Vietnam History

The Possibility of War or a Map to Canadian Foreign Relations in the Early Cold War Period

Course: Education 401
For: T. Hollihan
By: Michael Wiwchar (2652123)
Date: May 27, 2008

Escott Reid’s document, “The United States and the Soviet Union: A Study of the Possibility of War and Some the Implications for Canadian   Policy”, was written during a period of uncertainty. Globally, all major and minor powers where exhausted following the Second World War and sought to limit and ease global tension. This new state of heightened global tension was the result of the emergence of two new global powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, who sought to expand their power bases and increase their influence globally. The Soviet Union, fearful of another attack from a western power, sought to distance and protect themselves from western influence. Conversely, the United States sought to expand free markets and capitalism upheld by popular support in (remove ‘in’) at home.   For Reid, the insatiable appetite for expansion by both of these new super powers meant that a lasting peace was impossible in the new geo-political environment following World War II.   Furthermore, each power and their desire for expansion would have an impact on Canada in relation to its domestic and foreign policies. This competition for global influence between the superpowers was compounded by the fear that a new global conflict would likely be a nuclear war.   Reid’s memorandum became the basis for Canadian diplomacy to avert this possibility. Did Reid contend that the actions of Canada could avert nuclear war between the US and the USSR? Although, Reid thought a nuclear conflict was unlikely, (punctuation; hereafter p) his assessment of the origin of the cold war and his recommendations on how to avert conflict became the foundation for Canadian foreign policy until the late 1950s.  

Reid’s begins his memorandum with a discussion of the sources the conflict between the United States and...