Canada & The Cold War Section 9 The Cold War

Transcript:Canada & The Cold War Section 9 The Cold War:
Canada & The Cold War Section 9 The Cold War During World War II the United States and Soviet Union were allied. Following the defeat of Nazi Germany relations between the two “super powers” worsened. The world was divided in to two major alliance systems. The Americans led NATO (which Canada belonged to) and the Soviets led the Warsaw Pact. The Cold War was “cold” because it was fought using everything short of actual direct warfare between the Soviet Union and America, e.g. spying, arms race, proxy wars, propaganda, etc. Berlin Airlift Germany was divided in to four zones of occupation following its defeat. Each of the major members of the Allies was given a region to administer. Berlin, although in the Soviet zone, was likewise divided in to four separate zones of occupation. The Soviets and Americans held different opinions about what a post-World War II Germany should look like. The Americans wanted to establish a democracy which practiced capitalism; however, the Soviets wanted to establish a communist dictatorship. By 1948, the USSR closed all rail and roadways in to West Berlin in an effort to force Britain, American and France out of the Soviet zone. The Allies responded by airlifting 4,000 tonnes of supplies in to Berlin every day. Canadian pilots flew many of the sorties in to West Berlin. The Soviets interfered with Canadian pilots, e.g. buzzing, close flying, shooting near airplanes, releasing balloons in the “Berlin Corridor”, blinding pilots with searchlights or shooting anti-aircraft guns at Allied planes. The airlift ended on May 12, 1949 with the Soviets capitulating. Korean War Japan’s empire was dismantled following World War II. Korea was divided in to north and south. In the north, the Soviets established a communist dictatorship. In the south, the Americans established a democratic republic. On June 25, 1950, the army of North Korea invaded the south in an attempt to unite the country. The United Nations gave its approval for a military intervention in Korea. Canada was one of the sixteen member nations which fought during the Korean War. The UN army pushed North Korea back in to its own territory. China sent troops in to North Korea to help push Canada, etc. back. In April 1951, North Korean and Chinese troops threatened to over-run American troops in the center of South Korea. Canadian and other Commonwealth troops entered the battle in the Kapyong Valley