Gallery 4 A Violent Peace

The Cold War, Peacekeeping, and Recent Conflicts,
1945 to the present

Canadian military personnel return from the Second World War to dreams of prosperity and lasting peace. But the suburban bliss of a post-war kitchen at the entrance to Gallery 4 soon gives way to the nuclear age, the threat posed by the Soviet Union, and the onset of the Cold War. The post-war world is one of vigilance, obligation, and service abroad with like-minded allies – in violent combat, tense observation, or complex negotiations. The Cold War spawns international peacekeeping and numerous wars, a global arms race and an anti-nuclear movement. It inspires rock songs, board games, comic books, and literature. You'll be challenged to think about family life under the nuclear threat, the balance between security and civil liberties, and the difficulties of maintaining peace abroad. From the atom bomb to Afghanistan, what has Canada done and said in war and peace? Why? And what should it do next?