cold war developed between two superpowers: united states and soviet union › development of...
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Cold War developed between two superpowers: United States and Soviet Union› Development of nuclear weapons
United Nations (UN) created in 1945› Canada’s Role:
One of the founders Also helped found the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) Entered defence agreements with the Americans
for protection against the Soviet Union
WWII ended, and Soviet troops remained in many eastern European countries
Canada’s new Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent was one of the Western leaders who feared Soviet expansion
U.S was the only world power capable of standing up to the Soviets
Result: post war world was polarized› Countries aligned with or sympathetic to
one of the two superpowers Soviet Union’s reaction
› Tightened control over eastern Europe, restricting travel into and out of Soviet bloc Became known as the Iron Curtain
After WWII Germany was divided into four “Zones of Occupation” by the Allied powers› Britain, France, United States, and Soviet
Union June 1948: Soviets cut off land and
water access to West Berlin United States supplied West Germany
(thwarting the Soviet siege)
May 1949: Stalin curtailed the blockade› Berlin Blockade set the tone for increased
hostility between the USSR and the West› Showed that the Soviet Union wanted to
dominate Europe
1961: Soviet’s face another crisis› Skilled East German workers are crossing
into West Berlin› Result: Soviet’s created the Berlin Wall
Symbol of East versus West
Berlin Wall was demolished in 1989 (1961-1989)
George Marshall: American Secretary of State
June 1947: Massive program of direct aid to European nations› Marshall thought that poor nations were
the most likely to turn to communism
Canada joined the plan› Shipped $706 million worth of food,
equipment, and raw materials 1948-1953: Canada and U.S. (and
other countries) contributed $12.5 billion in aid
Marshall Plan was an example of a new American strategy in foreign policy known as the TRUMAN DOCTRINE
Truman Doctrine: Containing, or halting, the spread of communism in Europe and around the world