University of Windsor Scholarship at UWindsor Electronic Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Major Papers 1-1-1960 The prime ministership of R. B. Bennett: A view of his political significance. Leon Levine University of Windsor Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd Recommended Citation Levine, Leon, "The prime ministership of R. B. Bennett: A view of his political significance." (1960). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 6289. https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/6289 This online database contains the full-text of PhD dissertations and Masters’ theses of University of Windsor students from 1954 forward. These documents are made available for personal study and research purposes only, in accordance with the Canadian Copyright Act and the Creative Commons license—CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivative Works). Under this license, works must always be attributed to the copyright holder (original author), cannot be used for any commercial purposes, and may not be altered. Any other use would require the permission of the copyright holder. Students may inquire about withdrawing their dissertation and/or thesis from this database. For additional inquiries, please contact the repository administrator via email ([email protected]) or by telephone at 519-253-3000ext. 3208. TBE m m ® MINISTERSHIP 0? 1* B. BENNETTl A m m OF HIS POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE Snbinitted to tin Deoart&ent of History of Assuaptlon University of V&ndsor in partial famrUoent of the re^dmemta for the degree of Master of Arts by Leon Levine, B.A. Faculty of Bradnate Studies I960 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: EC52468 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. 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A B S T ti ti T this monograph is an inquiry into that five year period from 1930 to 193% especially the political events of the Prime Minister of the time, whose efforts through this most depressing era that Canadians lived through, have earned for him in many Canadian minds the most hitter sobriquets. The measures Bennett sought to enforce and the means by which he set about to sustain his policies resulted in a broad sense, in his ■defeat* The first chapter discusses Bennett*s attaining the leader­ ship of the Conservative Party in 192? and of his subsequent campaigns which won him the election in 1930* In the second chapter has been traced some of the highlights of his early policies especially the stand he took at the Imperial Conferences of 1930 and 1932, and his attempts at solving the many problems on the Canadian scene* The subject matter of chapter three consists of a discussion of t h e ' rise of new political forces on the federal scene, in particu­ lar the development of a combined labour-agrarian party* A comparison of the two principal statesmen of the North American continent at the time, Bennett and Roosevelt, of the aggressive policies of the latter, and Bennett*s changing attitudes comprise the subject matter of chapter four* ill Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The final year of Bennett’s administration, highlighted, by his celebrated' radio addresses, and the culminating election campaign which sat Bennett go down t o ' defeat are examined in chapter five. The final chapter contains a summary, conclusions and estimations of Dennett’s years as Canadian Prime Minister* As well, there is expressed some opinions as to the character of Bennett duiing these years. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. IHfHODUefIOH World War I had ended, Canadian development was evolving slowly toward a more responsible status as & nation. The Peace Treaty of Versailles saw Canada accept a role of not less than an equal partner to the conferences, The world states now had to re-evaluate the role of the British aspire* In fact, the British Efcpire in the mercantilist sense was almost a thing of the nineteenth century. After this first great war engulfing the powers of the entire globe, ’•CoBBWHMealth*' was the keynote, Canada as the principal factor upon which this gradual evolution was developing, thus grew in importance in the eyes of the world, Canada* a changing status can be attributed to many things. Primarily it was a sense of an awakening in the people of the country. Through their awareness, they were able to 3elect men to represent their views in government. Their opinions directly affected Canada* s evolution towards an awareness of self. At the end of the war, the Unionist government under Sir Robert Laird Borden began to fall apart, the reason for united action was past. War was no longer an issue, Lauxier, ill and aging, died in 1919, and the Liberal Party, in opposition, had the task of selecting a new leader, This was the question confronting the Liberal convention when in idle fall of 1919, despite the qualifications of v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. elder political hands, they chose the brilliant economist William lyen Mackenzie King* On the ether side of the political scene, parallel events appeared when Borden preferred hi® resignation to the UMonistmOonaer- vatlv© Party. This being accepted, the Party named Arthur Maighen to succeed M m . The Meighen government ■ m m into office in July of 1920, The last remains of Unionist eo-op«rttlon were at an end. Party politics a® such were to remain in ■their separate csrnps. the decade frern 1920 to 1930 sm the lines of Liberal and Conservative policy clearly drawn# At the same time that Unionist disintegration became apparent, the Conservative Party as such began to weaken* Meighen could not stop the trend. The dynamism of a revived Liberal Party headed by ©Lag appeared to draw more strength from the people. For most of the decade, King and the Liberals headed the government. The decline of the Unionists furthered the development of various other protest movements. During these ten years, these sectional protest groups remained to give rise to elements showing the tendency of a stress on the two party system. This was to erupt in the ensuing decade. They were to harass Canadian federal govern­ mental development by their local interests. Idtile many of these splinter group® were to become submerged in the two principal parties, others arose to pose the threat of another political force. When King secured a clear majority after the 1926 election vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. campaign, it was the first time that the liberals had a majority government since the days of Sir Wilfred Lauiler. Meighen, in defeat, decided upon .giving up the Conservative leadership* A new leader had to be chosen. In that fateful year of 1927, the Conservation conven­ tion selected a former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, and lately Minister of Finance in the short-lived Meighen government of 1926, Sichard Bedford Bennett. Bennett became the eighth official party leader to follow in the footsteps of Macdonald. Of Bennett, little could be discerned except that he was honest and forthright, and. a man who, it was hoped, would restore the confidence# of the declining fortunes of the Conservative Party. This paper is m attempt to east seme light on the roan wh.o was to lead Canada through the most trying years of the world depression. Above a H things, Bennett ©ought to act as the leader, both at home and abroad. This motivating force can be discerned in his rhetoric. In spite of new leaders and new interest inspired by the return to the party system as it was, prior to the war, there wa3 on© other factor which m s to play a prominent hole in delineating the Canadian political scene in the years ahead. England had played an outstanding role in the development of Canadian relations to no less an extent than had the United States, since the conclusion of the Treaty of Versailles. Imperial Conferences had enhanced Canada's role in the changing empire. Sot only that, but Canada was achieving international recognition as a nation of future prominence. 'The vti Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. United States gar® fonaal recognition to Canada‘s near status when ambassadors war© exchanged in that ewentfnl year of 1927* Just as the year of 1919 saw rapid change in the political hierarchy of the Liberal Party, so 1927 saw a parallel change in the Conservative Party. Despite the fact that there were two divergent political views, they were similar in one aspect, namely, the progressive development of Canada as a world nation. In 1929 this was the goal to be achieved. At Canada* s helm was the Liberal Party.