World War One was a huge event in World History, and it is widely considered as a terrible thing although it may not be as bad as you may think. As time continues, society evolves. This centuries evolution could be inspired by and correlated alongside World War One. Seeing what Canada is today, it may not have been possible without the First World War. The First World War had the most significant impact on the Canadian nation, changing it for decades to come. This is evident because of how Canada could be less respected if it wasn’t for their war contributions, how women’s rights could have been different or non-existent, and how Canada could not have gained it’s independence from Britain. In conclusion, World War One impacted Canada greatly …show more content…
The first point of proof of this is how the Canadians helped with Somme. This battle is remembered because of the over 2.2 million soldiers killed, wounded, or missing over the full 2 battles (Christie, 1). Canadians (and Newfoundlanders) usually fought alongside the British and they helped take this land with their courage. This lasted from July 1st to November 18th (Gootz, 7-8). Canadians also played a big part in taking Ypres. This was the first ever battle where gas was introduced. It was brought by the Germans and swept the French trenches (Christie, 9). The French retreated and the Canadians had to hold down the trenches. Germans attacked when the gas cleared and the position was held by The Royal Highlanders from Montréal. Because of Canada’s selfishness, they helped win this battle. “We have shown that even in trench warfare it is possible to mystify and mislead the enemy.” -Sir Arthur Currie (World War 1). The most vital and important battle that gained Canada respect was The Battle of Vimy Ridge. Canada played the biggest part in taking this area since they fought alone. The British and French had already attempted to take this area, and although it was valiant they still lost. This put weight on Canada’s soldiers. On April 9th, 1917, 1000 guns opened fire on German positions. 15000 Canadians attacked the Germans and after four days and 10000 casualties, Canada single handedly took Vimy Ridge (Vimy Ridge, 1). This victory gained the nation immense respect from the rest of the world. All of these battles were greatly impacted by the Canadians and without some of them (Vimy Ridge in particular) Canada may not have gained any respect from other
The battle of Hong Kong is almost a forgotten battle in World War two, because of the small number of Canadians killed compared to many other battles during the war. Hong Kong was one of the first battles Canada took placed in during World War two. It was to help stop the advance of the Japanese military on Hong Kong, which at the time was a British colony.
Canada’s Defining Moment: D-Day Canada played an important role in World War I as they showed great perseverance, courage, and gained decisive victories as shown in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. In World War II, Canada failed to disappoint once again in their contribution to the Battle of Normandy. During that time, Germany had invaded northwestern France and the Allies, which includes Canada, planned on liberating them. The Allies prepared a plan to mislead the Germans into thinking they were not going to invade through the coast of Normandy. Fortunately, the operation to deceive them was a success and the members of the Allied Forces landed on their designated areas.
Vimy Ridge was one of the greatest battles of Canadian history, it was part of the opening phase of the British-led Battle of Arras, a diversionary assault for the French Nivelle Offensive. This essay will describe the success of the Canadian troops, the battle’s significance, and the importance of the positioning with respect to the geography of the land. The actual battle took place 5:30 am Easter Monday April 9th 1917, but the planning of the attack took place for more than 5 months beforehand starting in November of 1916. Rehearsals and training also occurred, and the soldiers were trained specifically for each position in the war.
In return showing the world how strong they truly were and that they did not need Britian. In addition, Canada initiated their never before seen tactics to win the battle of Vimy Ridge. They designed new strategy and tactics such as the rolling barrage to defeat the germans at Vimy. According to D.J Goodspeed “No matter what the constitutional historians may say, it was on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917, and not on any other date that Canada became a nation.” The British thought that that Canadians were crazy for attempting such maneuvers.
[Map] Situated in northern France, the heavily-fortified seven-kilometre ridge held a commanding view over the Allied lines. The Canadians would be assaulting over an open graveyard since previous French attacks had failed with over 100,000 casualties. First World War - Vimy Ridge -naval 12 inch howitzer in action to capture this difficult position, the Canadians would carefully plan and rehearse their attack. To provide greater flexibility and firepower in battle, the infantry were given specialist roles as machine-gunners, rifle-men and grenade-throwers. These same soldiers underwent weeks of training behind the lines using models to represent the battlefield, and new maps crafted from aerial photographs to guide their way.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge is historically significant because it established the Canadian Expeditionary Force as elite troops of the Entente Army, allowed Canada to emerge from the shadows of the British Empire, and united Canada as a Nation. The battle of Vimy Ridge showed the world that Canada was an important ally of the Entente. French and British troops tried to recapture Vimy Ridge for three years and failed (Service and Sacrifice). However, Canada succeeded in recapturing the ridge (Service and Sacrifice). This shows that Canada is an important ally to the Entente Army because it proved that they were capable of doing things the other powers couldn’t.
The Canadian Corps took more ground, prisoners and guns than any other Allied attack to date. This monumental battle was unified the citizens of Canada by creating a source of national pride; the young dominion was able to accomplish what the Allies deemed impossible. Eventually, Canada’s record, crowned by Vimy’s success earned Canada a separate signature on the Versailles Peace Treaty. According to Veterans Affairs Canada, The capture of Vimy Ridge was the “most complete and decisive engagements of the Great War and the greatest Allied victory up to that time.” For this reason, the Battle of Vimy Ridge brought Canada into the international table, demonstrating Canada’s prowess.
Some say it was the moment Canada finally rose from under the shadow of Britain, and felt capable of greatness. Although it was a victory at a tragic cost, with more than 10,000 dead and wounded, Canadian soldiers earned a reputation of being formidable and effective troops. [3] The Canadian Corps were ordered to seize Vimy Ridge in 1917. Previous French attacks had failed with over 100,000 casualties, so Canadians would essentially be assaulting over a graveyard. The troops would carefully plan and rehearse their attack in order to capture this difficult position.
Unlike the Dieppe Raid, Operation Overlord involved lots and lots of bombings. They were not scarce with their bombing raids and that allowed them to gain a front on land. If Canada hadn’t been scarce before with their bombings, they wouldn’t have learned just how important the bombings were in a successful raid. For communication and bombings to happen efficiently, Canada really needed to plan everything! Planning was so important in future battles and raids!
Canada has been defined by its contributions at home and abroad in WWI, WWII, and peacekeeping. World War I played an important role in Canada’s history. It shaped Canada by giving women suffrage and by the war creating a greater divide between French and English Canadians. By the end of WWI, the Canadian government
World War 1 was a historic event which began in 1914 and ended in 1918. This bloody conflict took the lives of more than 17 million people who were fighting for their countries. Being a British colony at the time, Canada was dragged into the war that did not impact the country in any way, yet thousands of Canadians volunteered to devote their lives for their nation. The first World War had the greatest impact on Canadian history during the 20th century, as this event helped Canada gain more independence from Britain, it helped introduce women in the workforce, and also introduced non-white Canadians in the army. For the longest time, Canada had been under British control, however, this changed a bit after World War 1 took place.
Today, Canada is seen as a multicultural and peaceful nation that has evolved over the course of history. This great nation would never have been possible without the impact that former Prime Minister, Lester B. Pearson left on this country. His achievements and insights profoundly affected and shaped Canada’s nation. First, peacekeeping is an important part of Canada’s heritage and a reflection of its fundamental beliefs that Pearson implemented after dealing with world changing situations and winning a Nobel Prize. Also, his contributions as a liberal leader as well as the flaws and controversy with Diefenbaker did in fact define this country.
One of Canada’s strengths was its major contributions to the war such as soldiers, supplies and victories that helped Canada gain a new sense of maturity. After gaining their own Commander of Canadian Corps. in 1917, Canada was seen as being less dependent on Britain, because it was slowly starting to become its own separate nation. Canada was invited to the Paris Peace Conference and given two seats. Canada signed the Treaty of Versailles in its own right as an independent country, and the identity of Canada had changed as a result of WW1.
When Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier stated, “As the 19th century was that of the United States, so I think the 20th century shall be filled by Canada”, the decades that followed provided his statement to be true as Canada became an independent and strong nation. The battlefields in World War One were a defining moment for Canada as their forces fought as one nation for the first time, instead of under British Command. Also, at the end of the war, Canada was recognized at the Peace Conference and signed the Treaty of Versailles as an independent country. In addition, Canada joined the League of Nations, playing a major role in world politics. These events in the early 20th century allowed the beginning of a strong nation with a growing national
The events in American history have also affected Canada from a political perspective, which lead to the Democracy that is present today. Another way the U.S. has affected Canada is from a military perspective because Americans are quick to jump to war and Canada has had to help control them which lead to them being peacekeepers. The United States helped mold the Canadian identity by being both a threat and support to the nation; this will continue into the 21st century but Canada will keep it’s unique identity. A country 's culture can be seen as interchangeable with identity; in Canada there is evidence of American culture everywhere.