Vimy Ridge In Canadian History

While there have been many significant and influential moments in Canadian history, few have had the power to evolve nationalism, while maintaining so little remembrance. With the Battle of Vimy Ridge particularly, the four day conflict brought a new light to Canadian nationalism, while happening half a world away in the northern region of France. With little remembrance and teachings compared to events such as Confederation or the North-West Rebellion, Vimy Ridge has become a large contributor to sovereignty and nationalism, regardless of many Canadians having little recollection about the event. As the battle took place during the First World War, soldiers from all regions of the Canadian Corps came together to fight for the British Empire,

The iconic status of the battle has left many professionals to question the understanding Canadians have of Vimy Ridge and whether or not knowledge of the event has been centred around myth making. Despite the many defining moments in Canada’s history, the over looked event at Vimy Ridge holds significant value in the country’s existence, and even if not celebrated, the battle created a framework to the expectations and future Canada has followed to this very day. This paper will argue how the battle of Vimy Ridge, despite the insignificance the battle played to the result of the Great War, in-turn greatly shaped the country of Canada, the ways in which myths have evolved a country’s history, and how an event so small such as Vimy Ridge has crucially benefited a nation domestically through foreign

Effectively entering the war as a British colony, without any way in foreign policy and seen by the outside world as only one part of Britain’s vast Empire, Canada emerged from the war a nation of its own, with policies in-place on the world stage. While it is obvious that every country has to some extent a foreign policy in place, from the start of confederation up until the first World War, Canada’s strategies were visible with other nations but limited and uninvolved compared to those of other countries. As mentioned, the battle was inconsequential to the result of the Great War, but it gave Canada a start to sovereignty and a sense of potential to the country they were capable of becoming. The theme of noble sacrifice was conjoined with that of civic obligation, which later led to the sense of urgency needed to install a strong foreign policy. Being a relatively new country, Prime Minister Robert Borden was convinced that the battle could have been a symbol to step out Britain’s bubble and pursue independence that would bring separate representation and more independence to the Dominion of Canada. Needless to say, the events that happened at Vimy Ridge