Canadian Foreign Policy: 1945-2000

Canada’s role on the world stage has increased dramatically since the middle of the twentieth century. Once an offshoot of England, we have grown to become a recognized voice internationally.

Canadian Foreign Policy: 1945-2000 is a collection of key documents and speeches tracing the evolution of Canadian foreign policy since 1945. It highlights Canada’s role in the great international events of the last century from the beginnings of the United Nations through the birth of NATO, the origins of Peacekeeping, Canada’s participation in the Korean War, and our involvement in the International Control Commissions in Indo-China.

The collection also shows Canada’s role and influence in the Far East, from the creation of the Colombo Plan, to the recognition of the People’s Republic of China, to our relations with Japan and the APEC countries. As well, the volume looks at disarmament, nuclear affairs, the growing influence of the provinces in foreign policy, relations with France, and the birth and impact of NAFTA. Canada’s participation in the founding of the G-20 group of nations and the effect on world economic trends in the twenty-first century round out the story.

Arthur E. Blanchette is a former Canadian ambassador to Tunisia and Libya, and to the Organization of American States in Washington D.C. He served, as well, as the Canadian commissioner to the International Control Commission in Cambodia, and has specialized in north-south issues with particular emphasis on Latin America. He has edited three previous collections of documents relating to Canadian foreign policy, and has assisted in the preparation of the history of the Department of External Affairs.