Representation and recognition: Anglo-American influence on the evolution of Canadian autonomy after Versaille

This dissertation examines the diplomatic process whereby Canada attained full recognition as a sovereign nation following World War I. Most historians credit this autonomous evolution to the efforts of the Canadian government to assert Canada's identity within the empire and, failing that, to remove Canada entirely from the fetters of a unified foreign policy. Drawing upon extensive research from British, American and Canadian diplomatic sources, this dissertation supports an alternative hypothesis which stresses Great Britain's positive contribution to Canada's attainment of full sovereignty. Far from being steadfast in the pursuit of foreign policy independence, the evidence suggests that Canada achieved sovereignty by 1923 in spite of hesitant, passive and confusing actions and decisions. Fresh material on the Anglo-Canadian discussions of Canadian representation in Washington captures British efforts to accommodate Canadian diplomatic desires. As well, Canadian reluctance to appoint a representative to Washington reinforced the impression within the United States that Canada remained an appendage of a diplomatically unified British Empire. Discussion of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance reveals that internal confrontations within the British government represent a more significant factor in the decision to abrogate than Canada's claim of regional priority. Internal foreign policy debate within Canada also receives considerable attention. The observations regarding the crucial foreign policy roles played by Loring Christie and O. D. Skelton provide a significant contribution to the topic. Skelton, in particular, exerted a profound influence on Mackenzie King's aspirations for diplomatic independence. King's subsequent reaction to the Chanak crisis prevented him from recognizing Great Britain's increasing preference for the process of devolution within the empire. The fulfillment of this mutual but misconstrued wish occurred during debate over the Halibut Treaty in 1923 wherein a clandestine diplomatic initiative caused the United States to alter its perception and policy with regard to Canadian sovereignty. In the end, this dissertation sheds new light on the complexity of Anglo-American-Canadian relations following World War I and raises anew the fundamental question of how meaningful and independent a small nation's foreign policy can be in a world inhabited by Great Powers.