Canada During The Suez Crisis

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As a country renowned for being around the world, and over the years it has become a significant symbol for many Canadians. Canada took part in the first peacekeeping force during the Suez Crisis in 1956, the blue beret became a source of Canadian pride. Before the crisis, Canada participated in both World Wars. In the first, Canada joined the war on the side of Britain, and after their success at Vimy Ridge, Canada had proved themselves as being more than simply a British Colony. The end of the war instigated the change of the British Empire to the British Commonwealth (“Legacy - The War’s Impact on Canada: Canada and the First World War”). During the second world war, Canada contributed even more than the last, sending one million men from…show more content…
The crisis started when tensions in Egypt increased in 1956, when the US ceased to send money to help support Egypt's Aswan Dam project. Egypt reacted by using the money that had previously been funding the Suez Canal. The country was investing so much into the project because it would help their own economy. However, the Suez Crisis was what allowed Britain to trade easier with the oil sands in -------, and any potential blockage of the canal would result in the downturn in their economy as well (). During these events, Israel was worried about the weapons that Egypt had purchased from the Soviet Union. They teamed up with France and Britain and had troops invade the Suez area without warning any other countries including Canada, who were British allies at the time. The UN decided to hold a meeting during which, Lester B. Pearson, Canada's foreign policy minister at the time was the one to suggest the implementation of the UN's first peacekeeping force. It would implement a ceasefire between the countries and allow them to withdraw their troops peacefully. Canada took on an instrumental role in the mission with Pearson in charge and Canadian general E.L.M. "Tommy" Burns as the leader of the force ("Suez Canal Crisis." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada). The crisis defined Canada's role as peacekeepers and caused our nation to be motivated to keep good relations with other nations in the…show more content…
It has influenced our good relations with many other countries, has shown them an image of a strong and reliable nation whose mandate is to solve wars rather than cause or contribute to them, and has changed our nation from being less supportive of peacekeeping missions to something many of us believe is necessary. It has given our military the chance to have a unique quality. The instrumental role we had during the crisis became why we are largely recognized in the international community. Without peacekeeping, _________(). In the future, we will be able to see whether or not peacekeeping will continue to affect our identity as strongly as it does today. It is apparent that Harper is straying further from our previous methods, and the amount we send now can fit inside of a school bus (Dorn, A. Walter. "The United Nations and Canada: What Canada has done and should be doing at the UN." Unprepared for Peace: A Decade of Decline in Canadian Peacekeeping.). Whether it will disappear from our values is not likely (). In such a multicultural and well-mannered country, the intent to help others resolve their issues as well as the other things peacekeepers do such as (), will never fade. Peacekeeping has had a large role in our past, and has contributed to shaping our identity to be different from other
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