Hegemonic hug, Canada and the reordering of North American relations, 1963-68

Abstract

This thesis explores Canada's official relations with the United States between 1963 and 1968. During this crucial period, when the postwar international order crumbled, Canada and the United States faced fundamental choices about their future relationship. The most important developments were economic. The negotiation of the Auto Pact, extensive tariff reductions, and increasingly close financial ties created a more structured and formal economic relationship, reinforcing Canada's continental orientation. At the same time, shifting strategic priorities led the two governments to reassess their close postwar alliance. Carefully, and with due regard for American interests, Ottawa adopted new military and diplomatic postures that were designed to reflect a unique Canadian perspective on world affairs. Acknowledging this development as legitimate and inevitable, American policy-makers realistically adjusted their policies toward Canada. Consequently, despite profound differences over the conflict in Vietnam and growing Canadian nationalism, Canada and the United States found ways to accommodate each other's interests in ways that minimized bilateral disruptions.