Canada's Operation Overlord

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

These men, who had fought so valiantly, were among the brightest and the toughest are land had to offer. No one soldier was spot lighted as an overall hero in the Canadian Corps, they instead worked as a strong unit; this was orchestrated by the Officer Corps to make sure that the fighting force was strong from the bottom up and not from the top down. This was a new concept and made the bonding between Officers and Men stronger than any other Army. Yes, we were a country, but what is a country? This was the first opportunity to rally together from all provinces in such great numbers since 1867, yes there was the Boer War but the numbers were small in comparison to WWI and Vimy and for the first time we were under command of a Canadian Brigadier General and not a British Field Marshall. For once united, from one end of the land to the other, brothers in arms we could nail down our Nationalism. Vimy was fought with Canadians, plans were devised by Canadians, and for once we took center stage in the world. To quote from Brigadier General A.E. Ross, “In those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a

The German troops were fighting fearlessly on the east end of Europe, ready to take over Russia, but once the Allied forces show up in Sicily at the demand of the Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin. The German’s attention is diverted away from Russia and taking over the Eastern Front to saving their precious Italian land which served as a strategic location for the Axis. The Germans had tried to save Italy since it was their captured land and also territory of the Axis powers. But when Canada came into play, the Germans found themselves in a tough situation where they had to use only their utmost intelligent troops in order to fight back against the support that the Allies received from Canada. Canada’s newest technology and warfare strategies changed

The first major event that impacted Canada’s legacy, as a whole, was the sacrificial battle of Vimy Ridge. Vimy Ridge was proven to be essential to the foundation of Canada as it signified the birth of a new nation and it was considered to be the greatest battle fought, in World War One. Firstly, the Battle of Vimy Ridge established Canada’s emergence as a newly born nation from under the shadow of Britain and gave a verification of Canada’s prominence on the international level. For instance, after successfully regaining the ridge, it displayed to the British superpower, that Canada are worthy of independence, that must be granted upon as a reward for a significant victory (Fonseca). As a result, the Battle of Vimy Ridge, marked the end of British soldiers commanding Canadian troops, as Canada showed tremendous resilience internationally, and also proved that we are independently, capable of leading a well-organized attack against other countries (Fonseca). This milestone was a huge accomplishment for Canadians, as eventually this was the catalyst for total autonomy of Britain (“History Now”). Secondly, the Battle of Vimy Ridge gave Canada justified independence on the international stage. As a result of winning the complicated battle, Canada was deservedly permitted to their own independent seat and signature at the peace talks after the war. This then allowed Canada, to participate in voicing their thoughts, and plans as a newly independent country. This was seen to be,

At the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Canadians gained self respect when they realized the greatness of their accomplishment. At the peace talks in Versailles, Canada earned its own seat. On top of that, Prime Minister Robert Borden signed independently. Canada’s nationalism became recognized in society. The link between Canada and Britain began to fade away but our link with the USA heightened. Canada located the national war memorial at Vimy after it was donated by the people of France. The memorial recognizing all who fought for our country placed where we were reborn as a

Canada displayed their power and abilities to the rest of the world during the normandy landings on June 6, 1944 and proved themselves as a middle power. D-Day was the day Allied forces planned an invasion to push German forces back into Germany and end World War Two. Canada contributed a lot to the Allies such as materials, ammunition, ships, etc. They had the third largest navy and fourth largest air force. “The Royal Canadian Navy sent 110 ships and 10, 000 sailors, and the Royal Canadian Air Force contributed 15 fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons. They also sent 14, 000 Canadians to fight on the beach.”(CANADA AT D-DAY, WarMuseum.ca)

When people look back and remember the First World War, they often remember the assassination of Franz-Ferdinand, the sinking of the Lusitania, or the Zimmerman telegram. Not often do they recall the role that Canada played in the war. However, Canadians were a significant factor of the Allies’ success. Although Canada only possessed two Navy warships at the time and was known for being a peaceful country, she supplied over 60,000,000 shells to the Allies’ troops and endured over 67,000 casualties and 173,000 men wounded across multiple battles. With that said, it could also be argued that internal political conflicts in Canada afflicted their overall contribution to the war. In fact,

To say Canada played an important role in World War Two would be an understatement. Canada’s significance in the war will forever be remembered as one of the greatest, and the Battle of Hong Kong is a prime example of just that. The fact that Canada provided troops even with the optional not to, and the struggles the troops endured not only on the battlefield, but as prisoners of war, and the amount of physical and moral support the Canadian soldiers gave to the British soldiers in Hong Kong is proof that Canada was a major contributor in World War Two.

Canada fought on June 6, 1944, was no exception. D-Day refers to the day when a

During the course of the Second World War, Canada evolved into a powerful, resourceful nation that was needed by the Allies. Canada contributed significantly to the Allied war effort during World War II where they fought on land, water and air and assisted indirectly from the home front. On land, they fought in numerous battles and campaigns such as D-Day, Hong Kong, and the Italian campaign. However, they were also strong and resourceful when it came to air and naval forces in battle. But even outside of battle, Canada was still able to make a contribution through its civilians.

Canada’s influence in Europe allowed them to help to alter the course of World War II through their courage and bravery at many battles, including Juno Beach, Ortona, and the failure of Dieppe. Throughout the war they came alongside the British out of their own accord to protect their homeland

Even though many lives were lost on the Raid on Dieppe the success of the raid is what taught them the tactics and strategies they would later need for the raid we now know as D-Day. Without the Raid on Dieppe there would not have been great improvements made in technique, fire support and air tactics. This in turn helped tremendously to reduce casualties during D-Day to a bare minimum. The lessons learned at Dieppe were crucial in saving countless lives on June 6, 1944. Another momentous significance for the Canadians in WWII was the Italian

Canada displays their autonomy through their heroic battle at Vimy Ridge in WW1, declaring war on Germany as an independent country and giving freedom to the Dutch from leading the Battle of Scheldt in WW2. First of all, the battle of Vimy Ridge was very significant and a crucial moment for Canada since she had gained a good reputation with a strong status due to her effective, successful, and formidable impact on the field using great leadership and tactics. By changing their battlefield into their own, Canada commenced the only successful attack against the Germans and “It was Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific on parade. I thought then, and I think today, that in those few minutes I witnessed a birth of a nation.”(). To conclude, Canada’s heavy and excellent contribution at Vimy Ridge displays their autonomy. Secondly, Canada demonstrated their autonomy as an independent country when they declared war on Germany in WW2. In 1867, Canada separated from the British Empire. On their decision for going to war, W.L.M King announced “The Canadian Parliament would decide on what Canada should do.” () Thus, Canada’s decision was autonomous since reveals its independence as a country when they made the decision with the Parliament of Canada without considering Britain’s thoughts. Lastly, Canada had

Canadian forces were given the important and deadly task of liberating the Netherlands from the Nazis. Canadians managed to clear northern and western Netherlands of Germans, allowing food and other relief to reach millions of desperate people. The liberation of the Netherlands played a key role in the war, as the Allied forces closed in on Germany from all sides. Canadians played a major role in the liberation of the Dutch people who had suffered terrible hunger and hardship under the increasingly desperate German occupiers, strengthening ties between the two countries to date.

My first key argument to defend my thesis is economic factors. Canada was just not worried about supplying their troops with supplies and munitions but worked to produce munitions and supplies for all the Allied forces. To prove this in 1940 the Canadian government established the department of munitions and supply to control the production of munitions for Canada and its Allies. This department not only equipped Canada’s forces but got orders from all over the globe. . If Canada didn’t want to help contribute to the Allied war effort they would have just made the department deal with Canadas munitions only and not helped other Allied countries. In 1945 Canada’s war production was 4th among the allied nations and only 30% of it was needed for Canadian troops and the rest was sent