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Mackenzie King's Political Prowess

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Mackenzie King’s political prowess ended up causing the King Byng affair. Mackenzie King was a very knowledgeable man who at the time was regarded as Canada’s most educated Prime Minister due to his place of learning, Oxford University, and the PhD in economics he obtained from his time spent there. When the Conservatives who were led by Arthur Meighen won the elections of 1925 with a majority of the votes, Mackenzie King would have to use his knowledge with politics and people to recapture the office. Using his extensive insight in the workings of the political world. He would try defeat Arthur Meighen which would then cause the King Byng affair, by using his own enemies against him as seen in this quote, “King did the math. The twenty-four …show more content…

He wanted to remain as Prime Minister of Canada so badly he even took advantage of his “dear friend” the Governor General of Canada, which would begin the King Byng affair. The elected Governor General himself wasn’t much of a politician more a soldier than anything else, having been the First World War commandeer and the revered leader of the great victory at Vimy Ridge in April 1917. He even admits this himself saying so in this quote, “the Governor General told King that he was not a constitutional expert and he expected things to be more than a little difficult.” His wife even comments on how politically incapable both of them were saying to Mackenzie King, “Lord Byng is very good at keeping everything secret, that having been in military life, they were not into politics.” Mackenzie King took advantage of this and exercised his higher level of knowledge in this particular area on an unsuspecting Julian. Having told the Governor General of his decision to stay in power, the Governor General told Mackenzie king that he would not grant dissolution and another election, until Meighen had a chance at forming government. Unfortunately not having the knowledge to know he should have written this in ink to legally bind Mackenzie King to hearing this promise. Mackenzie King took this opportunity and stated publicly that the Governor General had given him no opinions. Leaving a hurt Governor General scrambling to save himself from looking like a fool who knew nothing of how to properly do his job, effectively causing the King Byng

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