Conflict

TJ's Summary



International Conflict

International conflict occurred less than five years after World War II. Canada became involved in the war in Korea and the crisis over the Suez Canal in Egypt. Both situations were made worse by the Cold War. In Korea, Canada served with the United Nations as a peacemaker - using military force to establish peace. In the Suez, it acted as peacekeepers - separating two sides at war while helping to work out a settlement and then monitoring a temporary truce or peace agreement while keeping the two opposing sides apart.

War in Korea

Japan seized Korea before World War II and then occupied it afterwards. Korea soon became a centre of conflict. The Soviet Union held the north, while the United States supported the south. Then, in 1949, communist forces in North Korea attacked South Korea. The United Nations Security Council voted to help South Korea defend itself. The Soviet Union was refusing to attend the Security Council at the time because of other political issues, so it wasn't present to veto the decision.

Canada was one of 14 countries who pledged troops to help the United Nations in Korea. Within weeks, Canadian navy destroyers joined with the United States Pacific fleet, and troops were trained for combat.

In Korea the United Nations troops were under American command, and used military force to support the small South Korean army. They aimed to make peace by pushing back the Communist invasion. Canada's first soldiers arrived late in 1950. By then, China was backing North Korea.

Neither side could make any real advances during this three-year war. About 27 000 Canadian military personnel served bravely in this war. More than 1200 were wounded and 516 killed in action. In the end, a truce was called and the border drawn close to where it was three years before. North Korea and South Korea remain divided enemies to this day.

The Suez Crisis

Africa and Asia are joined by a thin sliver of land at the top of the Red Sea. Between 1859 and 1869, private investors from Britain and France constructed a 190-km canal through this land to connect the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and create a shipping shortcut between Europe and Asia. When the canal was built, the region was dominated by Britain and France. But by 1956 Egypt was an independent nation, and President Nasser took over (nationalized) the canal. This angered Britain and France, who worked together with neighbouring Israel to attack the Canal Zone.

The Suez Crisis: Points of View. Why did this conflict turn into a Cold War conflict? Suez Crisis United States: warned that it would step in if the Soviet Union interfered in the Suez Crisis United Nations: supported Canadian Lester Pearson's peacekeeping plan in order to defuse the crisis Egypt: 14 determined to take control of its own territory and collect tolls from the ships using the Suez Canal Britain and France: determined to take back control of the canal originally paid for by their investors <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Israel: determined to resist any aggression or expansion by neighbouring Arab states, such as Egypt. <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Soviet Union: wanted to gain influence with African nations by threatening to send missiles to defend Egypt

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Lester B. Pearson was Canada's top government official in the External Affairs Department. Among his previous experiences was a term served as president of the UN General Assembly. Pearson drew <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">up a plan to send an international peacekeeping force to the Canal Zone. The United Nations readily accepted it, setting up an Emergency Force (UNEF) under a Canadian commander. Six thousand peacekeepers, including 1000 Canadians, acted as observers and mediators, shooting only if attacked.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">While there had been small UN missions used to keep the peace as early as 1947, the UNEF became the new model for UN peacekeeping operations. As a result of this mission, future peacekeepers served under the UN flag and wore the trademark light blue beret.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">The peacekeeping force was successful. Egypt agreed to pay for the canal, and the crisis passed. In 1957 Lester Pearson was honoured with the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. He humbly called the award a tribute to Canada as a whole, not just to him personally. The Suez Crisis marked the beginning of Canada's distinguished record of United Nations peacekeeping missions. It also showed that Canada was willing to make a foreign policy decision that opposed that of Britain.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Checkpoint

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">9. Why did the United Nations decide to get involved in the Korean War? Was its attempt at peacemaking successful? Explain your answer.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">10. How did Lester Pearson's plan differ from the approach the United Nations took in the Korean War? In small groups, discuss which method is more effective: peacemaking or peacekeeping. Use examples.