The eternal diplomat and the reluctant warrior: Canadian-American relations during the Vietnam War, 1964-1968

Abstract

Canadian-American relations between 1964 and 1968 were dominated by the Vietnam War in the foreign policy arena. The title of my thesis reflects the respective roles Canada and America assumed in Vietnam throughout the period under examination. President Lyndon Johnson reluctantly fought a war in Vietnam that continuously overshadowed his vision for far reaching domestic reform embodied in his Great Society Program. Canada, never a troop contributor, had maintained a diplomatic presence in Indochina on the International Control Commissions established by the 1954 Geneva Accords. Canada continued in this capacity throughout the conflict, consistently seeking a negotiated settlement, while maintaining its national image as a middle-power, peace-maker in the Cold War. My thesis examines these national roles and how they complimented or more usually combated each other. While Canada's and America's Vietnam policies forms the core of my thesis, I also examine the impact these policies had on Canadian-American relations generally.