Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-213879. Copyright: Expired
Canada and the Korean War: A Forgotten Ally in a Forgotten War
With nearly 30,000 boots on the ground in Korea, Canada fought in several key battles and engagements, provided naval and aerial support to the UN, and suffered hundreds of combat causalities. Although often overlooked or forgotten, the Korean War is a key chapter in the US-Canada relationship, in Canada’s modern military history, and in the record of Canada’s engagement with multilateral and collective security institutions.
Overview
Canadian armed forces fought in the Korean War alongside soldiers from the United States and other United Nations member states, helping to protect the Republic of Korea (South Korea) from repeated North Korean and Chinese encroachments south of the 38th Parallel.
With nearly 30,000 boots on the ground in Korea, Canada fought in several key battles and engagements, provided naval and aerial support to the UN, and suffered hundreds of combat causalities. Although often overlooked or forgotten, the Korean War is a key chapter in the US-Canada relationship, in Canada’s modern military history, and in the record of Canada’s engagement with multilateral and collective security institutions.
On the seventieth anniversary of one of the most notable episodes of Canadian involvement in the Korean War, the Battle of Kapyong, the Wilson Center’s Canada Institute and History and Public Policy Program are bringing together three leading specialists in Canada’s diplomatic and military history to examine the Canadian experience of this devastating conflict. What domestic and international forces drove Canada to participate in the UN intervention in Korea? How did the war shape or reshape the US-Canada relationship? What did Canada’s participation in the war look like? How did Canadian soldiers experience the conflict? What lingering issues did Canadian veterans face after the cessation of hostilities in 1953? And finally, how is the Korean War remembered in Canada today?
Speakers
Hosted By
History and Public Policy Program
The History and Public Policy Program makes public the primary source record of 20th and 21st century international history from repositories around the world, facilitates scholarship based on those records, and uses these materials to provide context for classroom, public, and policy debates on global affairs. Read more
Canada Institute
The mission of the Wilson Center's Canada Institute is to raise the level of knowledge of Canada in the United States, particularly within the Washington, DC policy community. Research projects, initiatives, podcasts, and publications cover contemporary Canada, US-Canadian relations, North American political economy, and Canada's global role as it intersects with US national interests. Read more
Indo-Pacific Program
The Indo-Pacific Program promotes policy debate and intellectual discussions on US interests in the Asia-Pacific as well as political, economic, security, and social issues relating to the world’s most populous and economically dynamic region. Read more
Cold War International History Project
The Cold War International History Project supports the full and prompt release of historical materials by governments on all sides of the Cold War. Through an award winning Digital Archive, the Project allows scholars, journalists, students, and the interested public to reassess the Cold War and its many contemporary legacies. It is part of the Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program. Read more
North Korea International Documentation Project
The North Korea International Documentation Project serves as an informational clearinghouse on North Korea for the scholarly and policymaking communities, disseminating documents on the DPRK from its former communist allies that provide valuable insight into the actions and nature of the North Korean state. It is part of the Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program. Read more
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