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Alliances Military alliances were agreements between two or more military factions; related to wartime planning, commitments, or contingencies; such agreements were both defensive and offensive. Military alliances often involved non-military agreements, in addition to their primary purpose. Canada's status as a colony of the British Empire provided a measure of collective security. Even after Canada gained legislative independence via the Statue of Westminster in 1931, strong ties to the United Kingdom remained. During the world wars, Canada belonged to large coalitions united in their efforts to prosecute the wars to successful conclusions. The NATO alliance was established in 1949 specifically to provide military security to its members, in the face of a perceived threat from the Warsaw Pact. After the Second World War, the creation of the United Nations also provided a means for collective military operations, most notably in the Korean War. The UN also provided the framework for Canada's peacekeeping missions, beginning in 1949. |
