April 9, 1917, was the beginning of a battle that would reshape a nation known as Canada. The battle of Vimy Ridge is considered a defining moment in Canadian history because, the achievement of Vimy earned Canadians a separate signature on the Treaty of Versailles, the victory was planned and executed by Canadians, and Canada’s nationalism was born. To begin with, Vimy is a defining moment as, the achievement earned Canadians a separate signature on the Treaty of Versailles. The victory was a record set by Canadians which was “…crowned by the achievements at Vimy, won for Canada a separate signature on the Versailles Peace Treaty ending the war” (“The Capture of Vimy Ridge: Canada in the First World War and the Road to Vimy Ridge.”). The achievement of winning …show more content…
This win proved Canada’s capabilities and strength to have an individual voice. Therefore, it is a defining moment as it increased Canada’s prestige and the opportunities for making its views known. Furthermore, the battle is a defining moment, as the victory was planned and executed by Canadians. The mastermind behind the success was the “…commander of the Canadians Corps, Lieutenant- General Sir Julian Byng, planned an assault on a front of seven kilometers by all four of his divisions of the Canadian Corps”(“The Battle of Vimy Ridge: Canada in the First World War and the Road to Vimy Ridge.”). This was a historical moment as it was the first time Canadians fought together shoulder to shoulder. Canadians did not fight as an underling unit in the British army, but on their own for the first time. All four divisions worked together as one formation. The win earned Canadian troops a stature as daunting effective troops, as well as, gave Canadians a title of strength and intelligence. Therefore, this is a defining moment as this gave Canadians heavy hitter reputation for breaking through the impassable German
With careful planning, co-operation, good leadership and courage, Currie managed to bring out the characteristics of a well thought out success at Vimy Ridge in April of 1917 (Dancocks, 1985). Sir Arthur Currie’s responsibility was to command the 1st Canadian Division (Hyatt, 1987). He pushed his troops to undergo rigorous training and to prepare themselves by using a life-size course, with every trench marked by tape and a flag (Dancocks, 1985). Currie designed very accurate maps and he had a small-scale plasticine model built so that it could be studied by all soldiers. Arthur Currie insisted that his division’s knowledge of the enemy was excellent (Dancocks, 1985).
It was once stated by F.R.Scott “ There are two miracles in canadian history. The first is the survival of French Canada, and the second is the survival of Canada.” His quote came to reality as of Canada grew to be a stable and secure country where everyone would want to be. Yet to accomplish this, many obstacles and events occurred such as the Spanish Succession war in 1713 , the seven years war in 1763, the constitutional act in 1791 and finally the Act of Union in 1841. First in 1713, the Spanish Succession war occurred where the British took control of Acadia. Soon after that, in 1763 the Seven Years War ended where the British took over New France and was later renamed British North America. Before the British most of the colonies were
One of Canada’s largest military endeavors was the battle of Vimy Ridge during World War One. It was a fierce battle between Germans and Canadians. Canada was trying to take over the German controlled ridge, which ran from northwest to southwest between Lens and Arras, France. Its highest point was 145 feet above sea level, which was exceptionally helpful in battle because of the very flat landscape. Already over 200,000 men had fallen at Vimy, all desperately trying to take or defend this important and strategic ridge. As a result of its success in taking the ridge, Canada gained a lot more than just the strategic point. Canada was united as a nation, and the victory changed the way other counties viewed them. Canadians no longer viewed their soldiers as merely an extension of allied forces; they now viewed their troops as an independent and unified entity.
Canada was one of Great Britain’s empire who fought under British units or in the Canadian Corps, formed by the Canadian Expeditionary Forces. These Canadians who fought aside with Great Britain earned a recognition of becoming an independent strong fighting force. They earned this reputation through one of World War One’s battles called, Vimy Ridge. Canadian soldiers who were in the Canadian Corps had an awful General named, Sam Hughes who preferred to use the Ross rifle. This type of weapon was too heavy and often jammed too many times to be used as a rifle for upcoming horrific battles. Thus, a new general replaced Sam Hughes and that was, Arthur Currie. General Currie had the desire for the Canadian Corps’ four divisions to fight together to take hold of Vimy Ridge. Arthur Currie made precise plans of military tactics that no general had done to their troops. General Currie gave his troops maps and had a duplicate model of Vimy Ridge so that troops are able to have an ideal look of what they should be taking hold of. Als...
At daybreak, August 19th, 1942, the Allies began their raid on the French coastal city of Dieppe occupied by Germany. The raid has extreme Canadian significance, as it pertains to 5000 Canadians involved in the campaign, 3,350 of which became casualties and 916 died on the bloodstained beach at Dieppe. The Dieppe raid is widely considered a failure on every level and has left a dreadful mark in Canadian military history because of how poorly it panned out. Operation Jubilee remains one of the most hotly debated Allied aspects of the war. Tactically, it was a complete failure as little to no objectives were attained. This essay will explain that Dieppe failed because of the tactical errors on the part of the Allies, in conjunction with the fact the entire operation was very poorly planned out. It will do so by discussing 4 major points: poor allied planning, how Dieppe was a difficult place to attack, that the assault was launched for political rather than military reasons and finally, how it failed to upgrade morale.
Military mining played a big role in the battle of Vimy Ridge. Engineers built a
One would have to admit that World War One did give Canada a reputation and Canadians pride. Canada’s accomplishments in the war, notably the victory at Vimy Ridge and Canadian troops holding against the German attack in the Second Battle of the Ypres, not only gave Canadians a reason to be proud of their country, but also let other countries to see that Canada was a very helpful and useful. Also, Canada representing itself in signing the Treaty of Versailles increased Canadian pride and further showed Canada’s contribution to the war. However, this increased Canadian pride and reputation came at a heavy price. As
Despite the 21 year difference between the end of World War I and start of World War II, shows the amount of confidence the one battle gave to Canada. It proves that Canada was proud of their actions and it allows one to realize how significant it was to the growth of Canada. The carry out of the victory plan during the Battle of Vimy Ridge conveyed confidence in the Canadian Army. The growth of Canada as a nation was substantially affected by the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Canada’s suitability to partake on the world stage and that they were ready for independence without other nations.
Battles such as Vimy Ridge, the Second Battle of Passchendaele and the Battle of the Somme were some of the worst battles that the world can find Canadian's. Our northern nation had boasted over 600,000 soldiers to the battlefields whilst also providing vital manufacturing facilities and training soldiers from across the world. The strong imperial bond between Canada and the 'Motherland' was an important factor in Canada's decision to participate wholeheartedly in World War I, and influenced many in their decision to join the army. Most Canadians felt a strong connection to the British Emp...
Canada also became a leader internationally as well. With such an enormous military contribution during the war, other countries began to recognize the success of Canada. People wanted to know more about Canada. Consequently, the war advanced Canada’s sense of identity.
Canada's sacrifices and contributions to the war changed its history and enabled them to become more independent and they friendship with Britain grew stronger and stronger. Canada was first inducted into the World War 1 when Britain declared war on Germany, August 4, 1914. Canada being allies with Britain had to support those in the war even know they weren’t in there and fighting all on the front they were backup just in case the German soldiers broke through the trenches and head towards France. Later on the Governor General also declared war on Germany but the Canadians fought under the ruling of a Britain commander. The achievements of Canadian military during the First World War came during the Somme, Vimy Ridge, and Passchendaele battles and what later became known as "Canada's Hundred Days". They help fight for the freedom and peace for the small village of Passchendaele and however as it was a muddy hell, they still persevered throu...
Organizing a topic as diverse as Canadian history into periods is challenging. Canadian history spans hundreds of years, covers events from varying points of views, and contains dimensions of culture, theme, and politics. To understand how to organize history logically into periods, it is helpful to refer to Canadian history sources.
The post-war time was a period where major changes were occurring. After being involved in two international conflicts, Canada was ready to reestablish their economy. During this time, Canada had started working on ways to become stronger and reputable. It is evident that Canada had matured through the post-war era. Canada’s economic progress left a positive impact on the growth of the country as consumerism became popular, and economic ties with America became stronger. Moreover, the removal of racial and ethical barriers contributed to Canadian social affairs such as the huge wave of immigration and the baby boom. The Canadian government also had become more aware and involved in issues impacting Canadian citizens. Canada as a whole started identifying itself as an independent nation and participating in events that brought a positive reputation amongst them. These economical, social, and legal changes helped Canada mature into the country it is today.
Most Canadian victories came in the form of preventing American attack from being successful. This is the main Canadian reason for believing they won this war. An example of this occurred on 12 July 1812, when General Hull and his troops crossed into Canada. Their invasion was promptly met and turned away by opposing forces. This also happened in the Battle of Raisin River on 21 January 1813. American General Winchester surrendered to British Colonel Proctor, losing 500 prisoners. Perhaps the most significant of Canadian victories was the burning of Washington. When the British forces won the battle of Bladensburg, it “opened the door to Washington”. The Capitol Building and the White House were destroyed but luckily, for the Americans, torrential rains put out fires in the rest of the city. To the Canadians from 1812-1814, this was reason enough to believe that they were victorious. To Canadians now it seems a shallow way to claim triumph.
...n May 8th, 1945, the Allied side had won. This battle had been a very violent won and there were deep losses for both sides. 24 The most important key to success of this Battle was the safe escort of 25 000 merchant ships under the escort of the Canadians. 25 These ships were so important because they carried over 165 million supplies for any country in the allied forces. Canada had been a bigger help to Britain than any other country in the Allied forces, 26 “By late 1942, the RCN supplied 48 percent of the escort warships in the North Atlantic and the United States navy a mere 2 percent ” (page 50, Harbon D. John). Without Canada’s contributions to this battle, it may not have been a successful one. In conclusion the Royal Canadian Navy and any other Canadian that participated in the war effort, had been very important contributions to the Battle of The Atlantic.