North Atlantic Treaty Organization

1
Name:
Course
Professor’s name
University name
City, State
Date of submission

2
Discuss the important influence that Canada has in both its decisions in foreign
affairs (peacekeeping) and who they trade with.
Throughout the history of Canada, the country has shown its need to be its own
decision maker through taking bold steps to develop from a British colony to an independent
nation. This has been done through a series of actions that started in both the worlds’ wars
and this was a turning point. The Canadian military strength and sacrifices gave it confidence
to demand its own voice among the big boys and helped to raise its stature in the world stage.
Canada has maintained its influence and role in the global alliances and the western world
many years into the postwar era. However, its relationship with the United States which has
the biggest military strength and power that has dominated Canada’s foreign policy which
include security and trade (Kukucha, 2017).
By 1945, Canada had become a giant in both military and economic fronts and was
considered an influencer to some considerable size. Its External Affairs Department was fast
expanding while its own diplomats were diplomats unlike their foreign representatives in the
1920s and 1930s who did not reject foreign influence and involvement. Due to its wartime
sacrifices, a large percentage of the population, the French and the British media had the
feeling that Canada was owed a share in decision making internationally.
When Canada joined the United Nations and NATO, in the San Francisco conference
of 1945, it had marked its beginning to international influence. Its influence has been shown
after the cold war undermined the effectiveness of the UN and Canada advocated for the
formation of a Western regional union for collective defense (Lequesne, and Paquin, 2017).
This resulted to the Canadian military being sent to serve under the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) where its commanders led the UN in the Korean War. The decision led