Cold War

Cold War

• Fear of Communism: Red Scare

A period of intense fear in Western countries, especially the U.S. and Canada, of communist influence and espionage during the early Cold War.

• Iron Curtain (Winston Churchill)

A term coined by Churchill describing the division between Western democracies and Eastern communist countries in Europe after WWII.

• NATO vs WARSAW PACT

NATO was a military alliance of Western countries formed to oppose Soviet aggression; the Warsaw Pact was the Soviet-led alliance of Eastern bloc communist countries.

• Marshall Plan vs Comecon

Marshall Plan: U.S. economic aid to rebuild Western Europe post-WWII to prevent communism.
Comecon: Soviet economic organization to support Eastern bloc countries.

• MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction)

Nuclear strategy where both sides have enough weapons to destroy each other, deterring nuclear war by ensuring total annihilation.

• Canada’s role in foreign affairs (Suez Crisis and Korea)

Canada played peacekeeping roles, notably led by Lester B. Pearson during the Suez Crisis and participated in the Korean War as a UN member.

• Canada’s growth as an autonomous nation

Technological achievements like the Candu Reactor, Alouette 1 satellite, and Avro Arrow jet reflected Canada’s innovation; relations with the USA grew, and suburban development increased post-war.

• Canada’s 4 Prime Ministers during the Cold War

• Lester B. Pearson: Promoted peacekeeping and social programs.

• John Diefenbaker: Strengthened Canadian sovereignty, opposed nuclear weapons on Canadian soil.

• Pierre Trudeau: Advocated for a more independent Canadian identity and multiculturalism.

• Joe Clark: Brief tenure focusing on economic and energy issues.

• Vietnam War: Why did they go to war?

The U.S. entered to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia, based on the Domino Theory that one communist country falling would lead to others following.

Client War

A war where major powers support smaller countries to fight proxy wars, like the U.S. and USSR in Vietnam and Korea.

• Napalm

A flammable liquid used in bombs and flamethrowers during the Vietnam War causing severe burns.

• Agent Orange

A toxic herbicide used by the U.S. in Vietnam to destroy forest cover, later linked to serious health problems.

• Operation Rolling Thunder

A sustained bombing campaign by the U.S. against North Vietnam from 1965 to 1968.

• Gulf of Tonkin Incident

Alleged attacks on U.S. ships that led Congress to authorize increased U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.

• Korean War

A 1950-53 conflict between North Korea (with Chinese and Soviet support) and South Korea (backed by the U.S. and UN forces, including Canada).

• Cuban Missile Crisis and Missiles in Turkey

A 1962 standoff when the USSR placed missiles in Cuba, and the U.S. had missiles in Turkey; nearly led to nuclear war.

• Kennedy Assassination & Lee Harvey Oswald

President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963; Oswald was arrested as the lone gunman, fueling conspiracy theories and political turmoil.

• Afghanistan and Russia - Osama Bin Laden

The USSR invaded Afghanistan in 1979; U.S. supported mujahideen fighters including groups linked to Osama Bin Laden.

• Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)

Symbolized the collapse of communist control in Eastern Europe and the beginning of the end of the Cold War.

• End of the Cold War (1991) and Dissolution of USSR

The Soviet Union officially dissolved into 15 independent countries, ending the Cold War era.

• Glasnost and Perestroika

Policies by Gorbachev promoting government openness (glasnost) and economic restructuring (perestroika) to reform the USSR.

• Canada and Minorities

Post-war Canada saw increasing awareness and policy changes supporting multiculturalism and minority rights.

• Kennedy (USA)

35th U.S. president; known for Cold War leadership, Cuban Missile Crisis, and civil rights advocacy.

• Khrushchev (USSR)

Soviet leader after Stalin who initiated de-Stalinization and was involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

• Lyndon Johnson (USA)

U.S. president who escalated the Vietnam War and promoted civil rights legislation.

• Nixon (USA) - Watergate Scandal

U.S. president who ended Vietnam War involvement but resigned due to the Watergate political scandal.

• Jimmy Carter (USA)

The U.S./ president focused on human rights, faced energy crises and the Iran hostage situation.

• Reagan (USA)

U.S. president known for aggressive anti-communism policies and military build-up contributing to the Cold War's end.

• Brezhnev (USSR)

Soviet leader known for the era of stagnation and the invasion of Afghanistan.

• Mikhail Gorbachev (USSR)

Last Soviet leader who introduced reforms and oversaw the USSR’s peaceful collapse.

• Boris Yeltsin (USSR/Russia)

First president of the Russian Federation after the USSR's dissolution, advocated democracy and capitalism.

• Ho Chi Minh (North Vietnam)

Leader of North Vietnam who fought against French and U.S. forces to unify Vietnam under communism.

• Avro Arrow

Advanced Canadian supersonic jet fighter developed in the 1950s, canceled controversially.

• Suez Crisis

1956 conflict where Canada helped negotiate peace after Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, marking Canada’s rise in peacekeeping.

• Domino Theory

Cold War belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow.

• Berlin Blockade

1948-49 Soviet attempt to cut off Allied access to West Berlin, ended by the Western Allies' Berlin Airlift.

• Satellite States

Seven Eastern European countries under Soviet control: East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania.

• Marshall Plan

U.S. program providing economic aid to help rebuild Western Europe after WWII and prevent communism.

• Truman Doctrine

U.S. policy to support countries resisting communism, beginning with aid to Greece and Turkey.

• Draft Dodgers (Vietnam War)

Men who avoided compulsory military service in the U.S. during the Vietnam War, some fleeing to Canada.

• NORAD

North American Aerospace Defense Command; U.S. and Canada’s joint defense system against air attacks.

• ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile)

Long-range missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads globally, critical to Cold War deterrence.

• Nuclear Parity

Balance of nuclear weapons power between U.S. and USSR, key to preventing direct conflict.

• Baby Boom

Population increased from 1946–1964 due to post-war births, impacting Canadian society and economy.

• Expo ’67 Montreal and Expo ’86 Vancouver

Major Canadian world fairs showcasing innovation and culture during the 1960s and 1980s.

• Countries Created by the Dissolution of the USSR

15 independent nations including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), and several Central Asian republics.