Canada’s Road to Autonomy in the
1920s and 1930s:
Canada’s Ongoing Battle to Achieve
Full Independence from Great
Britain
Canada’s Path to Autonomy
1920’s – major steps toward full autonomy
“complete control over its own affairs”
Different path than the United States
Peaceful vs. Violent
World War I was a major turning point for
Canada.
What you will learn today
Key Events that led to Canada’s freedom from Britain
(known as Autonomy!)
The significance of events contributing to national
autonomy,
1) creation of the Canadian Corps in WWI
2) Paris Peace Conference/League of Nations
3) Halibut Treaty
4) King/Byng Crisis
5) Statute of Westminster
Road to Canadian Autonomy
Began with:
1) Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF – Canadian
Military)
2) CEF were not split up & integrated with British (rather,
they fought as a Canadian Unit)
3) CEF Victories in Important Battles (Vimy Ridge, 100
Days Offensive)
a) The successful role Canada played in WW1 allowed
PM Borden to fight for Canada’s autonomy at the end
of WW1
Next Big Step to Autonomy:
Recognition on International Stage
1) Canada earned a seat at the Paris Peace
conference (instead of being represented by
Britain)
2) Canada signed Treaty of Versaille
3) Earned a seat in the League of Nations
** All 3 of these events recognized Canada as a
independent country (instead of a colony of
Britain)
1922: Chanak Crisis
1) British sent troops to Turkey because they feared
Turkey might occupy the port of Chanak and attack
Europe.
2) Prime Minister Mackenzie King told
Britain they would not automatically
send troops.
** This showed increasing independence from Britain.
Canada begins to make their OWN decisions **
Road to Autonomy
1923: Halibut Treaty
-The first treaty negotiated by Canada,
independent of Britain.
- Before this Canada had always turned to
Britain to agree to any international agreements
they made.
- When informed of the treaty, Britain wished to
sign the treaty along with Canada, as it had in
the past,
-**BUT Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon
Mackenzie King resisted.
-**He said the treaty was only a concern
between Canada and USA
The King-Byng Crisis 1926
King = PM Mackenzie King
Byng = Gov. Gen. Julian Byng
vs.
King
Byng
King/Byng Crisis
• Controversy in 1925 election.
– PM Mackenzie King asked Governor
General Byng to call another election.
– Gov. Gen. Byng refused.
– Eventually an election took place (1926)
but only after non-confidence vote
– PM King told all Canadians it was
UNDEMOCRATIC for a British Gov.
Gen to not follow wishes of Canadian
PM
– King WON…and since then NO
Governor General has EVER acted
against the wishes of PM
Road to Autonomy
1926: Imperial Conference & Balfour
Report
-At Imperial Conference, all dominions
(former colonies) requested Autonomy
-Lord Balfour (British) examined request
& agreed
Balfour Report: Acknowledged that
dominions were autonomous from Britain.
Governor General was simply a
representative.
Balfour report led to the Statute of
Westminster
Statute of Westminster
1931: Statute of Westminster Recognized in law
the Balfour report that had made Canada an
autonomous nation at the Imperial Conference.
Canada recognized as a commonwealth country
completely free and sovereign.