAfter some unrest in the Soviet States, citizens of East Berlin tried to escape through newly free Hungary to Austria and after they were halted, become uneasy with the governemtn of East Germany and eventually the protests became so large that officers had to stop defending and the wall was charged and slowly torn down. Less than a year later, Germany would be reunified under the democratic style government of West Germany. -
The Fall of the Soviet Union
Collapse of the Soviet UnionAfter Mikhail Gorbachev took office in the USSR in 1985, things started to change. Gorbachev had to introduce more liberalized governments to help maintain the Soviet's economy. As countries realized how much change was needed, they lost hope in Communism and, one by one, former Soviet states collapsed and held democratic elections. On December 25th, 1991, the Soviet flag was lowered from the parliament and replaced with the Russian tri-coolour. The next day, the Soviet Union was dissolved.
