William Lyon Mackenzie King

Politician

William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948. ...

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Documents about William Lyon Mackenzie King

Monday 11th March 1940

Meeting minutes

extract PM Chamberlain arranges question to be asked in House of Commons to publicly confirm UK commitment to Finland
person Alexander Cadogan
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
place Finland
place Moscow
place Narvik
place Stockholm
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
organisation Labour Party (UK)
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
 

Wednesday 22nd May 1940

Meeting minutes

extract French Command issue “stern orders” to drive refugees into fields and off roads to ensure troops can move easily
extract PM assents. RAF to do “everything possible” to assist. “Provided” French fight well “good prospect of success”
extract New French Commander General Weygand proposes joint Anglo-French attack in SW and in direction of Amiens within 24 hours
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort
person Maxime Weygand
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
person Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation British Army
organisation French Army
organisation Belgian Land Component
 

Meeting minutes

extract Belgian Ambassador requests arrangements be made to evacuate King Leopold to England. Churchill believes this "premature"
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
person Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes
organisation Belgian Land Component
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM sends message to King Leopold urging him to consider his safety. “Disaster for the Allied cause” were he to surrender
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
person Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes
place Narvik
 

Meeting minutes

extract General Dill: UK forces “still holding out” in Calais, situation now quieter than the previous night
extract Churchill: We “must be prepared” for PM Reynaud “to say that the French could not carry on the fight”.
person John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort
person Maxime Weygand
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
person Adolf Hitler
person Winston Churchill
person Edward Spears
place Europe
place Calais
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation United States Navy
organisation 335th Fighter Squadron
organisation Belgian Land Component
 

Saturday 1st June 1940

Meeting minutes

extract BEF Commander in Chief Lord Gort delivers his report on the campaign to Cabinet. PM praises his skill and determination
person John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
place Brussels
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation French Army
organisation Belgian Land Component
 

Meeting minutes

extract French formally complain about de Gaulle broadcasts, recent statements by PM. Demand recall of UK consuls in N.Africa
extract War Cabinet informed that a Franco-Italian Armistice has been signed. No news is available as to its provisions
extract Halifax argues for return of destroyers to Sweden in exchange for their cancelling US aircraft contracts. Cabinet assents
person Charles de Gaulle
person Stephen King
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
person Clive Anderson
place South Africa
place Great Britain
place Lancaster, Lancashire
place North America
organisation Home Office
organisation Hopatcong High School
organisation Royal Navy
organisation French Foreign Legion
 

Thursday 8th August 1940

Meeting minutes

extract King George VI: My peoples "would rather all perish in the common ruin than fall or falter in their duty"
extract Halifax circulates draft rejection by King George of offer of mediation between UK and Germany by King Gustav of Sweden
extract PM Churchill: "We could never stand by and see a British Dominion overwhelmed by a yellow race"
extract PM: Invasion of Australia "could be retrieved" by USA. "In the last resort" UK would "abandon" Mediterranean and Mid-East
extract PM: We hope "to avoid war" but it could occur "at any moment". "Opening moves" likely to be against Hong Kong, Singapore
extract Churchill outlines policy in the event of Japanese aggression: UK Fleet needed in Mediterranean "to beat the Italians"
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
person Adolf Hitler
person Winston Churchill
person Neville Chamberlain
place Great Britain
place Egypt
place Fiji
place Hong Kong
place Singapore
place Europe
place Gibraltar
place Alexandria
place Africa
place Republic of China
organisation Air Force F.C.
organisation Royal Air Force
organisation Foreign Office (Germany)
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
 

Meeting minutes

extract Halifax: Mussolini "heating up the atmosphere" but Italy "unlikely to declare war against Greece at the present time"
extract PM: Attitude of UK and US should be friends "each prepared to do what was possible to help the other" not quid pro quo
extract Cabinet calls US offer to formally exchange lease of UK base facilities for destroyers and weapons "out of the question"
person Anthony Eden
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
place South Africa
place Greece
place Bermuda
place Jamaica
place Newfoundland, Kentucky
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
organisation United States Army
 

Meeting minutes

extract Supply Minister: Better to risk the financial side than risk losing the war. Suggests part sale of West Indies to USA
extract PM refuses to rule out requisition of wedding rings and gold ornaments. "Striking gesture" for "shaming the Americans"
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
place South Africa
place Caribbean
place North America
organisation New Zealand Treasury
organisation Bank of England
 

Meeting minutes

extract Halifax: Looks as if whole of French Equatorial Africa and Cameroons as well as Chad territory "swinging away" from Vichy
extract PM Churchill: We can "not afford to allow any of our aerodromes to be out of action"
extract PM complains arrangements for filling aerodrome bomb craters "very inadequate". Runways must be repaired within 24 hours
extract Beaverbrook: Recent air fighting has made considerable inroads on reserves. Effect of bombing on production "not serious"
extract PM: In view of German indiscriminate bombing considering temporary "marked departure" from bombing only military targets
extract Air Chief: Bombing of Berlin targets last night "most successful". PM to send congratulatory message to Bomber Command
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Charles de Gaulle
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
place South Africa
place New Caledonia
place Bermuda
place Caribbean
place British Cameroons
place Washington
place Africa
place Newfoundland, Kentucky
place Chad
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
 

Friday 6th September 1940

Meeting minutes

extract PM to contact Canadian government to try and gain access to French gold held by Bank of Canada to help UK dollar position
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
organisation New Zealand Treasury
organisation Government of Canada
 

Meeting minutes

extract PM: US has now agreed to release 250,000 further rifles to us. Negotiations proceeding over aircraft and flying boats
extract First Sea Lord: Severe loss by enemy attack on convoys approaching UK in last 3 days. 7 ships in one convoy, 4 in another
extract Air Chief: Number of enemy fighters crossed SE coast this morning. Casualties so far 9 aircraft. Enemy 10 (+5 probable)
person Anthony Eden
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Charles de Gaulle
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
person Kingsley Wood
person Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope
person Clement Attlee
person Andrew Duncan
place Egypt
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
place Libya
organisation Home Office
organisation Foreign and Commonwealth Office
 

Thursday 7th November 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet to take no action over criticisms of MI5 over Arandora Star sinking. "A pity" to revive public interest in this
extract Prime Minister Churchill sends personal message to FDR Roosevelt congratulating him on his re-election as US President
extract General Dill: Greeks "getting worried" by Italian attacks in Epirus sector. "Rather diminished satisfaction" at Greek HQ
extract General Dill: Greeks advancing in Northern sector. "Considerable number" of Italian prisoners taken, Greek losses few
extract Admiralty: Heavy attacks on convoys by Luftwaffe yesterday. PM: Attacks emphasise need for more air support of convoys
extract Air Chief: Overloaded aircraft from Malta have crashed on bombing runs to Italy. Orders issued to prevent this in future
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Oliver Lyttelton, 1st Viscount Chandos
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Herbert Morrison
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
person Kingsley Wood
person Clement Attlee
person John Dill
place Wellington, Nevada
place Greece
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Sudan
place Malta
place Kismayo
place Berlin
place Valona, California
place Syria
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Home Office
organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom
 

Meeting minutes

extract General Dill: Greeks advancing again towards Kalamas river. Italian troops "unenthusiastic" over move to Albanian front
extract Air Chief: 5 Italian airmen taken prisoner yesterday. Fiat bomber landed with engine still running. Fighter escort fled
person Alexander Cadogan
person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay
person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
person George Cadogan, 3rd Earl Cadogan
person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley
person Stafford Cripps
person Stephen King
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
person Kingsley Wood
person John Dill
person Leo Amery
place Greece
place Egypt
place Cranborne
place Halifax Peninsula
place Sudan
place Albania
place Greenwood, Nova Scotia
organisation Parliament of the United Kingdom
 

Friday 2nd May 1941

Report by United Kingdom High Commissioner in Canada.

extract Dominions Secretary circulates assessment of Canadian PM Mackenzie King. "Shrewd and humorous", swims with Roosevelt
person Franklin D. Roosevelt
person William Lyon Mackenzie King
place Cranborne