Canadian Independence Interwar Years, 1919-1939

King + Canadian Sovereignty Mackenzie King, the new PM of Canada (Liberal), moves away from British control and towards Canadian autonomy/sovereignty.

King + Canadian Sovereignty Autonomy/Sovereignty = independence: a country’s or region’s right or condition of self-government; the full right and power of a governing body to govern itself without any interference from outside sources or bodies.

The Moves to Canadian Sovereignty 1922 – King refuses to support Britain invasion of Turkey. 1923 – International Treaty signed without British representation. 1925 – The King-Byng Crisis. 1931 –The Balfour Report/Statute of Westminster.

Background Information: Independent? Although Canada had its own government, foreign policy was still controlled by London. Foreign policy = how a nation interacts with another country (treaties, trade, agreements).

Background: More Independence! At the end of WW1 = Canada had its own seat on the League of Nations + signed the Treaty of Versailles as an independent signatory at the Paris Peace Conferences (also had a separate seat from Britain at the PPC). After WWI, Canada wanted greater control over its foreign policy – had proven itself at war.

The Chanak Crisis, 1922 Britain sent troops to Turkey because they feared that Turkey might occupy the port of Chanak and thus get easy access to Europe. Prime Minster King stated that only the Canadian Parliament would decide to send troops if Britain went to war; it was not upon Britain’s request/demand or Britain’s decision.

The Chanak Crisis Significance The significance: This was the first time that Canada refused unconditional support for imperial/British war policies.

The Halibut Treaty, 1923 Canada and the U.S. negotiated a treaty to protect halibut stocks in B.C. and Alaska. The treaty established the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) as a mechanism for the joint management of the Pacific.

The Halibut Treaty: A Victory Canada negotiated without a British official involved, although the British protested this. It was seen as a victory in independent diplomacy for Mackenzie King, and a key argument at the upcoming Imperial Conference.

The King-Byng Crisis, 1925 PM King and the Liberal Party won fewer seats than the Conservatives Party in 1925, yet King had support of the Progressive Party so he refused to resign. King, however, must have support of the House of Commons in order to remain in power, to have responsible government (democratic; government responsible to the people).

The King & Byng King wanted to hold an new election (dissolve parliament) in Canada in 1925 because he thought he was losing support of the Progressive Party. But the Governor General (GG; Britain's representative in Canada), Lord Byng of Vimy, rejected the call because he felt that King should have resigned earlier. The GG was following the current rules.

King Says Goodbye . . . For Now King resigned. King used this event as an opportunity to whip up nationalistic sentiment in Canada by claiming that it was “undemocratic” for an official appointed by Britain to refuse an order by the Canadian PM.

(The) King Returns! The Conservative Party soon failed, and in a new election, King was again elected (re-elected) as PM.

The King-Byng Crisis Significance The significance: This was the first time that a GG had refused the request of a PM to dissolve parliament (end the current government). This crisis helped to define the future role of the GG in Canada = GG had no power, a figurehead.

The Balfour Report, 1926 at the Imperial Conference During the Imperial Conference of 1926, Britain's “white” colonies/dominions (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada) wanted more power (autonomy) in their own countries.

The Balfour Report: Acknowledged Autonomy The Balfour Report acknowledged that the dominions were autonomous (independent) communities within the British Empire and that the Canadian GG was only a representative of the British monarch.

The Balfour Report’s Significance The significance: At the conference it was distinctly made known that Canada was in no way subordinate to Britian = they were equals.

The Statute of Westminster, 1931 In 1931, to legalize the Balfour Report, the Statute of Westminster was created. The British colonies/dominions were now given equal status. The British Empire was now called the British Commonwealth of Nations = (common wealth – literally).

The Statute of Westminster’s Significance The significance: This statute gave formal recognition that Canada could control its own foreign affairs.

But . . . Canada’s Court of Appeal remained in GB until 1949. Canada’s constitution (the BNA of 1867) remained in Britain (until 1982 when it was brought “home”) because there was no agreement on an amending (changing) formula.

Wider Implication of the Treaty of Westminster British Empire became the British Commonwealth of Nations. Applied to Dominions of Canada, Newfoundland and New Zealand. Commonwealth of Australia. Union of South Africa. The Irish Free State (Republic of Ireland in 1949).

Canadian Independence: Conclusions The Interwar Years was an unprecedented time for Canadian Independence. We truly saw ourselves as Canadians and acted as such in various international affairs. We would continue on this path in the years ahead.