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Canada
and
the Cold
War
Tensions between the USA and
the Soviet Union (USSR)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpYCplyBknI
The tensions
between the
U.S. and the
Soviet Union
became known
as the Cold War
because the
conflict never
erupted into
an open war.
It lasted over
forty years.
Wartime Conferences

Tehran, 1943
•

Yalta, Feb. 1945
•
•
•

Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin meet
for the first time
Ger. Divided into zones of
occupation
War crimes court to be
established
Stalin promised to hold elections
in the countries he was liberating
from the NAZIS
Potsdam, July 1945
•
•
•
•
Roosevelt had been replaced by
Truman
Churchill had been replaced by
Atlee
Democratic and communist
leaders no longer trust each other
Stage set for the Cold War
Post-World War Two Tensions

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The U.S. and the Soviet Union
were allies in WWII, however the
only commonality between them
was opposition of the Axis powers
As tensions grew both countries
used espionage (spies) and
assisted their allies during small
conflicts (wars)
Both countries stockpiled arms
including nuclear weapons,
and became known as
superpowers
The super powers did not fight
directly with one another (=
nuclear annihilation), but
competed for political
influence over smaller
countries

The tensions between the
superpowers began
through political and
economic differences:
the Soviet Union was
communist and the U.S.
capitalist
Policy of Containment


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Western countries
feared that the goal of
communists was to
overthrow all societies
the American strategy
was to ‘contain’
communism by
preventing it from
spreading to other
countries
The U.S. therefore
provided economic aid
and military support
to those countries
threatened by
communism
Containment – cont’

In 1947 the U.S.
passed the
Marshall Plan,
which gave aid
(billions) to
European
economies to rebuild after WWII
Policy of Containment
Containment – Domino Theory


The Domino Theory: the
Americans developed this
metaphor to describe the
fear of countries falling
one by one to the
Soviets and communism
Stalin had quickly created
communist regimes in
Bulgaria, Hungary,
Romania, Poland,
Czechoslovakia, and
Yugoslavia after WWII
McCarthyism

In the U.S. anyone
suspected of being a
communist could be
persecuted, fired or black
listed; this became
known as “witch
hunting” or
McCarthyism because it
was led by Senator
Joseph McCarthy and
the “Committee of UnAmerican Activities”
Post WWII –
The Division of Germany
At the end of WWII Germany was split into
four zones of occupation
 Britain, France, the U.S. joined their three
zones to form West Germany and the
Soviet Union created East Germany
(German Democratic Republic)
 Although Berlin was
located in East Germany, it
also was divided into four
zones. Western nations
were permitted access
through specific highways,
railways and air corridors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAngetJA4Jc&feature=related
Berlin Blockade

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When the West introduced new
currency into West Germany, the
Soviet Union refused to accept it in
Berlin and blocked transportation
routes which the West used to
supply West Berlin.
This was considered a direct act of
confrontation by Stalin, and the
Western nations did not want to
give up Berlin (due to the domino
theory).
For 15 months (June 24, 1948 to
May 11, 1949) West Berlin got
supplies through massive airlifts by
the Western Nations.
The Soviets realized the blockade
was not working and the dispute
ended with two separate
governments for Berlin.
Berlin Blockade - Airlifts
Berlin Blockade

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Western Allies decided to
form NATO (1948) after
the Berlin Blockade Crisis
The Berlin Blockade became
one of the first major crises
of the new Cold War
The crisis abated after the
Soviet Union did not act to
stop American, British and
French humanitarian airlifts
of food and other provisions
to the Western-held sectors
of Berlin; referred to as
Operation Vittles.
The Berlin Blockade was one
of the largest blockades in
history.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTr9iTyUSFs
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Flag members: USA, Canada, Britain and
France
Germany – The Berlin Wall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwOfphFsUwM&feature=r
elated

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In August 1961 the Berlin
Wall began construction,
closing the border between
East and West Berlin (for
28 years).
Professionals and skilled
workers were migrating to
West Berlin, damaging the
East economically and
Soviet leader Khrushchev
approved the building of a
wall to stop emigration.
The Berlin Wall became
a major symbol of the
Cold War
“an iron curtain has
descended across
the Continent”
Winston Churchill - March 5, 1946
Berlin Wall
East German construction workers building
the Berlin Wall, 20 November 1961.
Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall view from West
Berlin - death
strip & graffiti;
In the last phase
of the wall's
development, the
"death strip"
between fence
and concrete wall
gave guards a
clear shot at
hundreds of
would-be
escapees from
the East.
Canada and the Cold WarConcerns and Suspicions


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a) The Gouzenko Affair
In September 1945 a Russian
clerk at the Soviet Embassy in
Ottawa, Igor Gouzenko took
documents proving a Soviet
spy ring was operating in
Canada to the Ottawa Journal.
At first no one paid him any
attention, so Gouzenko fearing
for his life and his family’s he
went to the RCMP, the
department of justice, and the
PM’s office.
a) The Gouzenko Affair – cont’

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it wasn’t until Soviet agents
broke into Gouzenko’s
apartment that the police
listened to his story.
In February 1946 the RCMP
arrested several people
suspected of being Soviet
spies; eighteen were
brought to trial and eight
were found guilty.
The spy ring was likely
trying to discover the
secrets of the atomic bomb
The threat of communism
and the Cold War now hit
home for Canadians
The Red Scare

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The massive fear of
communism became
known as the Red Scare
The RCMP began inquiries
of potential communists in
Canada
PM Louis St. Laurent
refused to outlaw
communism, believing
doing do was a dictatorship
tactic not a democratic
Quebec Premier Maurice
Duplessis introduced the
Padlock law to shut down
suspected communist
organizations
Main concerns for world
politicians at this time*:
1. Defense and Security
2.Encouraging Peace –
The United Nations
3. Indirect Conflicts
*See
separate
Slideshows