Abstract:

The enigmatic General Charles Foulkes was the prime mover behind Canadian strategy and national security policy during the first fifteen years of the Cold War. A NATO power broker, he operated behind the scenes and with a low profile, Foulkes had the ears and counsel of American military leaders including Curtis LeMay, Lauris Norstad, Omar Bradley, and even Dwight D. Eisenhower. Foulkes influenced the direction of NATO strategy as the Alliance attempted to deal with the advent of thermonuclear weapons. This chapter explains how Foulkes operated and what his agenda was during those dangerous days.