Transcript Canada and the British Empire

Foreign Affairs in the Early
20th Century
Introduction
• Canada’s relationship with Britain was a source of
pride and conflict
• Most English Canadians felt a sense of loyalty to
Britain
• French Canadians felt no sense of
loyalty to either France or Britain &
wanted Canada to act independently
• Canada’s Prime Minister was Sir Wilfrid Laurier
– PM from 1896-1911
– 1st French Canadian PM
– spent much of his time as PM trying
to balance the needs of French &
English Canadians
Part of the British Empire
• Canada’s ties to Britain were strong
• At the front of every classroom hung a
portrait of the British monarch ~ King
Edward VII
• Each morning school children
sang “God Save the King”
• Canadians felt pride that Canada
was the biggest country in the
largest Empire the world has ever
seen
French Canadians
• unhappy being part of Great Britain’s
Empire
Boer War
1899 ~ South Africa
Britain became embroiled in a conflict with
Afrikaner settlers
• called for & expected Canadian troops to help
them win the war
• English Canadians felt strongly that Canada
should support Britain and send troops
• PM Laurier did not believe that the war was
important to Canada’s defense
– did not support sending troops
• French Canadians strongly agreed with Laurier...
Laurier’s Compromise
• Canada would recruit, equip and transport
1000 volunteers to South Africa but Britain would
have to pay for them
• Many of Laurier’s Quebec MPs (Henri Bourassa) quit
the Liberal Party in disgust believing that the Boer
War would be only the 1st of many imperial wars in
which Britain would request Canada’s help
• Riots occurred in Montreal between English
students at McGill University and French students at
University of Montreal over the Boer War
The Naval Crisis
• After the Boer War, Laurier avoided involving Canada
in the wars and defense of the British Empire
• By 1908 there was a growing arms race taking place
between Great Britain and Germany
• Most Canadians recognized that Canada benefited
from the strength of the British navy
• Debate in Canada
 Should Canada contribute to
the Empire’s defense or create its
own armed forces????
Another Compromise
May 1910 ~ Naval Service Act
Act that created a small Canadian navy that in
times of crisis could become part of the Imperial
navy
• In Quebec, French Canadians feared the naval
bill would commit Canadian ships and men to
every imperial conflict
• English Canadians called the bill “too little, too
late” and mocked the Royal Canadian navy
calling it a “tin pot navy”
Relations with the U.S.
• U.S. was growing in size & as a world power
• Britain wanted to ensure that it remained on
good terms with the United States in case of
a major war with Germany
• Britain’s influence in Canada’s relations with
the United States became complicated
The Alaska Boundary Dispute
1898 ~ Alaska / British Columbia
Border
the government of Canada, the U.S. &
Britain agreed to form a joint commission to
settle the border dispute
• The extent of the Alaska Panhandle had
been in dispute for decades and the gold
rush in the Yukon made the question of the
border urgent…

…The Alaska Boundary Dispute
• panel consisted of:
3 Americans + 2 Canadians + 1 Brit
• PM Laurier determined to maintain
Canadian territory
• in the end… the British member of the
panel sided with the US (to maintain good
relations with them)
– the border was set to the satisfaction &
advantage of the United States
Canada & the U.S.A.
• U.S. investment was playing an increasingly
important role in Canada’s economic
development
• By 1911, 60% of Canada’s imports came
from the U.S.
• In 1910, the U.S. government offered the
Canadian government a
RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT
– would allow free trade in natural resources
– allow Canada to keep its tariffs on manufactured
goods
Reciprocity Defeated
• Reciprocity unpopular in Ontario
– many Canadians saw the treaty as Canada turning its
back on Britain
• Laurier called an election to settle the issue
– in Quebec Laurier was criticized over the Naval Bill
– in Ontario Laurier was criticized over Reciprocity
• Only western farmers supported the agreement
September 1911  Liberals were defeated
& Conservative Robert Borden became
Prime Minister
Bibliography
• Google images
• textbook