Suez became an important moment in Canada's effort to act as a middle power distinct from Britain, including Lester B. Pearson's role in organising a United Nations peacekeeping force. Australia and New Zealand had security links that made reliable canal access more immediately important. South Africa remained quietly sympathetic to Britain without committing itself, while Canada depended less on the canal for its own defence. The Commonwealth response reflected geography and security needs rather than a single shared view of imperial loyalty.
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Canadian Peacekeeping and a Divided Commonwealth
The discussion places Canada's peacekeeping initiative beside the different strategic interests of the Commonwealth states.