Cold War Flashcards
(84 cards)
1
Q
Which two vastly different economic and political systems were at the heart of the Cold War? Why did this concern the West?
A
- Under Communism, the government controlled most of the property and businesses. It restricted individual freedom, including where people lived, worked, and travelled.
- In Western Democracies, private individuals and companies owned most of the property and businesses. People had to right to live, work, and travel where they chose.
- As Soviet Influence spread throughout Eastern Europe, people in the West grew increasingly concerned about the Soviets intentions and alarmed that their way of life may be threatened.
2
Q
Who was Igor Gouzenko and his importance?
A
Igor Gouzenko was a Soviet cipher clerk stationed at the Soviet Union’s Ottawa embassy during the Second World War. Just weeks after the end of the war, Gouzenko defected to the Canadian government with proof that his country had been spying on its wartime allies: Canada, Britain and the United States.
3
Q
Why did Igor come to Canada and what did he do here?
A
- In this atmosphere of fear and suspicion, there was a growing concern that communists were around every corner. This came to a head with Igor Gouzenko.
- In 1943, Gouzenko came to Canada to work as a cipher clerk in the Soviet Embassy.
- In 1945, he decided to defect rather than return to Moscow.
- Gouzenko gathered over 100 documents detailing the secrets of a Soviet Spy ring that had infiltrated the highest levels of intelligence, including the Canadian Department of Defence.
- Gouzenko planned to use this information as a bargaining chip as he sought asylum in Canada.
4
Q
Who was Fred Rose?
A
- Even a Canadian MP - Fred Rose, the first and only communist ever elected to Parliament - was on the Soviet payroll.
5
Q
What was Canada’s thought process in allowing Igor into Canada?
A
- PM King was reluctant to accept his request because the leaders of Canada, Britain, France, the US, China and the Soviet Union were meeting to negotiate a post-war peace.
- He thought the spy talk would hurt the peace talks. But British intelligence officers persuaded him to change his mind and Canada offered him asylum.
6
Q
What was the aftermath of Gouzenko’s spy revelations?
A
- 19 Canadians were arrested and charged with treason. Of those eleven were found guilty (including Rose) and sentenced to prison.
- The RCMP created a counter-espionage branch (secret action taken by a country to prevent another country from discovering its military, industrial, or political secrets) to monitor activities in the Soviet Embassy.
7
Q
Why did the government amend the Citizenship Act?
A
- To allow authorities to revoke the citizenship of naturalized Canadians convicted of “disaffection or disloyalty” - in other words, anyone suspected of being a communist sympathizer.
- The government wanted to rid the civil service and the military of anyone it thought was a potential security threat.
8
Q
Who did the government mostly target?
A
- Most of the people the government targeted were suspected of being communists.
- They were either transferred to less sensitive positions or fired.
- Government officials who spoke of compromise and cooperation with the Soviets were automatically accused of being a communist.
9
Q
Explain fear of communism in the USA and what was it referred to?
A
- The United States took their paranoia to a higher level.
- US Senator Joseph McCarthy led a congressional committee charged with investigating “un-American activities”
- The committee targeted actors, writers, journalists, and labour leaders.
- Many were called before the committee to answer questions about their politics refused to answer questions or to implicate their friends and colleagues.
- They were branded as communists.
- Many were barred from practicing their professions.
- This was referred to as being Blackballed.
10
Q
What was the most threatening activity created by communist paranoia?
A
- Some of the most threatening activity created by communist paranoia took place in a Montreal Laboratory.
- Between 1957 and 1964, the US CIA funded secret brainwashing and mind-control experiments.
- They wanted to find out to what extent the human brain could be programmed.
- Dr. Ewen Cameron conducted the experiments at McGill University.
- He used his unsuspecting patients as guinea pigs, injecting them with mind-altering drugs, jolting them with electrical shocks, and inducing them into extended periods of sleep.
- Authorities in both Canada and the US kept the experiments secret until the 1970s.
11
Q
Why was the policy MAD created?
A
Mutually assured destruction
- On September 23, 1949, the Soviet Union announced that it had exploded its first atomic bomb two months earlier.
- The western world was now very concerned.
- In November 1952, the US tested the hydrogen bomb, which was 1000 times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Japan.
- In 1954, the Soviets tested their own.
- Both sides would continue to stockpile nuclear arms and it was argued that this was a deterrent.
- Both sides reasoned that if one side used an atomic bomb, the other would respond by using its own.
- This policy came to be known as MAD - Mutually assured destruction.
12
Q
Why was NATO created?
A
- In response to the growing threat of Communism spreading.
- Western allies decided the old policies of “Isolationism” where they only preferred to get involved with conflicts that directly concerned them, would no longer work.
- The members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) pledged to defend one another in the event of an attack by an enemy nation.
- Under the NATO agreement, each member had to contribute troops and equipment to NATO defence forces.
- Canada agreed to station troops at NATO bases in Europe - the first time Canadian troops were posted over seas in peace time.
13
Q
How did NATO strengthen Canada?
A
- NATO strengthened Canada’s emerging role as a middle power. Through the alliance, Canada had the opportunity to exert its influence in world affairs.
- Its long-standing relationship with both Britain and the United States place it in an ideal position to act as a mediator in any disagreements over defence policies
14
Q
Why was it important for Canada and America to protect north Canada?
A
Canada and the United States were concerned about a possible Soviet attack. Any soviet invasion would likely come from the north, across the Arctic. Therefore, defending Canada’s vast northern territory was a top priority for both countries.
15
Q
What did the USA do to protect Canada from Soviet Union?
A
- In 1954, Canada and the U.S. agreed to build three radar lines across the arctic to provide early radar warning of an impending Soviet Attack.
Both countries financed the construction of the lines, but only the U.S. ran them. - Canada had to give up its sovereignty around the radar lines.
- Only the U.S. could decide who entered the facilities. Canadian
reporters had their stories censored by the U.S. military to ensure the “right” message got out. - The radar stations also disrupted the Inuit, who had supply lines cut off, others were relocated to accommodate the influx of American personnel.
- Despite the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on the radar lines, their usefulness was short lived.
- In 1957 the Soviets launched the first Sputnik satellite. The rocket that launched Sputnik could also launch nuclear warheads.
- In response, theU.S. replaced their long range bombers with Intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs.
- The soviets then built their own.
- The radar stations in Northern Canada could not detect these missiles.
- Therefore, only a few years after being built, the radar lines were regarded as obsolete.
16
Q
What did the Cold War mean?
A
After World War II, the United States and its allies, and the Soviet Union and its satellite states began a decades-long struggle for supremacy known as the Cold War. Soldiers of the Soviet Union and the United States did not do battle directly during the Cold War.
17
Q
Explain the creation of NORAD?
A
- The United States wanted a unified air defence system for North America.
- In 1956, the U.S. persuaded Canada to form the North American Air Defense Agreement (NORAD) (The name was changed to North American Aerospace Defense Command in 1981.)
- Under the agreement, each country maintained its own independent air force.
- In the event of an attack, however, both air forces would be under joint control, with an American commander and a Canadian second-in-command.
- The agreement was formally signed in 1958.
18
Q
How did NORAD help Canada?
A
- NORAD had wide-ranging implications for Canada’s military autonomy.
For the first time, Canada was squarely under the American defence umbrella. - The country was now committed to participating in US conflicts even if it did not want to get involved.
Canada also had to rely on the American defence industry for its military hardware. - All of Canada’s existing defence equipment was eventually replaced with American produced technology.
19
Q
When did the Cold War start and end?
A
March 12, 1947 – December 3, 1989
20
Q
Why did the Cold War start?
A
The Americans and the British worried that Soviet domination in eastern Europe might be permanent. The Cold War was solidified by 1947–48, when U.S. aid had brought certain Western countries under American influence and the Soviets had established openly communist regimes.
21
Q
Explain the Korean War.
A
- During WWII, Japanese forces occupied Korea. After the war, the Allies divided the Korean peninsula at the 38th parallel.
- The Soviet Union supported a communist regime in North Korea.
- The American supported a democratic republic in South Korea. For a couple of years the two sides maintained an uneasy truce, but on 25 June 1950, North Korea launched a massive invasion of South Korea.
- The United States immediately asked the United Nations to condemn North Korea’s aggression.
- The Soviet ambassador to the UN would of vetoed any condemnation, but the Soviets were boycotting the UN because of its refusal to recognize the communist government in China.
- With the absence the resolution condemning North Korea passed. The UN security council demanded that North Korea withdraw its troops. When it failed to comply, the UN authorized an international military force to drive out the invaders.
22
Q
What happened when the Korean War was put in a stalemate?
A
- For months, the battle lines shifted back and forth.
- With the two sides locked in a stalemate, US commander Douglas MacArthur, urged an all-out war, including the use of Nuclear weapons.
American President, Harry Truman, refused to take such drastic measures and the stalemate continued. - Peace talks began in 1951, but fighting would continue sporadically for two more years.
- Finally, in July of 1953 a ceasefire was delared.
The war ended where it began with the North and South divided at the 38th parallel.
23
Q
Suez Crisis Summary
A
The Suez Crisis of 1956, in which the Egyptian Government seized control of the Suez Canal from the British and French owned company that managed it, had important consequences for U.S. relations with both Middle Eastern countries and European allies.
24
Q
Explain the Suez Crisis
A
- Following WWII, in 1948 the Western Allies had partitioned the Arab state of Palestine to create a Jewish homeland for Holocaust survivors.
- As a result, the Middle East had become a hotbed of political tension between Arabs and Israelis.
- By 1956, a crisis in the region threatened to lead to a major confrontation between the two sides.
- At the time, Britain and France controlled the Suez Canal in Egypt. The canal was a vital trade route that joined the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
- It was also the key supply route for the Middle East’s oil.
- The Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, wanted to free his country from the remnants of colonial rule and to destroy the newly created state of Israel.
- To do both, he needed money.
- One way to raise it was to nationalize the Suez Canal (The Egyptian governemnt would run the canal)
- In response, Britain and France threatened to attack Egypt.
- They lobbied the United States and Canada for help, but both countries refused.
- Then Britain and France negotiated a secret agreement with Israel.
- Israel would invade Egypt.
Then Britain and France would issue an ultimatum demanding that Israeli and Egyptian forces leave the region. Israel would agree. Egypt would not. - Then Britain and France would launch an intense bombing campaign around the Canal Zone.
- Nasser’s government would fall and the British and French would regain control of the Suez Canal.
- The plan went into action on 29 October 1956, when Israel attacked Egypt.
- The Soviet Union threatened to launch a nuclear attack on London and Paris if Britain and France did not withdraw.
- The U.S. and Canada demanded that Britain and France withdraw. The world appeared to be teetering on the brink of a third world war.
25
Canada's role in the Suez Crisis
- International tensions ran high as the UN desperately looked for a solution.
- At the time, a future Canadian prime minister, Lester B. Pearson, was secretary of State for External Affairs.
- After persistent and endless rounds of lobbying, Pearson persuaded the UN General Assembly to organize the worlds first international peacekeeping mission.
- The UN ordered all foreign troops out of Egypt. Then it sent in the first UN peacekeeping force to keep the warring sides apart and maintain peace in the region while the sides negotiated a solution.
- Lester B. Pearson would receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the Suez Crisis.
26
How was Quebec before everything changed?
- For Generations, political and religious leaders in Quebec had protected French culture by embracing French Canadian traditions.
- Quebecois society favoured rural life over urban, religion over the state, and isolationism over engagement with the wider world.
- Maurice Duplessis , the Premier of Quebec from 1944 until his death in 1959, kept a tight rein on these traditions.
- Economically, American and English Canadian interests owned and operated most Quebec industries and maintained English as the language of the work place.
27
What happened in Quebec after the election where duplessis died?
- After his death, the party Duplessis had led, the Union Nationale, lost the election in 1960 to the Quebec Liberal Party.
- The Liberals campaign slogan was "Things have to Change" Under the leadership of Jean Lesage, the liberals promised to end the corruption and patronage that had characterized the Duplessis government.
- Their victory marked the start of a stunning transformation in Quebec society on all fronts, political, social, cultural and industrial.
- They called it La Revolution tranquille (The Quiet Revolution).
28
What did Lesage change in Quebec?
- Under Lesage, the government established a stronger French presence in the province's economy.
- It bought privately owned electric power companies to form HydroQuebec.
- At HydroQuebec, French was the language of businesses and Francophones were managers. This new corporation became a symbol of pride for the new Quebec.
- The government also took control of the provinces social services, restricting the role played by the Catholic Church.
- To improve health care, the province built new hospitals and introduced a provincial insurance plan.
- The province also took control of the education system from the Catholic and Protestant churches and formed the ministry of Education.
- The Quebec government also opted out of several Federal and Provincial cost sharing programs (29 in total) such as the Canadian Pension Plan in order to assert its provincial rights.
29
What did these changes in Quebec affect the population?
- All these changes while welcomed were costly and provincial taxes rose. In 1960, Quebec had the lowest tax rate in Canada, by 1966, it had the highest.
- Some believed the changes had gone to far, while others believed they had not gone far enough. They wanted complete independence for Quebec.
30
What happened at the Worlds Fair?
- Montreal hosted the Worlds Fair in 1967, called Expo '67.
- World Leaders visited including France President Charles de Gaulle.
- Everywhere de Gaulle went huge crowds gathered to hear him speak.
- During one speech from the steps of Montreal City Hall he declared. "Vive Montreal, Vive le Quebec! Vive le Quebec libre!" (Long Live Montreal! Long Live Quebec! Long live a free Quebec).
- This was a battle cry for the Quebec separatists. The Canadian government saw this as France sticking its nose in Canada's domestic affairs. <-- saying that Quebec should become free showed that it wasn't and this angered the people
- PM Pearson refused to meet with du Gaulle and he cancelled a planned trip to Ottawa and returned to France.
31
What was the FLQ? Summary
The Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) was a militant Quebec independence movement that used terrorism to try and achieve an independent and socialist Quebec. FLQ members — or felquistes — were responsible for more than 200 bombings and dozens of robberies between 1963 and 1970 that left six people dead.
32
Explain the lead up to FLQ and the October Crisis (like why did it form?) (what did the FLQ percieve Quebec as)
- During the Quiet Revolution, some Quebecois began to embrace the idea of Quebec separating from Canada, but most wanted to work within the political system to achieve this goal.
- Others however were impatient and wanted quicker results.
- The Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ) viewed francophone Quebecois as victims of the powerful anglophone elite that controlled business and industry in the province.
- The FLQ's goal was complete independence for Quebec.
33
What did the FLQ want and do?
- In its place, they wanted to create a Frenchspeaking workers society. They would resort to violence to achieve their goals.
- They used bombings, robberies and kidnappings to try and disrupt society so much that people would rebel and overthrow the government.
- Between 1963 and 1970, members of the FLQ planned and carried out more than 200 violent acts, in which 5 people died and others were injured.
- In 1969, the FLQ stepped up its campaign detonating a bomb in the Montreal Stock Exchange and another in the home of Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau.
34
What was the October crisis?
The October Crisis refers to a chain of events that took place in Quebec in the fall of 1970. The crisis was the culmination of a long series of terrorist attacks perpetrated by the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ), a militant Quebec independence movement.
35
Explain the October Crisis
- On October 5, 1970, the FLQ kidnapped James Cross, the British trade commissioner in Montreal.
They then issued a media release outlining their demands: release of "political prisoners" FLQ members who had been arrested, payment of $500 000, publication of the FLQ manifesto, an airplane to fly FLQ members to Cuba or Algeria.
- A joint federalprovincial team was established to deal with the crisis and refused to give in to the demands, although the media published and broadcast the manifesto.
- Then on October 10, another cell of the FLQ kidnapped Pierre Laporte, Quebec's minister of labour and a key member of the government team.
Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa asked the Federal government to send troops to Montreal to protect government officials.
- He also announced that he would release some prisoners and promised the kid nappers passage out of Canada if the hostages were released.
36
Why was the War Measures Act used?
- In the early morning of October 16, PM Pierre Trudeau's government invoked the War Measures Act.
- Trudeau argued that this was justified in the face of an insurrection.
- The War Measures Act passed during WWI, suspended Canadian's rights and freedoms and gave the government sweeping emergency powers.
- It allowed the government to: declare anyone who publicly supported the FLQ to be a member of the group, arrest and hold any member of the FLQ without bail for 90 days, imprison FLQ members for up to 5 years
- On October 18, the body of Pierre Laporte was discovered in the trunk of a car in Montreal.
- In the following weeks, roughly 450 people, including academics, entertainers, labour leaders and Parti Quebecois members were arrested and held in isolation and not allowed to contact a lawyer.
- The first news about the fate of James Cross came on Oct 27.
- Police were negotiating with the kid nappers and on December 3, Cross was released. In return, five of the kidnappers and some of their family were flown to Cuba.
37
What was the aftermath of the invoking of the war measures act?
- The reaction to Trudeau invoking the War Measures Act was mixed. Some thought it was too harsh, while others thought it was justified.
- A total of 62 people were charged with crimes ranging from being an FLQ member, to conspiracy to commit a crime, to murder.
- The four men involved in the murder of Pierre Laporte received stiff sentences.
- Paul Rose and Francis Simard were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
38
What was the War Measures Act replaced with?
- In 1988, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's Conservative Government replaced the War Measures Act with the Emergencies Act.
- The new law grants the government emergency powers in a crisis, but the act also specifies that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms remains in effect.
39
What was the Official Languages Act? (2)
- In 1969, Pierre Trudeau’s government passed the Official Languages Act, which recognized English and French as Canada’s two official languages, and guaranteed that Canadians could get federal government services.
- Made Canada bilingual
- This was seen as a good but a limited step by many from Quebec.
40
How did people view the Offical Languages Act and what did it result in?
- However, some English Canadians, especially in the West, felt it was an attempt to “ram French down our throats.”
- This was a visible issue that created a lot of controversy.
- Partly as a result of these negative reactions to the Official Languages Act, and as a way to take initiative away from the Separatists, - Premier Robert Bourassa passed Bill 22 in 1974.
Bill 22 made French the only official language of Quebec, and restricted the use of English in business and in schools.
41
What and why was “Parti Quebecois” created?
- Rene Levesque was a cabinet minister in the Lesage government and had reluctantly accepted the presence of troops in Quebec during the October Crisis.
- He became more and more unhappy, however, with the Quebec Liberals’ strong federal ties; it helped him in 1968 to create a party named “Parti Quebecois” with a separatist platform.
- The PQ advocates national sovereignty for Quebec involving independence of the province of Quebec from Canada and establishing a sovereign state.
42
What was the Parti Quebecois progress? (Like what changes occured?)
- In 1976, in an election which shocked the whole country, Levesque and the PQ defeated the Liberals and formed a provincial government committed to allowing the people of Quebec to leave Canada if they so chose
- Shortly after their election, the PQ passed another language law, the infamous Bill 101 or “Charter of the French Language”, which banned the use of any language except French on signs in Quebec, and put even tighter restrictions on English language education.
- For example, no public sign could have lettering in any language except French unless the French words were twice as big as any others.
- Immigrants who came to Quebec had to attend French schools. Only those whose parents had been born in Quebec and educated in English could go to English schools.
- Bill 101 was widely regarded in the rest of Canada as being “antiEnglish”, but many francophones saw it as a vital tool in the fight to preserve the French language and culture on an English speaking continent.
- In fact, the continued and vocal bitterness in English Canada over Bill 101 was one reason that Parti Quebecois’ promise of an independent Quebec received so much support.
43
What was the 1980 Referendum? Summary
The 1980 Quebec independence referendum was the first referendum in Quebec on the place of Quebec within Canada and whether Quebec should pursue a path toward sovereignty. The referendum was called by Quebec's Parti Québécois (PQ) government, which advocated secession from Canada.
44
Explain 1980 Referendum
- The PQ's sovereignty plan envisioned Quebec as an independent state that controlled its laws, policies, and taxes.
- But its economy would remain linked to Canada so that people, money and goods could flow freely.
In the leadup to the referendum, the yes and no sides waged energetic campaigns, and polls indicated that the result would be close.
- To help the no side, PM Trudeau promised that if the referendum was defeated he would amend the Constitution to make it more favourable to Quebecois.
- Nearly 60% of Quebec voters rejected the sovereignty plan and the referendum failed, the defeat was a blow to the hopes of Levesque, the Parti Quebecois and the sovereignists.
45
What was the 1995 Referendum?
- After two failed attempts to bring Quebec into the Constitution with the Charlottetown and Meech Lake Accord's, they was a new move to Quebec Independence.
- As the campaign started many in Quebec were tired of the question and had every day lives to worry about, but as the campaign wore on the Yes
side was gaining ground.
- On the weekend before the vote, federalist forces held a huge rally in Montreal.
- An extradordiany 93.5% of eligible voters cast their ballots. The vote was 50.5 percent for NO and 49.42 for yes.
46
Creation of United Nations Purpose
- Even before the end of WWII, plans were underway to create a new international organization to secure world peace.
- The Allies agreed that the League of Nations had been a failure.
- The organization that replaced it had to have real power to intervene and settle disputes before events escalated to war.
- Any new international body had to have its own armed forces that could keep enemies apart (Volunteer based, with soldiers from each country, like the one used in Korean War)
47
What did the United Nations establish? (4)
- Between April and June 1945, representatives of 51 countries, including Canada gathered in San Francisco to define the principles of the new organization.
- In June, they signed the charter that created the United Nations.
- Its main objectives were:
-to ensure collective security by working together to avoid war
- to encourage co-operation among countries
- to defend human rights
- to improve living conditions for people around the world.
48
What was the security council of United Nations?
- Made up of 5 permanent members and 10 non- permanent, the security council was specifically tasked with maintaining global peace and security.
- The 5 Permanent members are: United States, Great Britain, France, Russia and China
U.N. resolutions that involved peace and security of nations must pass through the security council.
- The 5 permanent members have veto power and if they vote no on a resolution it does not pass. But they can abstain from voting.
49
What is veto power?
The word veto means to reject a proposal or decision. Veto power is the power to cast a negative vote. Its significant importance is to cast a negative vote against any substantive resolution in the UN council by the permanent member and also by the President of a country in their parliament
50
What is the The Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
- In 1946, John Humphrey, a Canadian Law professor became the head of the UN Division for Human Rights.
- In 1947, Humphrey wrote the original 400 page draft of what would become one of the most important human rights documents in history.
- The Declaration states that "All Human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
- All people have these rights regardless of their race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
51
What was included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
Key rights of the declaration include:
- right to life and liberty
- right to freedom of movement, thought and religion
- freedom from slavery, torture, and imprisonment without charge
- right to education, to a fair trial, and to equal pay for work of equal value
- right to work, to join a union to rest
- the right to a nationality
52
What was the AVRO arrow?
- In 1953, the Canadian government agreed to pay for the development of a new aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
- The requirements were tough, only the best technology in the world would be used.
- Canadian company A.V. Roe Canada, would design and build a new, allweather, supersonic jet interceptor, the Arrow, or CF105
53
Why was the future effectiveness of the AVRO arrow questioned?
- On October 4, 1957, a huge crowd gathered at Malton, Ontario for the presentation of the Arrow to the public and press.
- The Jet was a remarkable achievement, but various reasons would lead to its demise. The cost of the project continued to climb and few countries were interested in buying it for their air forces.
- Also, its future effectiveness was called into question. Once the Soviets launched Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite into orbit, many western scientists believed that the same technology would be used to lead unmanned ballistic missiles, which the Arrow was not designed to stop.
54
Why was the AVRO Arrow cancelled?
- As costs began spiraling out of control, on February 20, 1959, Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker cancelled the program and ordered all prototypes, tech drawings, models and photographs to be destroyed.
- More than 15 000 A.V.Roe employees would lose their jobs and the company was ruined.
- Diefenbaker decided to replace the Arrow with American Bomarc antiaircraft missiles.
- These missiles were only effective when they carried nuclear warheads. But Diefenbaker refused to store any warheads on Canadian soil.
- Therefore the missiles were useless and this program was also cancelled within 2 years.
- The Canadian Air Force, did however need planes and Diefenbaker eventually settled for used Voodoo figher jets bought from the U.S.
- By this time many of A.V. Roe's highly skilled employees had left the country, and what could have been a prosperous Canadian aerospace industry never reached its potential.
55
Who was Pierre Trudeau?
- Pierre Elliott Trudeau was born into a wealthy Montreal family (October 18, 1919). Both his parents were bilingual and as a child he learned to speak effortlessly in both english and french.
- He studied law in Montreal and Harvard as well as at the London School of Economics.
- Trudeau wanted a united Canada where French and English were equal partners and joined the Liberal party to become involved in politics.
- In 1965 he was elected to the House of Commons and quickly rose through the party ranks.
- In 1967 he became the Minister of Justice. When Lester Pearson retired in 1968, the Liberals elected Trudeau as their new leader and Prime Minister.
- His intelligence, charisma and wit captivated many Canadians.
56
What was Trudeaumania?
Trudeaumania was the term used throughout 1968 to describe the excitement generated by Pierre Elliott Trudeau's entry into the April 1968 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election.
57
How did the public percieve Pierre Trudeau?
- Some people, mainly people opposed to him politically, found Trudeau cocky and arrogant.
- But many more, including the media, liked his style.
- The Prime Minister was seen dating and dancing with movie stars and famous musicians, so wherever he went the media had a story.
- The media also described every joke he made and prank he played, everything he said was news.
- He changed the image of the traditional politician.
- He drove himself to work in a flashy sports car, wore sandals and often a cape.
- He slid down the banister in the House of Commons. - He pirouetted behind the back of Queen Elizabeth II.
- In the 1968 election, Trudeau and the Liberals won a majority government and he got to work, right away on many of his goals.
58
What happened during the Just Society?
- Everyone deserves to live in a just society in which each person is socially and economically secure, and where the state is politically, legally, and administratively inclusive and fair.
- In 1968, equality was an elusive dream for many people in Canada.
- Trudeau envisioned a Canada that was a "Just Society" where all Canadians would have equal opportunities.
59
What did Trudeau do about women's rights?
- Under Prime Minister Pearson, a Royal Commission analyzed the status of women and Canada and came up with 167 recommendations to improve women's rights, some of those recommendations included:
- providing daycare services for women who
work outside the home
- prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender or marital status
- paying unemployment benefits to working women on maternity leave
- establishing wages based on skills and responsibilities rather than gender.
- Trudeau created a cabinet portfolio for the Status of Women in 1971.
- In 1973, he established the Advisory Council on the Status of Women to monitor the progress in implementing the report's recommendations.
60
What was the death penalty?
- Since the death penalty was enacted in 1859, Canada has executed 710 people.
- Over the years various crimes, including arson and rape, have been removed from the list of offences punishable by death.
- In 1961 only premeditated murder was a capital offense.
- The death penalty was abolished when Trudeau's government brought Bill C84 in 1976. The Bill passed by 131 to 124 in a free vote.
61
How were Aboriginal rights in Canada?
Life for Aboriginal peoples in Canada had always had its challenges, decades of oppression had placed Aboriginal peoples on the lowest level of Canadian society.
62
What was the White Paper?
- In 1969, Jean Chretien was minister of Indian Affairs and he produced the White Paper a government document to suggested the dissolving of the Indian Act and the department of Indian Affairs.
- In maintained that in a Just Society Aboriginals needed to be treated the same as everyone else. Special treatment under the Indian Act was a form of legal discrimination.
63
What did the white paper recommened?
The White Paper recommended:
- abolishing the Indian Act
- eliminating the department of Indian Affairs
- Abolishing reserve lands and terminating treaties
- transferring responsibility for Aboriginal services to the provinces.
64
How did people percieve the white paper?
- Opposition to the White Paper was fierce.
- Aboriginals saw it as another attempt to assimilate them.
- Once again the government made decisions without consulting them.
- In face of this opposition the White Paper was abandoned.
65
What did Trudeau envision with multiculturism? (4)
- Trudeau envisioned a country in which many different cultures, would not only live peacefully together but also maintain their cultural identities.
- In 1971 he formally recognized the diverse nature of Canadian society as an official government policy the first country to do so.
- The government pledged to:
- assist groups to carry on cultural practices and activities
- assist cultural groups to overcome barriers to participation in any aspect of Canadian life
- promote relations between cultural groups
- helps immigrants learn either English or French to become full participants in Canadian society.
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How did the economy affect Trudeau?
- On the Social Justice front Trudeau found much success but economically he faced many challenges.
- Foreign ownership of Canadian businesses led to laws making it more difficult, which angered many American and Canadian investors.
- As well high inflation, unemployment and double digit interest rates created an economic crisis that led many Canadians to lose confidence in Trudeau's leadership.
- He would lose the 1979 Federal election and announced his retirement from politics.
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Why did Trudeau live a short lived retirement?
- In the 1979 election Conservative Joe Clark won a minority government. Six months later the Conservatives faced a critical budget vote and Clark campaigned on tax cuts to tackle unemployment and stimulate the economy.
- Once in office however he changed his mind and his budget focused on fighting inflation, including a controversial tax increase on gas.
- The conservatives lost the vote of non- confidence and this set the stage for another election.
- The Liberals urged Trudeau to stay on as leader and he agreed and won a majority government.
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Explain the process of the creation of the new constituion.
- In September 1980 Trudeau met with the Provincial premiers to work out a deal on a new constitution.
- Trudeau's vision of Canada was a strong federal state.
- Any move toward greater decentralization was unacceptable to him.
- As a result the talks ended in a stale mate as both sides tried to increase their power at the expense of the other.
- In October 1980, Trudeau announced he would proceed unilaterally on the issue.
- The issue went to the Supreme Court and it decided that it was legal for the Federal government to act unilaterally but they had a moral obligation to gain support of the provinces.
- Both parties agreed to return to the bargaining table.
69
Explain the fight with the charter rights of freedom.
- One of the most contentious issues was the inclusion of an entrenched Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- Diefenbaker had already passed a Bill of Rights in 1961, but it only applied to federal areas of jurisdiction.
- Many premiers opposed Trudeau's plan, arguing that it infringed on their powers.
- Trudeau argued in the era of big government a entrenched charter was needed to ensure protection of citizens from all levels of government.
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Who was Difenbaker?
During his six years as prime minister, his government obtained passage of the Canadian Bill of Rights and granted the vote to the First Nations and Inuit peoples. In 1962, Diefenbaker's government eliminated racial discrimination in immigration policy.
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What was the Notwithstanding Clause?
- After intense negotiations, the Prime Minister reached an agreement with 9 of the 10 provinces in November 1981.
The Turning point was the inclusion of the notwithstanding clause . In return for accepting the Charter the provincial premiers insisted that Trudeau include a clause that gave governments the right to pass laws that violated certain charter rights, providing the law states it is "notwithstanding" a specific provision of the Charter.
- Believing a weakened charter was better than no charter at all, Trudeau accpeted the proposal.
- Only Quebec remained on the sideline.
An agreement was made during the middle of the night in a pantry at the Conference centre (Rene Levesque, Premier of Quebec was staying at a different hotel, and was therefore not present) This came to be known as the 'Kitchen Accord"
Levesque awoke the next morning to find that an agreement had been reached without him and he refused to endorse the deal.
- The Constitution Act, 1982, was added to the other documents, including the British North America Act, that make up Canada's constitution.
- The Constitution can be ammended with the agreement of at least two thirds of the provinces representing at least half the country's population. This arrangement means that it is possible to make changes even if Quebec objects.
- Although the Supreme Court later ruled that the Constitution applies in Quebec, Quebec has never signed the constitution.
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What was Canada's economic boom and what did this create?
Post-WWII, Canada’s vast resources were in high demand, creating an upsurge in all industries and leading to more jobs – Large oil deposits made us almost self-sufficient – Uranium (now in high demand) was discovered in Canada – The gov’t began a massive building program to improve transportation for people and industry The Trans-Canada Highway (1950) The St. Lawrence Seaway (1951)
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Why was there a population boom?
- WWII had delayed many young people from marrying and starting families – When WWII ended, the young men returned and soon the “Baby Boom” began – In 10 years (1949-59),
- Canada’s population grew from 13.5 million to 17.5 million – These new families purchased homes, cars and lots of consumer goods – The government spent money on building new schools, libraries, hospitals and other new facilities to accommodate the growing population
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Who was Tommy Douglas?
He led the CCF to power in 15 June 1944 provincial election, winning 47 of 52 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, and thus forming the first social democratic government in not only Canada but all of North America.
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What did the CCF do to people's mindests?
- Some worried that the end of WWII might bring an end to economic prosperity
Many remembered the Great Depression and what it was like to be out of work or poor
- The CCF (later the NDP) became prominent under its leader Tommy Douglas
- The CCF supported programs that benefited workers, protected families and increased government involvement in the economy
- Although they never formed a gov’t, the popularity of the CCF influenced the Liberals (and later the Conservatives) to support programs that strengthened Canada’s social safety net
76
Explain government social program of National Housing Act.
- Created the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.(CMHC) –
- Created to improve housing conditions (building codes, renovations) – Helped to create decent, affordable housing – Helped families to secure mortgage loans
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Explain government social program of Family Allowance.
The “Baby Bonus” was a small, fixed amount of money given to families for every child – It was provided regardless of income
78
Explain government social program of employment insurance.
Employed people paid a certain amount of their wages into the fund as “insurance” – If they lost their jobs, the fund would provide them with money to live on – This was to avoid the crushing poverty experienced by many during the Depression
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Explain government social program of Old Age Security Act (1951) & The Canada Pension Plan (1966).
These were programs to provide for the elderly when they could no longer work – People pay into the CPP while they work and then get a fixed amount of money once they reach the age of 60 – This was one of the first examples of “co-operative federalism” where both Federal and Provincial gov’t work together to achieve a goal
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How were suburbs advertised and what impact did it have on Canadians?
- To keep down COST(so that young families could afford them) developers built “nearly identical houses…or..us[ed] prefabricated units”
- Higher proportion of detached homes
Lower population density
- Homes isolated from shopping centres and services
Why were they created? – No more room to build in cities –
Population explosion demanded lost cost homes
What impact did it have on the Canadian lifestyle? – made the car a necessity—had to travel everywhere to get necessities and to work – less social interaction – “There are simply not enough people to support variety” Cities can have the “standard with the strange”
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What did universal health care provide?
Universal Health Care=all people have equal access to medical care. Every man, woman and child can see a doctor and receive health care, paid for by the gov’t no matter where they live and no matter how much money they have.
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What were the influences pre 1950s for Canadians?
- The Depression –
- Cdns began to see a need to help those who couldn’t help themselves Britain created a model welfare state and Canada was still very much influenced by her “mother” country
- The UN declared health care as a basic human right(1948)
as a member of the UN, Canada would have been pressured into putting UN goals into practice
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What did Tommy douglas provide?
- 1944 provided free medical, hospital and dental care for senior citizens;
– also funded treatment for those suffering from cancer and other diseases –
- He still managed to reduce the provincial debt by 20 million despite those who doubted he could given the money he spent on health care
- Douglas introduced universal hospital insurance For $5 per resident, they had all hospital bills covered
- 1957: Federal Gov’t agreed to share costs
- 1959: Douglas Introduced the Universal Health Care system to Saskatchewan
- 1961: Tommy Douglas becomes leader of NDP and intended to bring UHC to all Cdns
- 1962: PM Diefenbaker(PC) sets up a Royal Commission which declares adequate health care “was a right of citizenship”
- 1963: Diefenbaker loses to Lester B Pearson(L) in federal election, but Pearson forms a minority government and needed the NDP to stay in power
- Pearson agrees to support UHC
1966: Medical Care Act created a nonprofit universal Health Care System for all Canadians
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What was Canada's welfare state?
Following World War II, a consensus eventually was reached on a welfare system that would ensure mini- mum incomes and services for all citizens. Income equality significantly improved in the post-World War II period and that period itself witnessed unparalleled economic growth.
Generally speaking, before the Great Depression most social services were provided by religious charities and other private groups. Changing government policy between the 1930s and 1960s saw the emergence of a welfare state, similar to many Western European countries.
