Growth of Canada’s Politics and Government in the Formative Years of the Great Depression (1929 to 1939) & WWII (1939 to 1945)
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The Great Depression Event 1 - Canada Attempts to Change the League of Nations' Rules
An international organization established on Jan. 10, 1920, headquarters in Geneva, to provide a forum for resolving international disputes in hopes of avoiding war. More and more CDNs were adopting the belief that the role of Government should be limited to domestic concerns and avoid war (Isolationism). In 1929, CDN delegates were unsuccessful in the attempt to change League of Nations rules to unify and send troops to help other countries fight wars but became seen as an independent Nation. -
The Great Depression Event 2 - William Lyon Mackenzie King “a five cent piece” speech.
At this time during the Great Depression the provinces were the ones in charge of all unemployment. So the Conservatives called on the federal government to give them money to help the provinces with this issue. But King responded in a speech that he would not give a “five-cent piece” meaning he would not give money to any Conservative led province because he was from the Liberal party and did not align with their views. This cost him the next election when R.B Bennett a Conservative, became PM. -
The Great Depression Event 3 - Conservatives Set up Relief Camps
Relief camps set up across the country, away from cities/towns, to provide unemployed, homeless men with work, food, shelter and work clothes. They aimed to address the concern of many citizens that unemployed, homeless population would cause trouble in cities if allowed to remain unemployed there. People’s attitudes changed, from the government playing a limited role, after facing the realities of depression. So the government's role changed to accommodate this but not always successfully. -
WWII Event 1 - Formation of the CDN Womens Army Corps (CWAC)
Government and Military leaders changed their minds and let women join and serve in the military in non combat roles. They served in many jobs such as flying supply aircrafts, administration, communication, plane spotters, weather forecasters, mechanics, drivers, cooks, welders and nurses. This led to freeing up thousands of men so they could fight with the front lines and build strength in numbers which helped the British army win WWII in 1945. The role of women became more appreciated. -
WWII Event 2 - Canada Sets up Internment Camps to Hold Japanese-Canadians
A byproduct of the 1939 War Measures Act, intern camps were created in British Columbia in reaction to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in 1942. Japanese-Canadian males, age 18-45
became a major source of fear and anxiety for other Canadians and the government. The primary concern was Japanese-Canadians loyal to Japan would seek to help accomplish its ambitions to create a Japanese Empire and attack Canada from within and needed to be confined and monitored even though they did nothing wrong -
WWII Event 3 - King Administration Calls for a Plebiscite
In 1942, a special vote asked of CDNs by the King Administration to allow him to break his 1940 campaign promise and make conscription legal to bring an end to WWII. King had promised CDNs that he would not make military service mandatory. But as WWII claimed the lives of more and more CDNs, his government had no choice but to go back on that promise. In 1942, King made it mandatory for 16K men be sent overseas and fight in the European conflict. This divided English and French speaking CDNs. -
WWII Event 4 - Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the US, Visits Canada
F.D.R. paid a visit to King to work out a new trade agreement that would benefit both Canada and the United States. This would strengthen their bond and mutually benefit both countries by reducing costs to import/export goods. This reinforced Canada taking a role in their own affairs and that it could make decisions to form partnerships to benefit Canadians, independent of Great Britain.
