Canadian policy towards international institutions, 1939-1950

Thesis



This thesis is a study of the attitude of the Canadian Government towards the organization and operation of international institutions rather than a study of the policies pursued in them. Special emphasis is laid, upon two basic problems: the broad institutional framework of international society, dealt with in Part I, and the relationship of great and small states, the theme of part II. Each Part is prefaced by a brief analytical chapter (Chapters IX and VIII). Apart from the introductory chapter, the thesis is almost entirely confined to the period from the outbreak of war in 1939 to the immediate aftermath of the invasion of South Korea in 1950.

The opening chapter traces the development of Canadian policy towards international institutions from the early days after Confederation to the post- war period. During the inter-war years, the primary appeal of tie League of Nations to Canada was as a means of asserting her international status. At the same time, she was most reluctant to assume international responsibilities, particularly obligations to impose automatic military sanctions against an aggressor. Early in the Second World War, her attitude began to change, and she earns to accept not only the principle of collective security but also the need to play her full part in it. The Canadian Government was also determined to ensure that, in the reconstruction of international government, the fullest attention was paid to the question of removing the underlying economic and social causes of war. [Please see pdf. for full abstract.]

Authors: Anglin, D; Anglin, Douglas G.

• Publication date: 1956
• DOI: 10.5287/ora-z5ayve79p
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Subjects: International cooperation; Canada; Foreign relations; International agencies