Relations With Great Britain a CHC2D Canadian History presentation

The League Of Nations formed in 1920, it was to designed to seek peaceful resolutions to conflicts between nations

The League of Nations was not fully effectual: members didn’t like working together — and the u.s.a. refused to join

CANADA was isolationist because it was far more concerned with what happened in its own borders there were fears of more anti- government sentiment if they got involved like during the conscription crisis it did not want the League to interfere with its growing relationships with the U.S. to the south

GREAT BRITAIN was the problem because, as a dominion, canada could only decide what they did inside its borders

SIR ROBERT BORDEN IS SUCCEEDED BY ARTHUR MEIGHAN, WHO BELIEVES THAT CANADA SHOULD FOLLOW BRITAIN

CONSERVATIVE ARTHUR MEIGHAN IS DEFEATED BY LIBERAL WILLIAM LYON MACKENZIE KING IN THE 1921 ELECTION

TURKEy THREATENS CHANAK in 1922, turkey threatens to occupy nearby chanak and great britain announces canada stands with it

Britain’s announcement was made before Canada was consulted — which made Canadians very angry Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King knew that Canadians would not be willing to go to war again just three years after the Great War Britain itself really didn’t want to go to war, and this helped lead to the end of Prime Minister Lloyd George’s government Canada, for the first time, was not following the lead of its mother country CHANAK CRISIS

HALIBUT TREATY of 1923 canada signs a deal over fishing with the united states

since dominions did not have autonomy in foreign affairs, the treaty (though negotiated by Canada) required a representative from Great Britain come and sign the treaty in Washington — because Canada could not sign for itself Canada told Great Britain that a representative was not needed — their ambassador was perfectly capable of signing the treaty for Canada this was the first time Canada was making agreements with other countries on its own Halibut treaty of 1923

The King-Byng Crisis happens in 1926

Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King loses the election to Arthur Meighan but refuses to step down as the government of Canada King himself did not win his own seat! King gets the Progressive party to sit with his government without taking any seats in cabinet, thus giving King an effective minority rule Viscount Byng of Vimy is the Governor General and he gets King to agree to let Meighan rule if his government should fall The King-Byng Crisis

a few months later, King’s minister of Customs & Excise is found to have taken bribes to let things get into the country though King had already replaced Jacques Bureau, he had asked that Bureau be put in the Senate — and this angered the Progressives enough that they stopped backing the government King asks Byng to dissolve the government and go to election but Byng refuses because of their previous agreement

after a few days of tense talking, King resigns and Meighan has to take power under the rules of Parliament, Meighan has to make each new cabinet minister run for office again, so he creates non-portfolio positions in order to avoid having months without ministers the Progressives are furious and join the Liberals in forcing the government to be dissolved King gets his election as originally wanted… and wins this time

the refusal by British-appointed Byng to abide by the wishes of Canada’s elected leaders raises tensions over the role of the British in Canadian affairs this helps lead to…

The Imperial Conference (pictured are the p.m.s of newfoundland, new zealand, australia, south africa, Ireland, [seated]: U.k. & canada — with the king in between)

meetings of the dominion leaders in 1926, it was run by Lord Balfour Canada is not the only dominion upset with British interference: they are joined by Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in demanding greater autonomy in their own land the Balfour Report leads the British Parliament to enact the… The Imperial Conference

Statute Of Westminster in 1931

the document gives official recognition of autonomy for the dominions Canada may now have complete control over everything that happens in its borders — except changes to the Constitution The Statute Of Westminster

Governor Generals change from representing Britain’s presence to being deciding votes on constitutional matters the new dominion status changes the British Empire into the British Commonwealth

The Commonwealth is still deeply connected to Britain to this day before Prince George was born, Britain had to get the Commonwealth’s permission to change the line of succession from oldest male to oldest child… so that, if Prince William and Duchess Katherine had a daughter, she would become Queen instead of deferring to her younger brother (like had been done in the past) The Commonwealth