Diefenbaker's Conservatives inherited Cold War commitments made by St. Laurent's Liberals. Dief cancelled the development an all-Canadian supersonic fighter, the AVRO "Arrow" because of its huge expense, but at heavy political cost. The death of the Arrow led to the acquisition of American weapon systems, including the Bomarc surface-to-air missile, but the Diefenbaker government hesitated to arm the Bomarcs with the nuclear warheads for which they were designed.
Diefenbaker and John F. Kennedy clashed. Men of completely different generations and styles, Dief and JFK had little in common, and their personal relationship quickly deteriorated after Kennedy became President in 1960. Relations between their governments were not far behind.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Diefenbaker wavered, refusing at first to support tough US action against the Soviet Union despite his strong personal anti-Communism. When his government had still not resolved its nuclear weapons policy by 1963, it was defeated in the House of Commons and then by the voters. To Diefenbaker, the loss was evidence that Kennedy and his cronies had conspired with the Liberals to get rid of him.
Narrated by: Mary Lou Finlay
Film resources: CBC/NFB
Graphic: Cuban Missile Sites United States Department of Defense
