O. Mashevskyi, Dr. habil. (History), Professor,
M. Baraboi, Student
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2640.2017.132.1.06
THE QUEBEC NATIONAL QUESTION DURING THE WORLD WAR II AND IN THE POSTWAR PERIOD
The paper deals with the Quebec national question during the Second World War and the postwar period in the context of the causes and preconditions of "Quiet Revolution" in 1960s in Quebec. Based on articles, memoirs, non-fiction literature, statements we analyze the views of the French-Canadian and the English-Canadian public and political figures on the crisis of conscription, as well as the impact of the crisis on the social and political situation in post-war Quebec. Particular attention is paid to an under-researched aspect in the historiography – to attempts of a reform in Quebec, in times of Adelard Godbout (1939 – 1944) as a prime-minister of Quebec. He was considered to be a precursor of the "quiet revolution" in 1960s. During his tenure in the Quebec government he adopted important laws on women suffrage, compulsory schooling of children from six years. It weakened the influence of foreign companies on the Quebec's economy. The Adelard Godbout's defeat in provincial elections in 1944 resulted in rise of a nationalist-conservative Maurice Duplessis. We thoroughly analyzed the post-war period in the history of Quebec, which is known as the "period of darkness" (1944 – 1959), when prime minister of Quebec Maurice Duplessis was elected on second term. The paper also focuses on the policy of the M. Duplessis's regime in Quebec, on how it contributed to further backlog in socio-economic development, which accelerated discontent of opposition which demanded major reforms. This discontent had become the catalyst of the "Quiet Revolution." The postwar period has transformed French-Canadian national question in Quebec. Basic issues during the government of M. Duplessis were not linguistic, religious or cultural ones. The main question was that of equality of the provinces in the federation and concerned expansion the autonomous rights of Quebec.
Key words: the Quebec nationalism, French-Canadians, M. Duplessis, World War II, the crisis of conscription.
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