Imperial conferences gave Dominion leaders a way to influence British decisions as the empire developed into the Commonwealth. Outsiders sometimes read their disagreements as ceremonial protests by dependent colonies. Others took the same disputes as evidence that the empire was about to break apart. Both tendencies appeared in contemporary interpretations of imperial politics. Britain nevertheless supplied most defence funding through its larger economy, so British elections and spending priorities still had considerable influence over the outcome.
Notable Point · 24:59-28:29
Imperial conferences gave Dominion leaders influence
Dominion consultation influenced policy even though Britain supplied most imperial defence funding.