The Alaska-Pacific Northwest region constituted a distinct arena of the Cold War. Why and how was this the case? And why was such a dire situation nearly overlooked during the dangerous crisis years of the early-1960s? Christening the Ground: The Soviet Base Complexes in the Far East If nuclear war had erupted, the Soviet and Canadian/American forces in the region would have fought their own virtually private war between themselves, disconnected from Washington DC and the Atlantic sea lanes, remote from the access routes to Berlin, and far away from NATO’s Central Region. Yet, in the late-1950s and early- 1960s, there were significant if low key developments undertaken by the Soviet Union that put this region ‘under the mushroom cloud,’ as it were. The romance of Alaska, and, by extension, its Cold War proximity to the Soviet Union, was much more prevalent in popular culture in the early years, but this slipped away as the Cold War progressed. The Pacific Northwest, however, was a strategic backwater with almost no public attention directed towards it. It was known by Western Europeans that they were outnumbered by Warsaw Pact conventional forces, and that tactical nuclear weapons would probably have to be used to repel Pact forces if the situation required it. The Inner-German Border, better known as the Iron Curtain, was a visible reminder of the issues at hand. In Europe, there was a more immediate sense of the threat from the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. © ITAR-TASS Photo Agency/Alamy Stock Photo, Image ID BTEBMWįidel Castro and Nikita Khrushchev, 1962. The most obvious case in point was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, which focused the world’s attention upon the Caribbean and the eastern seaboard of North America. Public commentary focused upon gaps, be they bomber or missile, and upon a variety of crises that had nuclear potential. This unease expressed itself in civil defence exercises, elaborate military alert exercises, and, to some extent, through early efforts at anti-nuclear activism. Introductionįor the bulk of the Cold War, the Canadian and American populations possessed an acute but undefined sense of the nuclear threat. He has authored numerous books on the Cold War, including, Learning to Love the Bomb: Canada’s Cold War Strategy and Nuclear Weapons 1951-1970.
Maloney has extensive field experience in that region, particularly in Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia, from 1995 to 2001. He previously served as the historian for 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade, the Canadian Army’s primary Cold War NATO commitment after the reunification of Germany, and at the start of Canada’s long involvement in the Balkans. Maloney, Ph.D, is a Professor of History at the Royal Military College of Canada, and he served as the Historical Advisor to the Chief of the Land Staff during the war in Afghanistan. As with all such advisory services, past results are never a guarantee of future results.For more information on accessing this file, please visit our help page. FOREXLIVE™ expressly disclaims any liability for any lost principal or profits without limitation which may arise directly or indirectly from the use of or reliance on such information. Any news, opinions, research, data, or other information contained within this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment or trading advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and FOREXLIVE™ specifically advises clients and prospects to carefully review all claims and representations made by advisors, bloggers, money managers and system vendors before investing any funds or opening an account with any Forex dealer. None of the blogs or other sources of information is to be considered as constituting a track record. Clients and prospects are advised to carefully consider the opinions and analysis offered in the blogs or other information sources in the context of the client or prospect's individual analysis and decision making. Educate yourself on the risks associated with foreign exchange trading and seek advice from an independent financial or tax advisor if you have any questions.įOREXLIVE™ is not an investment advisor, FOREXLIVE™ provides references and links to selected blogs and other sources of economic and market information as an educational service to its clients and prospects and does not endorse the opinions or recommendations of the blogs or other sources of information. You could lose some or all your initial investment do not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. Before you decide to trade foreign exchange, carefully consider your investment objectives, experience level, and risk tolerance. Leverage creates additional risk and loss exposure. Foreign exchange trading carries a high level of risk that may not be suitable for all investors.