King and Chaos: The 1935 Canadian General Election

As the Conservative government splintered under the weight of outdated policies, the opposition Liberals watched the destruction. Meanwhile, the newly minted Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, Social Credit Party, and Reconstruction Party broadened the electoral base, bringing working-class Canadians – and working-class issues – more directly into the political process.

Although Canadians ultimately swept Liberal William Lyon Mackenzie King back into power, King and Chaos demonstrates that the advent of third parties transformed the political landscape. And while other countries turned to dictators and demagogues, King delivered a less radical but equally important change: an effective electoral machine and a national coalition of French and English Canada that dominated politics for the next generation.