SHELF 9780435183127 HISTORY PAPER 3 THE COLD WAR AND THE AMERICAS (1945-1981) STUDENT 60p

co-ordinated global movement', calling for a'tnpling of the Amencan defensebudgetfrom $13bn
to $50bn'(\Malker). It was described by Truman as'my fite-year planfor peace'because he
believedthat'tfhecouldpersuadeCongresstoimplementitswiftly,theCommunistswouldna,er
dare to launch an attock on a
free w orld n ation' ff ruman).
Although, according to Martin Walker, Kennan disliked NSC-68, claiming it had taken
his policy of containment too far, the tripling of the militarybudget was considered
essential if the US was to contain communism when it no longer had a nuclear
monopoly. At first, Truman was not convinced and, on 1 June 1950, had stated that
'theworldis closerto realpeacethan at any timeinthelastfifEyears'(Walker). Moreover,
the Truman administration was convinced that, despite their common ideology, the
Soviet Union and China had conflicting interests that would ensure their enmiry and
that this would make war with the US even less likely. Only a few weeks later, Truman
was proved wrong by the outbreak of the Korean War on 25 June 7950.
Not only spy rings at home but war abroad would now strengthen McCarthy. On
being informed of the invasion of South Korea by communist North Korea, Truman
immediately called for a meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). A
resolution was passed condemning North Korean aggression and a UN peacemaking
force, consisting mainly of US troops, was sent to assist South Korea. The war dragged
on until 7953 and the failure to gain a quick victory turned this into what the US
media termed 'Truman'sWat'. Eventually communism was contained, but not before
McCarthy made much of this opportunityto once again question the loyalty and
determination of Truman to keep communism atbay.
Key concepts
Causation and consequence
What was the impact of containment
on Ganada?
Canada in 1945, with King George VI of England as its Head of State, was one of the
pillars of the British Commonwealth. Standing by Britain, with whom its foreign
policy had always been closely linked, Canada declared war on Germany on 10
September 1939.
With the US as its nearest neighbour, however, it was clear that in the event of world
war, their policies would have to be coherent and consistent with each other. In 1940,
they set up the Permanent Joint Board on Defence allowing for closer cooperation on
military matters, an initiative that became even more important when they became
allies with the US entering the war.
Ln7945, Canadians celebrated the Allied victory and there was great public admiration
for the courage and the sacrifice of the Soviet Union. In September 1945, however,
Igor Gouzenko, a code clerk at the Soviet embassy in Ottawa, approached staffat
the Ottawalownal and offered to hand over 109 confidential documents that he had
taken from the embassy. He was motivated by his reluctance to return to the Soviet
Union and hoped that the documents would help persuade the Canadian authorities
to grant him political asylum. As Friedman points out, the initial reaction of the
Canadian govemment had been to'refuse to look at his mateial on the bask that it belonged
to afiendly goternment'.Furthermore, there was a reluctance to offend the Soviet Union
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