Union Nationale

political organization, Canada

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July 14, 2026

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The Union Nationale was a Canadian political party that controlled Quebec's provincial government for much of the mid-20th century. Founded by Maurice Duplessis, the party advocated for French-Canadian autonomy and initially campaigned on an anti-corruption platform.1

Duplessis served as premier from 1936 to 1939 and again from 1944 until his death in 1959. During his long tenure, he established a powerful political machine and was reelected multiple times. His policies favored foreign investment, supported the Roman Catholic church, and opposed trade unionism. Despite his conservative approach, Quebec society was undergoing significant changes, leading to a new era of political activism after his death.2

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Canada
Quebec separatism
As leader of the Union Nationale party—a party he had helped to create—Duplessis’s first term in office ended when he lost the 1939 elections after challenging Ottawa’s right to intervene in provincial jurisdictions during wartime. Reelected in 1944, Duplessis refused to cooperate with most of the new social and…
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As leader of the Union Nationale party—a party he had helped to create—Duplessis’s first term in office ended when he lost the 1939 elections after challenging Ottawa’s right to intervene in provincial jurisdictions during wartime. Reelected in 1944, Duplessis refused to cooperate with most of the new social and…
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Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis
…a new nationalist party, the Union Nationale, which won the 1936 election. He became premier and attorney general. After questioning Canadian policy before World War II, he lost office in the 1939 election but was reelected in 1944.
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…a new nationalist party, the Union Nationale, which won the 1936 election. He became premier and attorney general. After questioning Canadian policy before World War II, he lost office in the 1939 election but was reelected in 1944.
Read More