Social Studies 10 Lessons 📖

By: Gen L

In partnership with Hyperion University, 2023

Lesson 5: PM Diefenbaker (1957-63)

The CF-105 Avro Arrow

  • The Avro Arrow was a fighter jet developed and built by A. V. Roe (hence Avro), a Canadian avionics company.
  • It was in the prototype stage, but had some problems:
    • Design Bugs
    • A. V. Roe's financial troubles
    • Over-budget
    • No foreign buyers

The End for the Arrow

  • 20 Feb, 1959 (Black Friday): PM Diefenbaker cancels the Arrow & orders all prototypes destroyed & cut into scrap.
  • The Arrow would have made Canada a leader in aerospace technology, it was ahead of its time.
  • The Arrow became a symbol of "what could have been" & Canada's "missed chance" to become a leader.

The Bomarcs

  • 1958: Dief agreed to deploy Bomarc missiles in Canada.
  • However, within months Canada was shopping for used US fighters; (There's a reason jets survived into the modern era.) and Dief refused Nuclear Warheads on the Bomarcs, making them pointless.
  • Dief was staunchly anti-Nuclear weaponry.

US Foreign Policy

  • Since Korea, Canada-US relationships were strained.
  • Although he was suspicious of US influence in Canada, Dief was very anti-Communist.
  • He had a respectful and positive relationship with US Pres. Eisenhower.
  • The respect made it easier to cancel the Arrow (felt he had support from the US, sort of.)

Cold War's Hottest Point (Preamble)

  • Cuba, 1959 - Fidel Castro lead a revolution against US-friendly dictator, Batista.
  • Castro was a nationalist & socialist.
  • US anti-Socialist reaction drove Castro toward the USSR.
  • 1960: Eisenhower loses the US election to Kennedy.
  • Dief hated Kennedy. (young, rich, liberal)

Cold War's Hottest Point (1962)

  • 1961: US supported a failed Cuban invasion.
  • Castro looked to the Soviets for protection.
  • Oct, 1962: US discovers Soviet missile sights in Cuba.
  • In response, the US sets up a naval blockade of Cuba.

The Convoy's Game of Chicken

  • A convoy of Soviet ships, steaming toward Cuba with missiles for the new sites.
  • The world waited to see who would blink first.
  • Would the Soviets turn around, or run the Blockade? (Vote Now on your Phones)
  • The Soviets, at the last minute, turned around.

Canada and the Cuban Missiles

  • NORAD was on high alert.
  • Dief didn't put Canadian sectors on alert, as requested by the US.
  • Instead, Dief questioned the US reaction
  • Kennedy was very upset by Canada's response.
  • 1962: Dief's majority fell to a minority.

The End for Diefenbaker

  • 1963: Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, the US called out Canada, claiming that Canada "has not yet proposed any significant contribution to the defense of North America."
  • Pearson (Liberal Leader, remember him?), said he would accept nuclear warheads as part of Canada's obligation.
  • April, 1963: Dief's gov't fell to Pearson's Liberals.

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