Victory At Vimy Ridge

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

The British launched The Battle of the Somme to achieve two objectives. The first and most important goal was to relieve pressure on the French Army at Verdun, and the second was to inflict as heavy a loss as possible on the German Armies. The Battle of the Somme had to be fought to save the French Army from the crucifixion of Verdun. The head of the French Army, General Fock, and some leading British commanders did not believe this battle would help, but political masters in London and Paris supported the campaign. For many years The Battle of the Somme received much criticism for the way the battle was fought based on the number of casualties.

The Canadian Military’s extensive planning of the assault on Vimy Ridge was one of the main reasons for its successful victory. Prior to the assault, the Canadian troops were intensely prepared in terms of their training. The soldiers were so well trained that if their leader was killed they would be able to follow through with the plan with great precision and execution. The battle was so thought out that there was absolutely nothing left to chance. The Canadians created maps of the entire ridge created from many previous ridge assaults (Stephens, John. "Innovations.") along with arial photos of the location. As the Canadians captured German Soldiers they would try to make out as much information of the terrain as possible (Foot, Richard. "Meticulous Preparation.") The maps would have the location of the German defences and provided them with the timetable of the checkpoints and trench outlines. The maps were

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 deployment of Field Artillery has been the deciding factor in almost every major conflict since the inception of Field Artillery. The Battle of Pea Ridge is no different. This conflict serves as a perfect example of how the proper use of terrain and well-placed artillery can alter the course of battle. Despite overwhelming opposition, the Union Army was not only able to stop the advancement of enemy troops but forced their retreat.

The battle of Somme took place during the 1st of July and the 18th of November 1916 in the region Somme department of France, on both banks of the river of Somme. It was during the time of the First World War that Newfoundland was still under the power of the British Empire. Britain declared war on Germany in August of 1914. This was the beginning of Newfoundland's first regiment. There was a great response from Newfoundland with many proud Newfoundlanders ready to serve in the war. There was such a huge demand that from a population of 240,000 that more than 12,000 people joined up for the regiment. When war had been declared an enormous amounts of soldiers were being killed and the rapid progression of military warfare such as tanks, grenades and mines were being introduced promptly in large numbers. In order to end this war, generals came up with the conclusion of making what they called the "Big Push" which was the joining of the British and French troops against enemy Germany. These troops would start the assault at the Somme. This would be the Battle of Somme near Beaumont Hamel that the first Newfoundland Regiment would partake in. On the morning of July 1st thousands of British and French troops marched towards No Man's Land, within half an hour of walking to their destination, the troops were dramatically decreasing in soldiers

The Second Battle of Ypres took place from April 22nd to May 25th 1915 and is distinguishable for Canadians as being the first battle in which Canadians troops fought in during the First World War. The battle marked the first Canadian victory and has become popularly known as the first site of mass use of chlorine gas on the Western Front. But the battle does not have to exist solely in the confines of the First World War. The battle and its effects impacted not only the immediate outcome of the war but rather spurred a shift in war tactics and Canadian enthusiasm to its troops. Essentially, the Second Battle of Ypres was vital to the First World War because of its maintained the strategic placement for the Western allies, but it is also important in a wider context through its ability to set a precedent for future battles with modern chemical warfare, and through the effect it had on the home front to boost Canadian support overseas. To begin, I will first summarize the battle and the context Ypres to give an overall understanding of the situation leading into the battle. In suit, I will examine the strategic advantage Ypres had with respect to its ability to protect the ports of northern Europe and its establishment of a buffer zone between Great Britain and Germany. Secondly, I will examine the battle as a pivotal moment for the future of modern warfare as the Germans breeched international code with their use of chlorine gas. Thirdly, I will demonstrate how the

The Battle of the Somme epitomizes the harsh realities of trench warfare for the Allies and represents the negligent battle planning and technological advancements that are associated with the stalemate of World War One. Trench warfare was common across the Western Front, with similar strategies being employed by both opposing sides. Sir Douglas Haig, one of the British coordinators for the Somme offensive is blamed with an offensive strategy destined for failure. The British offensive, an utter failure, resulted in a stalemate, which was common throughout World War One. The British development of the tank, while it eventually ended the horrendous stalemate, was ineffectively used during the Somme.

In “The Face of Battle,” John Keegan analyzed the experiences of the individuals involved in the battles of the Somme and Waterloo; he thoroughly examined the advancements of industrialization in warfare and battle strategy between 1815 and 1916. The industrialization of modern warfare during the battle of the Somme, while progressive, was very much still in its experimental stages. While the inventions during this time period were later evolved into much more useful products, it seems as though the organized warfare in Waterloo was much more effective; the soldier’s mediocre training for the Somme was obvious in the chaotic events that occurred. While each battle was disastrous in their own ways, industrialization certainly improved means of warfare and the experience that the soldiers had.

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

Vimy Ridge is a notable moment because it brought world recognition, a strong sense of patriotism, and became a nationalist symbol of achievement and sacrifice. It marks the first time a battle was planned and executed strategically rather than strictly by manpower. "They showed the Allies that they had the strength and ability to carry out a flawless attack of this size, in which they succeeded in April 1917" (Christie 7). The German position on the ridge seemed invincible. Because of Vimy Ridge, Currie became a respected strategist while the Canadians became recognized among the finest troops on the Western Front. In addition to, Vimy Ridge was the first battle in which all Canadian Divisions would fight together. (Christie 12). With all

Easter weekend in 1917 has become legend in Canadian military tradition. It was the weekend that Canadians took Vimy Ridge in World War I. The Ridge was an important strategic point as it was the only high point in an otherwise flat area, and is located so as to protect the industrial centre of Lille and the coal mines of Lens. Though the location was strategically important, the capture of Vimy Ridge would inevitably not have much impact on the outcome of the First World War. The Canadian capture of the ridge did weaken the German position and forced the Germans to reassess their defensive methods in the area north of Arras, but all the British, French, and Canadian troops lost momentum after the first day. The objective of the offensive

The Battle of Vimy Ridge began at 5:30 am on April 9, 1917. The German troops had the advantage as they were on top of the ridge, and could see any advancing enemies. But the Canadian troops were led by Arthur Currie who had a strategy called the “creeping barrage”. This strategy required the soldiers to shoot their machine guns until a curtain of smoke appeared. This curtain of smoke covered the advancing troops and the Canadian soldiers were able to take over Vimy Ridge from the Germans in just a few hours. The Canadian soldiers were obedient and carried out their orders so well that it was recognized internationally, and the soldiers became known as tough soldiers and the Canadian troops as an independent military. Four Canadians were awarded

In this essay I will be exploring whether Douglas Haig played a significant role during World War One. I will argue that Haig was quite significant, however some things that he did overpower peoples views of him as a vertus leader - The Somme. The issue of Douglas Haig’s role as a British general during World War One, during the Battle of the Somme in 1916, leading the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) at the start of the war and his many other roles, has been thoroughly questioned by many historians to date. Through different views and opinions, Haig’s skills have been both celebrated and criticised; over the years he has been viewed as both “Architect of Victory and the Butcher of the Somme”, with much evidence supporting both arguments. His role my opinion I believe that Douglas Haig did play a slightly significant role during World War and that people overlook some of his great things.

Passchendaele. First of all, at this point Canada was a newly formed nation and still