World War II marked the coming of age of Canada as a political actor on the
world scene. The war and immediate postwar years also temporarily alleviated
the twin problems perennially confronting Canadian decision makers: how to
manage the almost suffocating proximity of the United States and how to main-
tain some central control in an exceptionally loose confederation that included
"two founding peoples." During the war Canadians began to speak of their coun-
try as a "middle power," neither a great power nor a small power. The term sug-
gested a particular kind of role which Canada could play, and in fact it has
become the archetypical middle power.

Canadians have always been perplexed about their identity as a nation and the
role of Canada as a state. In contrast to the United States, Canada became a fully
sovereign state without having to fight for its independence. Except for memo-
ries of the War of 1812, there was no bloody armed conflict to provide emotional
support for the new country at its founding. In the twentieth century, however,
Canada's contribution in two world wars earned it recognition as a significant
actor in world politics.

The British North America Act of 1867 brought together under one national
roof most of the separate colonial governments and provided Canada with a con-
stitution that apportioned power between provinces and the central government.
The act thereby acknowledged Canada's right to self-government, but it con-
ferred no status in foreign affairs. Canada's foreign relations continued to be con-
ducted by Britain, not always to the satisfaction of the Canadians.

Recognition of Canada's independent role in world affairs took place in small
symbolic steps as Canadian leaders began to claim a separate voice in relations
with other countries. In 1871 the Canadian prime minister signed the Treaty of
Washington, which had been concluded between the United States and Britain to
settle disputes arising out of the American Civil War, but he was disappointed not
to have achieved Canadian objectives with respect to some issues arising with the
United States, including the fisheries question. In 1909 the Canadian government
established a small Department of External Affairs to acquire information inde-
pendent of that supplied by Britain. In that year also the Boundary Waters Treaty
was signed, the first agreement Canada negotiated on its own with the United
States; under it the International Joint Commission was established to study envi-
ronment problems affecting the shared waters and to recommend action. The first

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