Essay on The Battle of Vimy Ridge: The Birth of The Canadian Nation

World War 2 was a war like no other. It was a great war that chnged the world and killed many people. This war changed the way the war looked at Canada, and the way Canada looked at itself. World War 1 grew Canada’s independence but world war 2 shaped Canada’s independence and gave Canada a new look. World War 2 was a completely different war, this war allowed people to fight for their country, and not great britain, showing a new side to Canada.

As young men gathered and worked together at Valcartier for wartime training, they began to develop a sense of Canadian identity. During the war, Canadian soldiers gained social autonomy from Britain as Canada’s expeditionary force maintained independent from British units. For the first time, Canadian troops were chosen to lead an assault in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. They had captured more land, guns, and prisoners than any other British troop. Following this triumph, a Canadian, Arthur Currie, was selected to command Canada’s troops in the Battle of Passchendaele.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge was one of the greatest military battles ever fought. This battle contributed to Canada’s coming of age as a nation. The taking of Vimy Ridge claimed more than 200,000 lives during the first World War and will forever remain in the history as one of the worlds great military triumphs. The Canadian Military used extensive planning, new innovative weaponry and relied on the tremendous courage and sacrifice of its soldiers in order to claim victory.

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,

Another reason that Canada is said to have lost this war is that the war hit Upper Canada the hardest. The Niagara Peninsula was taken by the Americans and they idealized that it could be used as a sort of base for them. Instead, guerilla warfare ensued, which to this day Americans are reluctant to mention. York was burned by Americans. It is believed that Upper Canada only survived the war because of the tremendous support from the British forces. This may be true, but without the British, the Canadians would not have been in the war to begin with. Upper Canada was also changed dramatically in terms of economics. Farms became

D-Day was a defining moment for Canada because they proved their power and abilities as a middle power, captured the heaviest defended beach, and covered the most land on the first day. Canada contributed a lot to the war effort during World War Two. I believe that D-Day was more significant to making Canada’s identity than their involvement at Vimy Ridge. Their victory at Juno Beach is known as a turning point which ended World War Two. It was one of the first times Canada fought independently and everyone in Canada including the French Canadian, African Canadian, and women were supporting the effort, which even sparked the change for equality.

Canada could have left Britain alone to fight their own war, but Canada showed support and helped them unconditionally. Also the Canadian soldiers went through so much pain and agony in the battle and prison camps. Lastly Canada provided a great deal of hope and support to the once hopeless people in Hong Kong. All these points proves the strength of this red and white nation, and make them a memorable piece of our world history. We should honor and carry on the legacy that the deceased Canadian soldiers left in the trenches and war camps, so that their death was not in

In my opinion, Vimy Ridge is a defining moment in Canadian history because it gave our whole country a sense of nationalism for one of the first times ever. This part of our history was all about World

The brigade inflicted great damage to the enemy troops with minimal casualties. Ultimately, Canada’s actions earned them a United States Presidential Unit Citation and prevented the communists from crossing through the 38th Parallel and recapturing South Korean territory once again.

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.

Many countries have tried but failed to capture this area. Both French and British armies tired but failed the Germans were too strong. This area was known as Vimy Ridge, which has many high hills and was located in France. The Germans had captured this area since September 1914, the Germans started to build artillery proof bunkers and trenches. Germanys had the advantage in every battle; Germanys had their bases on top of the long hills. Which lead them to look down on their enemies, which was easier for Germanys to kill their target. After countries failing to capture Vimy Ridge, Canada decided they were going to attempt to fight for Vimy Ridge. For the first time Britain asked for generals to lead Canada to victory for the battle of Vimy Ridge. Sir Julian Byng and Major Arthur Currie were asked to lead the Canadian Military to win the battle of Vimy Ridge. After months of practicing a strategy Canada was ready. April 1917, Canada went to battle with Germany for Vimy Ridge. This became one of the most devastating battles ¬in Canadian history. Canadians should remember that Vimy Ridge was not their triumph alone. British artillery and the elite 51st Highland Division helped make victory possible (Desmond Morton, Significance of Vimy Ridge). Vimy Ridge is considered a defining moment in Canadian history because, it was Canada’s first time using a general to plan tactics and strategy’s, Canada was the only country that succeeded on capturing Vimy Ridge, lastly all Canadian

My final decision is that the battle of Vimy Ridge is the most significant event. This is because Canada winning the battle gave it a good reputation and shows how powerful the army can be when all 4 divisions and the Britain commanders join together as one team. Our soldiers were seen as strong, tactile, and good fighters which is another way of how the international rep of Canada increased. This battle also led to Canada getting its own commander, which would help greatly in future battles. Without the victory of the war, Canada today wouldn’t be as we know it and it would probably be much worse, we wouldn’t be on our path to an independant country, we wouldn’t have a good quality of life, there wouldn’t have been a good economy, and the

In 1917, battle of Vimy Ridge happened in France. This battle really helped find the way to defeat the German defense system. They used General Currie’s plan, where they would use artillery that would destroy enemy trenches and barbed wire. This plan would help allow our soldiers to advance. He decided to combine artillery and advancing troops took attack the Germans. The artillery would protect the advancing troops. This was successful because the enemies were unprepared, and our soldiers were able to push the Germans back. Soon Canadians had control of ridge. They achieved in breaking through and taking the ridge, which was something the British and French were not able to do. Vimy Ridge was a strategic position that protected a vital area of occupied France. With the Canadians able to push the Germans out, was a huge success and gave them the win. This showed that Canadian troops could be dependable when they are needed. Sadly, 10 602 Canadians were killed and wounded. Unfortunately, we got the news that my father had died in battle and my brother was missing in

With the pimple in hand it was easy for Canadian troops to push into the nearby village of Givenchy-en-Gohelle, the location of the German troops. The Germans surrendered this location and retreated from Vimy Ridge, Canada had officially won the battle of Vimy Ridge. It was during the battle of Vimy Ridge where Henry was finally recognized for his contribution to the war. On April 14th, 1917 he was rewarded the Military Medal for his help in capturing the pimple. His official award citation says that, Norwest showed "great bravery, skill and initiative in sniping the enemy after the capture of the Pimple. By his activity he saved a great number of our men's lives." He was very deserving of this honor, as in this battle he achieved the sniping record for his battalion. During his three months at the Vimy Ridge he was credited with 59 kills. Due to his humble nature he only ever claimed a kill when he was with his spotter so it is very likely that he had even more. The battle of Vimy Ridge is one the most famous battles of World War one as it was very important for Canada in defining the identity. It was also very important for Private Henry Norwest as it was here where he finally deserved the recognition he deserved by receiving the

This event was significant for Canada because, it was the first time they had fought in a big battle that counted, even if it was under the control of Britain, it was also the first time they participated in a war overseas, and it put Canada in the worlds “spotlight” because it brought attention to them.