This dissertation examines Canada's foreign relations with India from 1941-1976. During the early period, the bilateral relationship had all the hallmarks of a unique partnership as both countries cooperatively transformed the Commonwealth into a multiracial body. Soon after, both Ottawa and New Delhi worked closely at the United Nations to keep the Korean War contained while seeking a peaceful compromise to the conflict. The thesis concludes in the mid-1970s when diverging foreign policies of both parties created a clear rift, and bilateral relations ultimately soured over the Indochina Commissions and the question of nuclear proliferation. This dissertation argues that despite descriptions of a 'special relationship,' by the mid 1970s, the cooperation that characterized the early period had dissipated as neither country was willing to accommodate the interests of the other. This inability to compromise, starkly influenced by the diverging Cold War perspectives of both countries, precluded significant cooperation on issues such as the Indochina Commissions and on the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Consequently, Canadian policy-makers exacerbated the rift by placing relations with India on the periphery throughout much of the Cold War until Ottawa's nuclear proliferation concerns sparked the collapse of bilateral relations in 1976.
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