Canada Between The Wars: The Interwar Years 1919-1939

• At the Paris Peace Conference, USA President Woodrow Wilson persuaded those in attendance to adopt a notion of establishing a collective security through a community of nations – all in the name of a new world order – known as the League of Nations

• Wilson felt that achievement of world security would come as a result of this “community of nations” which would “guarantee one another’s safety”

• Attack one country, would be seen as anattack on many…

The League of Nations

• Last of Wilson’s 14 points stated that:– “a general association of nations must be formed

under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike…”• This was needed to gain collective security

• Wilson, regarded as the founder of the League of Nations, insisted that the inclusion of the Covenant of the League of Nations be in all peace treaties

Expansion of Wilson’s 14 points

• Main objective for L.O.N. was to preserve the peace of the world, this was to be achieved by:

• International Cooperation– Members committed to promoting international cooperation through

international association• Arbitration

– Members promise not to go to war until disputes sent to arbitration (third party ruling on two party disagreement)

• Collective Security– Members promise to help any ally who was a victim of aggression.

Hoped that aggression would be halted & halted through sanctions vs force. • L.O.N. we obligated to cut off trade with aggressive countries

Formation and Structure

• Good in theory, but it didn’t “work”…• Top two reasons include: 1. Membership of the League never represented the

whole community of nations• Originally Germany and Soviet Union were not members, the

real kicker = USA refused to ratify Versailles and consequently were not a member of L.O.N.– USA was against German penalties, signed their own treaty in 1921

2. The league had no adequate means of enforcing its will on offenders

– Break the rules, whatcha gunna do about it?

Assessment of the League

League of Nations

• One thing that came from the initial onset of the L.O.N. was the fact that there was a general feeling of optimism

• This led people to believe that war could be prevented– Current day United Nations operates with no such

idealistic illusion… War is always a reality

Some “good” came of it…

• Canada in the 20s, after the war• Despite the fact that the war was over, 4 years of horrors left

behind, Canadian soldiers still found themselves facing numerous difficulties:– It took years for some to actually make their way home; shipping was

inadequate– Soldiers wanted more $$ in the form of pensions etc; soldiers felt they

were worth more than they got– Adjusting to “normal” life was difficult; what had been important

before the war just didn’t seem as such after– French-English relations had forever changed; the conscription issue

had torn the “country in two”, resentment would affect an entire generation…

Canada during the Interwar Years…

• Despite the difficult adjustments faced by soldiers on their return from Europe, there were many positive changes that occurred in Canada

• The Economy was booming, women had gained the vote, and optimism that the horrors of war being gone was high

• Through numerous interventions and activities, Canadian life in the 20s had a lot to look forward to…

1920s Canada: Social Changes

• Canadians began to participate in numerous activities, some of which have remained – and seem extremely common place – to this day…– Summertime: picnics, corn roasts, and clam bakes were

on the up and up. “Riding the rapids” and going to the horse races were also experiencing new born popularity

– Wintertime: Going to the movies, and engaging in skiing and skating were becoming sports of choice

• Living life to the fullest was more of a consideration than ever before…

Social Changes: Types of Activities

Social Changes: Art• The most famous group of

Canadian artists from the 1920s was the Group of Seven– These seven rejected realism

(represent subject matter truthfully), using bold strokes, heavy paint, and contrast in their paintings

– These artists believed “that a distinct Canadian art could be developed through direct contact with nature”; painting the Canadian landscape, particularly the north was their style of choice…

• One of Canada’s most famous artists, and an “unofficial” member of the Group of Seven was Emily Carr

• Sketched and painted scenes of the forests around Victoria, BC as well as studied local aboriginal culture.

• Emily Carr Institute of Art, Design, & Media– Granville Island

Canadian Art in the 1920s

• In the 1920s the popularity of three miraculous inventions forever changed the lives of Canadians

• The Radio, the Airplane, and the Automobile were to change the Canadian landscape forever…

– Radio: News and information, Foster Hewitt & CBC Radio– Airplane: WWI technology that was applied to travel and carrying

more than just weapons– Automobile: Created jobs, enabled Canadians to drive from sea to

sea. Also a major force in the development of suburbs

Social Changes: Inventions

• Before WWI Canada experienced a unprecedented boom in immigration– Settlement was located on the Prairies and experienced benefits

from the expansion of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in the 1880’s

• This “boom” experienced a lull due to an amendment to the Immigration Act in 1919– Canada was closed to people coming from “enemy” countries,

emphasis was geared towards British and American immigrants– More people leaving than coming in; between 1915 and 1925

Canada had 400,000 more people leaving than coming to stay

Social Changes: Immigration

• Canadian farmers urged the government to introduce a less restrictive immigration policy– PM Mackenzie King lowered barriers to European immigration

• CPR spent more money trying to lure immigrant groups from the United States and Europe during this time

• Further to this Railway led initiative, Pier 21 was a portal to Canadian immigration– Halifax, NS was the focal point for European immigration by boat– 1,000s of people would arrive at a time, processed in groups of

250• 1927: top 5 immigration countries for Canada: Scotland,

England, Poland, the United States, and Ireland

Changes to Immigration Policy