A Light in the Window: Canada, Race, and South African Apartheid, 1958-1994

Daniel Manulak, The University of Western Ontario

Abstract

This dissertation is an international history of Canada and South African apartheid from 1958-1994. Based on multi-archival research and interviews with policymakers, diplomats, and pro- and anti-apartheid activists, it investigates how race informed the worldview of decision-makers and, in turn, shaped policy towards apartheid. By highlighting the formative role of racial perceptions in orienting Canada’s response to apartheid, this thesis addresses why Canada was so engaged on an issue seemingly peripheral to its national interests. In so doing, it shows how race and the liberal order are deeply intertwined and offers a fresh approach to the study of Canada’s international history.