Abstract:
The years between 1945 and 1957 represent a time period in which
Canadian foreign policy emerged. It was during this time that Canada
became a truly sovereign and autonomous nation, and was beginning to
receive recognition on the international stage. Issues to be examined
include: transformation of Canadian foreign policy from heavy dependence
on Britain to becoming an autonomous function of the domestic
government; the increase in involvement in multilateral organizations, and
how the instability of these encouraged the diversification of external
policies; the effects of internal influences, mainly changing domestic
governments, and that of external influences, including allies and enemies;
and the effects of the Suez crisis in 1956 and how the fundamentals of
Canadian foreign policy materialized.