The party adhered to traditionalist conservatism and its main policies included strengthening relations with Great Britain, nationalizing industries, and promoting high tariffs.

During these two periods of governance, the party strengthened ties with Great Britain, oversaw the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, significantly expanded Canada's territorial boundaries, and introduced the National Policy of high tariffs to protect domestic industries.

During its third period of governance from 1911 to 1921, the Conservative Party introduced the income tax and women's suffrage for federal elections, and most notably oversaw Canada's involvement in World War I.

In 1942, the Conservatives attempted to broaden their base by electing Manitoba Progressive Premier John Bracken as their new leader at that year's leadership convention.

[6] The principal difference between the Conservatives and the Liberals in this period and well into the twentieth century was that Conservatives were in favour of imperial preference (a protectionist system in which tariffs would be levied against imports from outside the British Empire) and strong political and legal links with Britain while Liberals promoted free trade and continentalism (that is closer ties to the United States) and greater independence from Britain.

[7] Macdonald died in 1891 and, without his leadership, the Conservative coalition began to unravel under the pressure of sectarian tensions between Catholic French Canadians and British imperialists who tended to be anti-French and anti-Catholic.

Robert Borden led a new Tory administration that emphasised a revitalised National Policy and continued strong links to Britain.

John Hampden Burnham, MP for Peterborough West, quit the government caucus to sit as an Independent Conservative and resigned his seat in order to contest it in a by-election on his position.

The Conservatives won a plurality of seats in the House of Commons, but King was able to stay in power with the support of the Progressives and form a minority government.

The trek ended in Regina on July 1, 1935, when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, on orders from the Prime Minister, attacked a public meeting of 3,000 strikers leaving two dead and dozens injured.

With the election taking place during World War II, the party ran on a platform of forming a wartime national unity government.

Manion proposed to have Liberal and Labour supporters of the coalition concept run as "National Government" candidates nominated through open riding conventions in which members of any party would be allowed to vote.

He resigned from the Senate and attempted to enter the House of Commons from a safe Conservative seat but was trounced by the CCF in a February 1942 by-election in York South.

Later that year, the Conservatives attempted to broaden their base by electing Manitoba Progressive Premier John Bracken as their new leader at the 1942 leadership convention.