Exercising Canada's autonomy in foreign relations: The King government and the Irish question in World War II.

Abstract

During the Second World War, Ireland was the only Commonwealth state to remain neutral. It may have been expected that Canada, as the senior dominion within the Commonwealth, may have been displeased at Ireland's choice of neutrality. However, this was no the case as the government of MacKenzie King followed a moderate policy towards Irish neutrality throughout the war. This is not to say that the King government did not want Ireland to enter into the war on the side of the allies, on the contrary the opposite held true. Nevertheless, King's foreign policy towards Ireland was sympathetic largely because of King's desire to not only exercise Canada's autonomy within the Commonwealth but to respect Ireland's autonomy as well. It was evident that Irish neutrality allowed the Canadian government to follow a separate foreign policy not only within the Commonwealth but outside as well.