Duty to Empire and National Interest: Sir Robert Borden and British Dominion Relations 1909-1933

Abstract

Sir Robert Borden's legacy in Canadian history is related to his tenure as Prime Minister during the Great War and into the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. This narrative examines Borden's decisions and actions related to Canada's Imperial co-operation immediately prior to, during and after the war, with a focus on the contentious issues inherent in the numerous proclaimed British 'emergencies' and the political dilemmas that Borden had to deal with, as well as the machinations he conceived to attempt to resolve those issues in his favour. It is posited that Borden's political motivations were underpinned by a British Imperialist ideology, although his decisions were tempered or altered by consideration of the legal implications, and sometimes his personal convictions, and certainly after the war by the realization that the co-operation he leveraged for a greater voice in British foreign relations matters was a work in progress.