John diefenbaker biography summary page

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John George Diefenbaker was prime minister of Canada and leader of the Progressive Conservative party. Though his government had some remarkable successes, he left a legacy of bitterness and disunion for his party. John Diefenbaker was born in Neustadt, Ontario, on Sept. In his family, which was of both Scottish and German descent, moved west to Fort Carlton, north of Saskatoon, to homestead.

His father, William Thomas Diefenbaker, was a teacher and encouraged literacy in his family. It was from this love of books that young John learned of Canadian prime minister Sir Wilfred Laurier, and decided he would follow in his hero's footsteps. Diefenbaker achieved a B. After war service in England in , he was invalided home, and resumed studies at Saskatchewan, graduating with an LL.

His law career in Wakaw, near Prince Albert, was successful from the outset, and Diefenbaker became well-known as a fierce cross-examiner.

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During this time, in , he married Edna May Brower. Politics was clearly his first love, though his first attempts were unsuccessful. He was defeated in five elections before he won a seat in Parliament in There he quickly established a reputation, and in and he tried but failed to win leadership of the Progressive Conservative party.

In , however, Diefenbaker was the overwhelming choice of a leadership convention, becoming at age 61 the leader of the Opposition Party. In a stunning upset in the election, Diefenbaker won a minority victory and formed a remarkably successful government. New legislation flooded the statute books, helping pensioners and farmers and cutting taxes.

Early in Diefenbaker dissolved Parliament and scored a devastating victory, winning of seats, the first non-Liberal government in 22 years.