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Canadian Independence
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Vimy Ridge
Vimy Ridge 1917
The Vimy Ridge battle was a defining victory in Canadian history because it showed Canada’s independence. The battle occurred during the first WW 1 in Germany. This is when Arthur Currie the Canadian commander, who was famous for the strategic planning for the battle had said, "I thought then, and I think today, that in those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation”. -
Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles 1919
The treaty of Versailles is a peace agreement treaty signed after WW 1. The treaty was created by the League of Nations, which Canada was originally not included in because it was one of Britain’s Colonies. The people on The League of Nations believed that even though Canada was in the war it would still give Britian an unfair advantage when it came to voting. However, later on, Canada fought to be involved in the treaty and looked at as an independent country. -
Chanak Affair
Chanak Affair 1922
After WW 1 the French and British forces occupied Turkey, by 1920 treaties had been signed and the troops relocated to a few key areas. One of these areas was Chanak, Greece; in 1922 Turkish troops defeated the Greek troops and advanced toward the British troops. At that point, the British were outnumbered, so the Prime Minister of Britain called upon Britain’s colonies to help. William Lyon Mackenzie King refused to send Canadian Troops to help the British forces against the -
The Halibut Treaty
The Halibut Treaty 1923
The halibut treaty was an agreement made between America and Canada about the fishing rights in the northern Pacific Ocean. The treaty was necessary because the fish were becoming endangered due to overfishing in that region. This was an important part in Canadian History because it was the first treaty made that Britain did not have to co sign. This was because King believed that this treaty did not involve Britain, and therefore Canada did not require their involvement -
The king-Byng Crisis
The King-Byng Crisis 1926
During the Federal election in October 1925, King and Byng were both popular candidates for the federal election in October. Byng was very popular in Canada however; people believed that his actions undermined Canadian autonomy. These lead too many debates involving Byng actions which changed Britain’s and Canada’s relationship. -
The Balfour Report
The Balfour Report 1926
Lord Balfour wrote a report that stated that Britain’s controlled countries; Canada, South Africa, Austria, New Zealand and the Irish Free State were now autonomous communities and had the same status as the British Empire and were all capable of supporting themselves. This contributed to Canada’s independence because it basically proved to not only Britain, but many other colonies, that Canada could be an autonomous country. -
Statue of Westminster
The statute of Westminster 1931
The Balfour report redefined Canadian history when the report was passed as a law. This caused the British parliament to officially recognize that their colonies were equal in status. However, Canada still remained involved in a relationship with Britain but was an independent country. This basically made Canada’s already existing independence official.
