Robert Laird Borden

Not to be confused with his cousin Frederick Borden, Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence from 1896-1911.

Political career 1896-1920

He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Halifax in the 1896 federal election, and became leader of the Conservative opposition in 1901. He slowly rebuilt the party, which had lost power and influence after the defeat of Sir Charles Tupper in 1896. In the 1911 election, he swept to power, campaigning against Sir Wilfrid Laurier's plan for free trade in natural products with the United States. Borden and the Conservatives argued in favour of Imperial preference which would use tariffs to diminish imports from outside the British Empire.

Related Topics:
Parliament - 1896 federal election - Conservative - 1901 - Charles Tupper - 1896 - 1911 election - Wilfrid Laurier - Free trade - United States - Imperial preference - Tariff - British Empire

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As Prime Minister of Canada during the First World War, Borden transformed his government to a wartime administration, passing the War Measures Act in 1914. Borden committed Canada to provide half a million soldiers for the war effort. However, volunteers had quickly dried up when Canadians realized there would be no quick end to the war. Borden's determination to meet that huge commitment led to the Military Service Act and the Conscription Crisis of 1917, which split the country on linguistic lines. The unpopular conscription issue would likely have meant defeat in the election of 1917, but Borden recruited members of the Liberals (with the notable exception of Wilfrid Laurier) to create a Unionist government. The 1917 election saw the "Government" candidates (including a number of Liberal-Unionists) crush the Opposition "Laurier Liberals" in English Canada resulting in a large parliamentary majority for Borden.

Related Topics:
Prime Minister of Canada - First World War - War Measures Act - 1914 - Conscription Crisis of 1917 - Election of 1917 - Liberals - Unionist - Liberal-Unionist - Laurier Liberals - English Canada

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The war effort also enabled Canada to assert itself as an independent power. Borden wanted to create a single Canadian army, rather than have Canadian soldiers split up and assigned to British divisions. Sam Hughes, the Minister of Militia, assured that Canadians were well-trained and prepared to fight in their own divisions, and Arthur Currie provided sensible leadership for the Canadian divisions in Europe, although they were still under overall British command. Nevertheless Canadian troops proved themselves to be among the best in the world, fighting at the Somme, Ypres, Passchendaele, and especially at the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

Related Topics:
Sam Hughes - Arthur Currie - Somme - Ypres - Passchendaele - Battle of Vimy Ridge

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In world affairs, Borden played a crucial role in transforming the British Empire into a partnership of equal states, the Commonwealth of Nations, a term that was first discussed at an Imperial Conference in London during the war. Borden also introduced the first Canadian income tax, which at the time was meant to be temporary, but was never repealed.

Related Topics:
British Empire - Commonwealth of Nations - Imperial Conference - London - Income tax

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Convinced that Canada had become a nation on the battlefields of Europe, Borden demanded that it have a separate seat at the Paris Peace Conference. This was initially opposed not only by Britain but also by the United States, who perceived such a delegation as an extra British vote. Borden responded by pointing out that since Canada had lost more men than the U.S. in the war, she at least had the right to the representation of a "minor" power. British Prime Minister David Lloyd George eventually relented, and convinced the reluctant Americans to accept the presence of separate Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and South African delegations. Not only did Borden's persistence allow him to represent Canada in Paris as a nation, it also ensured that each of the dominions could sign the Treaty of Versailles in its own right, and receive a separate membership in the League of Nations.

Related Topics:
Paris Peace Conference - United States - David Lloyd George - Australian - New Zealand - South Africa - Paris - Dominion - Treaty of Versailles - League of Nations

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At Borden's insistence, the treaty was ratified by the Canadian Parliament. Borden would be the last prime minister to be knighted after the House of Commons indicated its desire for the discontinuation of the granting of any future titles to Canadians in 1919 with the adoption of the Nickle Resolution.

Related Topics:
Canadian Parliament - Knighted - 1919 - Nickle Resolution

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That same year, Borden approved the use of troops to put down the Winnipeg General Strike. It should also be remembered that between 1914 and 1917, in response to xenophobia aimed at citizens of the Austro-Hungarian empire arising out of the First World War, 8,579 Eastern Europeans were interned. This number included about 5,000 Ukrainian-Canadians, some of whom were born in Canada. A further 80,000 were registered, thereby losing basic civil rights. They were stripped of the right to vote in 1917.

Related Topics:
Winnipeg General Strike - Austro-Hungarian empire - First World War

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Borden's government also nationalised the Canadian Northern Railway and Grand Trunk Railway to create what would become the Canadian National Railways.

Related Topics:
Nationalised - Canadian Northern Railway - Grand Trunk Railway - Canadian National Railway

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Sir Robert Borden retired from office in 1920. He was the Chancellor of Queen's University from 1924 to 1930, and stood as president of two financial institutions. Borden died in Ottawa on June 10, 1937. He is buried in the Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario.

Related Topics:
1920 - Queen's University - 1924 - 1930 - June 10 - 1937 - Ottawa, Ontario

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Borden was the last Canadian Prime Minister to be born before Confederation.

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Sir Robert Borden is depicted on the Canadian $100 bill.

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