Lesson 13 — Activity 3: The War Led to More Independence


Warm Up


By the end of the First World War, many changes had occurred in Canada and in the way it was viewed by other nations, especially Great Britain.

In this activity, you will learn that World War I resulted in Canada's earning the right to determine its own role in international affairs.


flags

After the War:


  • Canada had gained more respect from other countries
  • Canadians felt pride in their country because of the war effort
  • Canada gained more confidence, independence, and power because it had provided a successful war effort
  • Britain acknowledged Canada's tremendous war contribution and wanted to reward this effort



In 1931, Britain passed the Statute of Westminster that finally gave Canada and several other British nations complete control over their own affairs. What had been known as the British Empire now was referred to as the Commonwealth of Nations.

british commonwealth  


Another major change was that bills passed in Canada no longer had to be sent to London to be approved by the British Parliament. 

A more significant part of this Statute was that it granted Canada the right to determine and manage its own foreign affairs. This meant that when interacting with other countries, Canada could now decide and act on its own position rather than being required to follow Great Britain. Now Canada could choose whether it wanted to participate in a war, instead of automatically having to go to war. Canada could act on the international scene as an independent country.