Vietnam+War

= __Vietnam War__   =   The Vietnam War began in 1954 and ended in 1975. It is known to be the longest war in which the United States took part in. The war was located in Vietnam, a small country in Southeast Asia, which at the time was divided into the Communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam ruled by Ho Chi Minh, called North Vietnam, and the non-communist Republic of Vietnam led by Ngo Dihn Diem, called South Vietnam. The conflict concentrated on Ho Chi Minh’s plans to unify the entire country under a single communist regime modeled after those of the Soviet Union and China. Their allies consisted of some communist-trained South Vietnamese rebels who sought to overthrow the government of Sough Vietnam as well as the aid from China and the Soviet Union, at the time the two largest Communist Nations. These nations gave the Vietnamese Communists abundant war materials. On the other hand, the government of South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States fought to try and stop them. The people of the South wanted to preserve a Vietnam more closely aligned with the West. At first, the United States had sent small numbers of military advisers but as Ho’s force acquired new strength, the U.S. government increased its involvement in South Vietnam and introduced larger scales of active combats units to be stationed in Vietnam. Their involvement in the war was based on a Cold War policy that was established by President Harry S. Truman. The Cold War was an intense rivalry between the Communist and non-Communist nations and Truman declared that the U.S. helped any nation challenged by Communism. In the end, the costs and causalities of the growing war proved too much for the Unites States to bear and the U.S. combat units were withdrawn by 1973. In 1975 South Vietnam fell to a full-scale invasion by the North.

 Although Canada refused to send Canadian troops to support Americans in the war in Vietnam, they had still been heavily involved back at home. In July 1954, Canada accepted an invitation to join the International Control Commission (ICC), a peacekeeping body designed to oversee the transition. The Canadian ICC contingent provided the U.S. with strategic intelligence about the location of enemy troop movements and it acted as messengers by transmitting threats issued from the American military. Throughout 1954 to 1975 Canada has served on two international truce commissions and provided medical supplies and technical assistance. Our Canadian governments, the Liberal and Conservative Party, both maintained that Ottawa remained a neutral and objective peacekeeper and focused directly on helping innocent bystanders and negotiate for peace and administering aid to victims of the war. In addition, 40,000 American draft dodgers and army deserters had found refuge in Canada in order to avoid or escape a war they did not support. Canada also helped supervise ceasefires and had been involved in secret missions, weapon testing (before their tours of duty in SE Asia) and arm production in order to assist the United Stated in their war efforts. The Canadian industry supplied $2.47 billion worth of war materials, including aircraft parts, shells, gun sights, ammunition, napalm and many more, to the United States between 1968 and 1973 through Defence Production Sharing Agreements. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson declared that the shipment of weapons directly to Vietnam “would be incompatible with our role” as impartial observer in Vietnam. Nearly thirty thousand Canadians had volunteered to fight in Southeast Asia, however they fought on behalf of the United States. There were also numerous individuals across Canada whom strongly protested against the Canadian government’s failure to oppose the U.S. presence in Vietnam and felt that Canada should have ceased Canadian arm sales to the U.S. These individuals often gathered on the streets in their town to protest against the government's actions. They believed strong antiwar declaration by Ottawa could help change U.S. policies. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = __
 * __Canada’s Role in the Vietnam War __**

__ During the Vietnam War, Canada’s unemployment fell to a record low of 3.9%, the gross domestic product rose by 6% yearly, and capital costs expanded quickly in manufacturing and minding as U.S. firms invested more than $3 billion in Canada. The Vietnam War provided opportunities for Canadian business in 1960s and onwards and helped our nation to become prosperous. In addition, nearly thousands of ordinary American men and women moved to Canada for a saner lifestyle than one they had been offered in the states. For the first time, the flow of immigration from the south to the north exceeded that of Canada to the United States. People in the United States were finally starting to respect and look up to Canada’s peaceful methods of action as the United States seemingly lost its way. Our country was beginning to be recognized as a prosperous nation with the ideal lifestyle. Lester B. Pearson can be acknowledged for our excellent reputation as he was  the one who initially resisted the U.S. pressure to enter the Vietnam War. This wasn’t the first time Pearson had stood up to the Americans. (Before the war, he had also refused to cooperate with the American anti-Communist witch-hunts during the 1950s.) Through his speeches, he attempted to persuade the Americans to withdraw from the war with North Vietnam but his word of advice was not listened to. Instead, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson reacted harshly to Canada’s refusal and was outraged by Lester B. Pearson’s words. The conflict that aroused between the leaders had severely put a strain on our relation with the United States. Even though they remain our number one ally today, our country has made it very clear that we withhold our own beliefs and methods of action and will not immediately follow their lead during times of war. Canada was then and is now a fully independent nation. = = = =
 * Effects of Vietnam War on Canada: Then and Now**