Imperial Conference

Imperial Conference assembly of representatives of the self-governing members of the British Empire, held about every four years until World War II. The meetings prior to 1911—in 1887, 1897, 1902, and 1907—were known as Colonial Conferences, and were chiefly concerned with defense problems and the possibility of imperial tariff preference. Relatively informal, they were held when colonial representatives came to Great Britain for royal celebrations. More formalized meetings were held in 1907, 1911, 1917-18, 1921, 1923, 1926, 1930, 1936, and 1937. The conferences were designed to strengthen imperial ties by exchange of ideas, but their decisions had no legal effect. The two main focal points of discussion remained defense and economic policy. In 1917-18 the Imperial War Conference acknowledged the importance of the whole empire in defense policy by admitting India, not yet self-governing, to the conference. There was an acknowledged need on the part of Britain for practical support from the dominions in military and naval resources, and a parallel desire for participation in the decision-making initiative on the part of the dominions. The dominions also wanted to be able to pursue independent foreign policies, within the bounds of imperial cooperation. The constitution of the conferences themselves and the status of the dominions were the chief problems discussed at meetings during the 1920s. The resolutions of the conferences were given legal effect by the Statute of Westminster (1931; see Westminster, Statute of ), which declared the legislatures of the several dominions on an equal footing with that of Great Britain. A standing Imperial Economic Committee concerned itself with coordination of economic matters. After World War II, it was replaced by the biennial Conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers and yearly meetings of finance ministers.

Bibliography: See M. Ollivier, ed., The Colonial and Imperial Conferences from 1887 to 1939 (1954).

Imperial Conferences Meetings between the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions. These were held in London with the exception of the 1932 conference. The conferences replaced the colonial conferences which had begun in 1887, as it had been agreed in 1907 that the colonies inhabited by a White majority would be called ‘Dominions’, and that they would have significant measures of authority in their domestic affairs. The first imperial conference was held in 1911. In 1918, an Imperial War Conference discussed war strategies and the supply of raw materials. The 1921 conference included representatives from India, and it became increasingly clear that the Dominions desired total independence over external as well as internal affairs. The 1923 conference discussed imperial preference (tariff reform) at length, as well as disarmament and issues arising from the Chanak Crisis. The conference of 1926 discussed Balfour's formula for defining the relationship between Britain and the British Empire, which resulted in the 1931 Statute of Westminster. At the 1930 conference, the world economic crisis dominated discussions, with the result that the Ottawa Conference of 1932 finally established a system of tariffs. The final conference was held in 1937, following George VI's coronation. It discussed the worsening international situation, and overwhelmingly supported appeasement. Since World War II, regular Commonwealth Conferences have been held.