The Greatest Canadian Soldier
There have been many significant people throughout Canada’s history that have had a big influence on how our society is today, not only did these people shape our country into what it is today, but their influence also made changes specifically in their respective centuries that have made ripple effects that continued into the modern day and age. One individual, among these many great people that made a huge impact during their time, was Arthur Curry. Also known as "Canada's greatest soldier", Sir Arthur Currie was a military leader in World War I (1914-1918). In 1917, he achieved the historic milestone of being the first Canadian to assume command of a regiment within the armed forces of the British Empire (1).
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His in-depth understanding of military tactics, combined with his meticulous planning and attention to detail allowed him to effectively analyze complex situations and make intelligent counter strategies. Currie's strategic brilliance enabled him to make well-informed decisions, adapt to changing circumstances on the battlefield, and exploit weaknesses in the enemy's defenses (2). This approach not only maximized the effectiveness of his forces but also minimized casualties and achieved significant victories. Currie's strategic brilliance was evident during the Battle of Vimy Ridge. He meticulously planned every aspect of the battle, from troop movements to artillery placements. His plan involved using a creeping barrage, which allowed his troops to advance under cover while keeping enemy forces at bay (3). Ultimately, Currie's strategic brilliance played a crucial role in establishing him as a great leader in the field of military …show more content…
He carefully planned every aspect of the attack and strategically used his plan accordingly to ensure that his troops were well-trained and equipped. His plan involved innovative tactics, such as using creeping barrages and underground tunnels used to surprise enemy positions. This strategy helped to break through German defenses and was a significant part of why Canada won as decisively as they did. Even though the victory at Vimy Ridge was mostly due to the bravery and determination of Canadian soldiers, without Currie's leadership it is definitely possible that the battle would have been way less successful or perhaps the battle would've even been a failure
With enemy troops in South Carolina and Virginia, the outlook for the Continental Army was bleak until the Battle of Cowpens. This was an important turning point for the Americans in the Revolutionary War. The purpose of this essay is to prove that Brigadier General Daniel Morgan led the American Continental Army to success, by driving the operations process. Without his understanding of mission command, it would have been difficult to secure the victory at Cowpens. Though there are people that would argue BG Morgan’s victory at the Battle of Cowpens was a fluke, I will prove BG Morgan used the commanders activities of “lead, understand, visualize, describe.”
So it was quite obvious to everyone that he was the best possible man to lead the Union Army to victory as Brigadier General. Not only was he at his peak physically for the war he was also as sharp as a tack mentally. His quick thinking and firm and precise orders were the very nature of his natural born instinct to lead. His time that he put in as a student with a bright future at the United States Military Academy was most likely the origin of his necessary and very successful actions at Little Round Top. Plus his rising through the ranks of an army was obviously a key factor in his education and ,in a way, on the job training ( The “Hero of Little Round Top,” Gouverneur K. Warren, USACE).
Lee during the Civil War are used in battlefields still today. General Lee knew that the resources of the South were limited compared to the North. Lee’s tactic to overcome the disadvantage was to attack the North rather than waiting for the North to attack them. He divided his troops into smaller groups and made many attacks instead of one, thinking it would throw them off guard and be more effective to command several small groups than it would be to command a larger one. General Lee studied at West Point University where he studied war and tactics.
They seek to understand the operational environment and the problem, direct forces and war fighting functions throughout preparation and execution. As a very broad aspect to consider, the leadership of General Hooker was by no means lacking, but his execution and understanding of his own forces was minimal. Many critics have said that Hooker had no real intention of entering into a decisive battle with the Army of Northern Virginia during his first major action as the Commander of the Army of the Potomac. The main force behind Hooker’s hesitation was pressure from President Lincoln, who remained disturbed by the lack of Union progress and by his inability to make decisions resulting in successful campaigns. This shaped Hooker’s perspective and lead him to attempt to minimize all possible risks in developing the plans in order to establish himself as a worthy
While he was serving under his generals he paid attention to their military actions and strategies and also their leaderships skills. He was then later known for his bravery when
The Battle of Bunker Hill is perceived strategically through the words of Colonel William Prescott, "Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” A notorious contention during the American Revolutionary War encompassed not only decisive action military strategy and theory, but one of the purest understandings of mission command at its foundation. A single affirmation to his men, revolutionizing the art of command and science of control, formulated a tactical philosophy that is studied to this day by military scholars. Colonel William Prescott assumed command of the Patriots during the Battle of Bunker Hill, absent of orders and facing unwavering odds, achieving victory through the implementation of the modernly understood mission command
Another example of Clinton’s great military mind was right before the battle of Saratoga, which he did not attend. He said, "I fear it bears heavy on Burgoyne ... If this campaign does not finish the war, I prophesy that there is an end of British dominion in America" (Henry Clinton). And through analysis of Howe’s plans, Clinton found a fatal flaw. If Burgoyne needed reinforcements, Clinton or Howe wouldn’t be able to send any in time (Battle of
His information was much valued. General’s Lafayette and George Washington use the details. which prevented the British from sending 10,000 reinforcements to Yorktown, Virginia. As a result led the Victory in Yorktown with the British surrendering.
Located in northern France, the heavily-fortified seven-kilometre ridge held a commanding view over the Allied lines. The Canadians attacked over an open graveyard since previous French attacks had been unsuccessful with over 100,000 casualties. Canadians tested different tactics than the Regular British Army which resulted in Canada’s victory. Arthur Currie created a replica of the battle grounds, which he allowed his soldiers to train in. All soldiers knew the plan and were instructed to use a tactic called the Vimy Slide, which was when soldiers would move 100 yards every 3 minutes.
On April 9th 1917, at 5:30 AM , Canadian soldiers were tense and no one dared doubt their commander, the battle of Vimy Ridge was about to take place. This 110m high, 8 km front2 gave an advantage to Germany as they were able to look down and fire at any enemy troops as they approached. Previous allies such as the British and French3 have tried to take over the Ridge but resulted is a failure, leading to hundreds of thousands of casualties. The Canadians planned their attack very throughly and strong by the help of Major- General Arthur Currie and British Lieutenant-General Julian Byng.4 Strategies were created like the creeping barrage and aerial photographs were taken to pinpoint exactly where German artillery were. 20 000 Canadians5 followed a carefully thought-out plan where specific tasks were essential to meet because they could possibly result in a casuality.
The battle at Vimy Ridge was a defining moment in Canadian History because it gave Canada a sense of nationhood “The Battle of Vimy Ridge marked ‘the birth of a nation’ for Canada, says Governor-General David Johnston” (Postmedia news). It was the first time all four Canadian Corps fought together in the history of the war. The victory of ‘taking Vimy Ridge’ was celebrated, and two months later Viscount Julian Byng was promoted out of the Corps and Arthur Currie became the first commander of the Corps. The 60’000 casualties in the war, made Vimy the most symbolic of Canada’s overall sacrifices. This pushed Prime Minister Borden to ensure a separate representation at the Paris Peace Talks after the war.
He was appointed the position of colonel of the 1st New Hampshire Regiment. He successfully commanded his men at the battles of Trenton and Princeton. He played a pivotal role at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Using his frontier skills learned from the Abinaki Indians, he created the strategic plan that would help us at Bunker Hill. Later on in the war, he traveled looking for new men to add to his regiment.
Upon receipt of his mission, he immediately began to plan, prepare, and execute defensive operations and issued an order for his forces to build a fortified position on Breed's Hill. Prescott knew that his mission was to hold the position until relieved by friendly forces. He also understood the important mission his unit was given and the vital geographical position the hill had on Boston. Planning and preparation accomplish nothing if the command does not execute effectively. Perhaps the most important aspect of mission analysis is determining the combat potential of one’s own
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.
As a country Canada’s strengths included, gaining autonomy through persevering and showing just how mature and ready Canadians were to be in charge of their own army; and be recognized as a separate country from Britain. Another one of Canada’s strengths was how calmly autonomy was achieved after the war. Canada did not need to make a fuss about becoming their own country because it was obvious that they were already ready for that. Their proof was presented in how they planned and executed their battles, and fought alongside Britain to successfully defeat