Relationship between Canada and the US from 1960-1963
As the last years of Diefenbaker as Prime Minister came to an end, the relation
between Canada and the US reached an all time low. As the Cold War deepened, the
tension between the two countries worsened. It didn't help at all when it came to the
personal relationship between Prime Minister Diefenbaker and President Kennedy.
Diefenbaker refused to load nuclear warheads on the missiles he had bought; therefore
the relations became tenser for the two countries. Also before Diefenbaker was out of
office, the Canadian government postponed placing Canadian air forces in NORAD on
highest alert as the Americans, and refused to send troops there during the Cuban Missile
Crisis.
When John F. Kennedy became president, Diefenbaker quickly started to dislike
him. Not only because he was young, charming, and aggressive in pursuing American
interests, but also because Kennedy urged Canada to join the Organization of American
States during his visit to Ottawa in 1961, even after Diefenbaker had put down the idea.
Diefenbaker was angered because Canada was always being pushed in certain areas by
the US. He believed in nationalism, which meant standing firm against American
influence over foreign policy.
When Diefenbaker was elected, he had agreed to unite the air-defense plan with
the United States. But everyone in power knew that its costs would have been very
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high, that there were no foreign orders, and that it was disorganized. As a result Canada
was better off without it. Therefore Diefenbaker rejected to load nuclear warheads on the
missiles that he had bought. In the later years the Cabinet split over the issue of nuclear
arms, Die...