When Britain called on Canada to help in World War One, Canadians dutifully volunteered. Many Canadians thought that this would be a glamorous adventure that they could not miss. However, Canadians were in for a rude awakening as this glamorous adventure turned out to be more than they bargained for. This was a new kind of war, one that cost Canadians dearly. Poor organization among troops, appalling war conditions Canadians endured and lack of effective leadership that did not support the best interests of Canadian troops all contributed to the pointless suffering Canadians endured in this supposed glamorous adventure. In the beginning, the poor organization among the troops resulted in some of the mishaps that occurred in battle. In …show more content…
In this, we are given the impression that the Canadian troops were provided with adequate boots; however they did not fit properly. The evident lack of organization caused unnecessary anguish for Canadian troops and their misconception of the war. Canadian soldiers endured much pointless suffering through the appalling conditions they encountered. The worst experience for Canadians was in the trenches. These endless zigzag trails were the soldiers’ home for as long as they were assigned duty to them. The trenches were often infested with “rats and lice… ‘There are millions! Some are huge fellows, nearly as big as cats…’ The soldiers often went weeks without washing or changing clothes, and most were infested with body lice” (Newman 141). Conditions were so wet and dirty and the men had to live with it. As a result of the wet and dirty conditions, many soldiers got ‘trench foot’. “Their feet swelled up to two or three times their normal size and went numb…but when the swelling went down, the pain was agonizing. If gangrene set in, the soldiers’ feet and legs were amputated” (Newman 141). Soldiers were expected to patrol in sometimes knee-deep trenches with only the large, clumsy boots provided. Their feet were always cold and wet, basically meaning they were in constant discomfort. Many Canadians were committed to battles in which they had no chance of surviving and those who survived,
It shows the harsh and terrible conditions, which the Australian troops, experienced, whilst in the trenches. “Great, sleek, corpse-fed rats ran in squads between our legs” depicts the dirty conditions of which, the Australians experienced, where sixteen per cent died from typhoid, dysentery and gastroenteritis. This was the major cause of death in Australian troops. In the winter the weather would get down to below zero. There were reports of Australians toes falling off, after freezing and contracting gangrene. This would occur when the trenches were filled with mud up to their ankles in a trench two metres wide and 2 metres high. When the Australians arrived at the Western front, the first thing they saw were the lines of wounded soldiers being taken to the rear. As they got closer, they could feet the earth shake, and hear the constant ‘crump’ of artillery shells. This was known as trench foot and not uncommon in Australian soldiers. George states, “It is one of the things Kipling forgot to tell us” differing much from what they had expected the war to be like. The hard work and enduring sacrifices that they made in these harsh conditions evaluates the contribution of Australian soldiers to the Western Front
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.
Trenches varied from eight to six feet in height. In these waterlogged trenches, there was a need for extra support wood boards were placed on the side and on the floor for a safe area for walking. The Soldiers stood no chance against the diseases. Body lice were among one of the diseases that traveled among the trenches the most. Body lice caused scratching and led to trench fever. Fifteen percent of sickness was from body lice (Simkin).Trench foot was another disease found in the trenches. After hours of standing in waterlogged trenches, the feet would begin to numb, change color, and swell, and this would soon result in amputation.
World War I, also known as The Great War and The War to End All Wars, was caused by a build-up of offenses and the multitude of complex treaties made between the many countries of Europe and the need for those treaties to be enforced. As a member of Great Britain’s imperial kingdom, Canada was expected to help on the war front, and the Canadians didn’t disappoint. Although an aspect that may be surprising about the Canadian effort is the amount of indigenous Canadians that participated. These indigenous Canadians made accomplishments for their people that included war notability, honor, and a need to promote their civil rights.
In trench warfare, the two sides fighting each other dig trenches in a battlefield to stop the enemy from advancing. According to Document 4, one difficulty faced by soldiers serving in the trenches during World War I was that the soldiers would get trench foot. The illustration on Document 4 shows a couple of soldiers being inspected for any signs of Trench Foot. Trench foot is a medical condition caused by prolonged exposure of the feet to damp, unsanitary, and cold conditions. The soldiers got this condition because the men had stood for hours on end in waterlogged trenches without being able to remove their wet socks and shoes/boots. During the first World War this was the most common to happen to the
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,
One of the reasons the fighting was so horrible is that the British trenches were not as developed as the Germans. The British trench was more constructed to maintain readiness, rather than being prepared for different elements. Also, many toes were amputated because of being exposed to cold water. This is more commonly known as “trench foot”.
The events of July and early August 1914 are known as the sparks that lit the explosion of World War I. Uneasy tensions that had been boiling beneath the surface of Europe for many years soon erupted and with that several alliances that were formed over the past decades were invoked, so within weeks the major powers were at war; via their colonies, the conflict advanced rapidly. When war officially broke out in 1914, Britain joined in the defense of Belgium and in reaction to Germany's violation of the treaty in which the countries neutrality was to be respected by all other nations. Upon this Britain requested that all dominions of the British Empire, including Canada were to fight on its behalf.
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 entered World War I as a colony and came out a nation..." a quote from Canadian journalist Bruce Hutchison. The First World War, or more commonly known as World War I or WWI, was a war centred in Europe, which in time became global, considering all the colonized nations of Europe were expected to fight, as well. WWI gave many of these colonized nations, and their people a chance to prove their worth, by fighting for the countries that “owned” them. Thenceforth, they could finally create an identity for themselves that was separate from the rest of Europe, they were longer another colony of places such as the British Empire. Following along with that idea, Canada is one of the best examples of a country that used the war as a way to
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.
The article “Race and Recruitment In World War 1: Enlistment of Visible Minorities in the Canadian Expeditionary Force*” Written by author James W. ST G. Walker that can be found in the Canadian Historial Review (March 1989 Edition) discusses the discrimination against minorities during World War 1. Outlining the events from 1914 through 1917 that depict this injustice against visible minorities. It gives a detailed view of changing attitutudes of government and recruiting officials towards visible minorities and their position and value to the war efffort. James W. ST G. Walker goes about trying to prove that while World War 1 may have been a step forward for both women and Eastern Europe it was
War on the home front was not a shaped many Canadian negatively in WWI. The Wartime Elections Act had an effect on Canadians politically. The great influenza affected Canada socially. Lastly, propaganda and victory bonds caused Canada to fall economically. Canada’s home front during WWI had a negative impact on the Canadian people politically, socially and economically.
Private Charles William Clark, also of Owston Ferry, was invalided home suffering from trench foot. In severe cases, this affliction turned the feet blue; they would go numb and then burn as if touched by fire. When the nerves died, gangrene set in, leaving amputation of the toes or even the whole foot as the only solution. Thankful, by this time, trench foot had become an increasingly rare complaint as platoon commanders were made responsible for controlling the conditions that could lead to its spread. They were charged with initiating better methods for draining away water and setting up regular inspections of soldiers’ feet. This, along with remedies such as rubbing whale oil into the feet every four hours, had reduced significantly the number of cases reported, so it is seems Private Clark was unlucky, careless or had a commanding officer who neglected his duty!
Life in the trenches was terrible. Firewood was exiguous, unfortunately during midwinter it was gelid. Occasionally there were formidable winds and dense mists. In addition to the abysmal weather, it often rained which made the ground really muddy also at the same time it made it slippery. Which resulted in making walking onerous, especially at night. Just posed a threat as the soldiers would fall into the mud and their rifles would get congested leaving them and defenseless. On the note of mud it seemed as it was on everything.A conglomerate of men did not have sufficient amounts of clothing in the cold environment. Moreover to this point is that the mountain's inadequate amount of vegetation,even at its peek times.