Korean War & Suez Canal Crisis Notes

The UN was called into action after North Korea invaded South Korea.
This marked the first time the UN considered sending a military force.
Previously, the UN had tribunals for World War II and criminal courts, but not for war.
A vote was held to decide whether to send a UN military force (a "UN army").

Normally, any of the five permanent members of the Security Council could veto such an action.
The five members are: China, Russia (Soviet Union), Britain, the United States, and France.
In 1950, the UN refused to recognize the new Communist government of China due to the Chinese Revolution.
The UN recognized the previous government, which had been forced to Taiwan.
Because of this, China did not have its seat or veto power in the UN.
The Soviet Union boycotted the UN in response.
The remaining three members (Britain, the US, and France) did not veto the military action.
Their goal was to contain communism.

The Americans and British sent significant forces.
Canada sent over 26,000 soldiers, which was its third-largest deployment at the time (later surpassed by the war in Afghanistan).

Douglas MacArthur was appointed to lead the UN forces.
He was the supreme commander of the Pacific theater in World War II.
He also oversaw the rebuilding of Japan and its transition to democracy as its de facto ruler.

UN forces pushed the North Koreans back to the 38th Parallel by the end of 1950.
The Truman Doctrine aimed to contain communism.
MacArthur, against Truman's wishes, continued to push north to the Yalu River (bordering China).
Chinese forces then pushed the UN forces back to the 38th Parallel.
The war became a stalemate around the 38th Parallel for over two years.

The TV show and movie MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) were based on the Korean War.
The TV show ran for 11 years (1972-1983), even though the Korean War lasted only 3 years.
The series finale, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen," had the largest television audience in history at the time.
Currently, only the Super Bowl has surpassed its viewership.

The Suez Canal is located in Egypt.
It was built by the French and British in the mid-to-late 1800s.
The canal was strategically important for reducing shipping times between the Indian Ocean and Europe.
It also generated significant revenue.
Until 1956, it was primarily controlled by the French and British.

In 1948, Israel was established as a country.
After the Holocaust, the British, who controlled the area, gave Jews a homeland.
This caused tension with the Palestinians already living there.
Small wars occurred, and Israelis gained more land.

The world was curious about why the British and French still owned the canal in the 1950s, rather than selling it to Egypt.
The British and French devised a plan with Israel to retake the canal.

Israel would invade Egypt.
Egyptian forces would move to defend the land, leaving the canal vulnerable.
British and French paratroopers would land in the canal zone, remove the remaining Egyptian soldiers, and retake the canal.

Israel invaded, and Egypt responded.
The British and French landed troops, but some Egyptian soldiers were killed, ending the peaceful aspect of the plan.
The action was now seen as an invasion, not a retaking.

Nasser contacted Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, who had been supplying Egypt with weapons.
Khrushchev contacted US President Dwight Eisenhower, accusing the US of allowing its allies to commit an act of war.
Eisenhower was unaware of the plan, as the British and French had kept him in the dark.
Khrushchev threatened intervention if the British and French did not withdraw.
Eisenhower, furious, contacted Canadian Prime Minister Louis Saint Laurent, who was also unaware of the situation.
Eisenhower pressured UK Prime Minister Anthony Eden to withdraw, threatening severe consequences.
Eden ordered the retreat, leading to his resignation.

Canadian Prime Minister Louis Saint Laurent tasked Lester Pearson with resolving the crisis.
Pearson proposed sending UN peacekeepers to the canal zone to stabilize the situation while political negotiations took place.
Egypt initially opposed the idea due to the Canadian connection with Britain.
Pearson proposed a smaller force of 800 Canadians, supplemented by volunteers from other countries.
Countries like Brazil, Norway, Finland, Indonesia, and Colombia agreed to participate.

From 1957 onward, the Suez Canal has been owned and operated by the Suez Canal Authority, a branch of the Egyptian government.
Revenue from the canal was used to fund the Aswan Dam.

Lester Pearson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for his role in resolving the Suez Canal Crisis.
He is the only individual Canadian to ever win the Nobel Peace Prize.