1. Growing Canadian Autonomy 1914-1939
Official Canadian Flag:
Growing Canadian Autonomy

2. STATUS IN 1914 we were a “dominion” or “colony” of Great Britain
had no control over any decision regarding foreign affairs
we were not a sovereign nation;
a sovereign nation is a nation in control of all of its domestic and foreign policies
in 1914, when Britain declared war—we went to war; it was not our decision
the Governor-General, the crown’s representative on Canadian soil, signed off on any treaty, before it was official

3. 1914-1918 1917: Vimy Ridge 1918: Last 100 Days
At Vimy, all Canadian divisions fought together under a Canadian general: Arthur Currie
At Vimy, Canadians won the “only significant victory for the Allies” in 1917
Currie is knighted and promoted to command the entire Canadian corps
Currie is brought in to co-plan future battles with the British General Haig
fought as a nation
spearheaded the attack that broke the German line
liberated Belgium

4. TREATY of VERSAILLES: 1919
LEAGUE of NATIONS: 1919
PM Borden “demanded” that Canada be represented as a separate nation at the meetings and at the official signing of the treaty
given 2 seats at Treaty of Versailles conference, independent of Britain
joined the League of Nations as its own member
first time took independent multilateral action(action in co-op with many other countries)

5. When British troops stationed near Chanak, the Dardanelles (see map below), were threatened with attack by the Turks who sought to reclaim territory, they asked for help from all their dominions, including Canada
1921: Chanak Affair
Britain called for military assistance from dominions in a dispute with Turkey
King insisted that Canadian involvement be debated in Parliament
Parliament agreed to send troops, but by the time this had happened, the dispute had been settled
very different from 1914, when our military assistance was expected and given without any debate

6. 1923: Halibut Treaty negotiated a fishing agreement with US
Uncle Sam: “What I cut off goes to you Johnnie Canuck and what’s left belongs to me.”
1923: Halibut Treaty
negotiated a fishing agreement with US
PM King refused to allow the Governor-General to sign off on it, saying that it had nothing to do with Britain
established Cdn right to take independent diplomatic action

7. KING/BYNG AFFAIR: 1926
-in 1926, PM King asked Byng, the Governor-General, to dissolve parliament and call a federal election -Byng refused and King was infuriated that “an appointed British official was determining when Canadian elections could be made” -when the election was finally held, King made Canadian nationalism the focus of his election campaign -he won the election with a majority and set out to restrict the powers of the Governor-General
Governor General Byng
PM Mackenzie King

8. The Balfour Report: 1926
recommended that the dominions achieve full power over foreign, domestic, political and economic decisions
dominions remain a part of the “Commonwealth of Nations” but as EQUALs
Britain not a “mother” but a “brother” or “sister”
King and other Canadian delegates representing Canada at the Imperial Conference in in London, England. Other nations included New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.

9. STATUTE of WESTMINSTER: 1931
in 1931 the British Parliament passed the Statute of Westminster
all of the conditions proposed in the 1926 Balfour Report were were made into law with this statute
under it, Canada was now officially an “autonomous community…equal in status” and “in no way subordinate…in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs” to Britain
as such it was a major milestone for Canadian sovereignty

10. Sept 1939: WWII Begins
3 Sept 1939: France and Britain declare war on Germany
PM Mackenzie King summoned the Canadian parliament to an emergency session
one week later, 10 Sept 1939, Canada declared war on Germany
It was the first time that Canada had declared war on its own behalf