"The Battle of Vimy Ridge remains one of the most powerful moments in our military history, a victory for Canada on the world stage, though with much sacrifice. While Canadians mourn the loss of so many lives, we take pride in the valour of those who fought at Vimy Ridge in the name of peace, security, and freedom." The Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs.
Vimy Ridge is the most important battle in Canadian history, not just because what it meant for the war, but also for Canada. Vimy Ridge is an important battle in Canadian history due to the a great victory the no country yet had been able to accomplish, yet with the leadership of Canada, the task was within reach. It was because of this battle Canadian nationalism was born. This shaped the minds of
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Canada was no longer seen as a colony of Great Britain but as a country. In Canada’s past, one battle brought Canada together as a nation and that battle is ww1’s Vimy Ridge. This battle shows how a group of men and one leader with the state of mind that thought the lives of his men are worth more than endless bullets. This created the greatest victory in Canadian history.
Vimy Ridge was one of the most impenetrable fortresses the Germans ever had control over, and the Canadians breached it. Many other countries had tried to claim ridge and failed with mass death and destruction for the allied forces. Sir Arthur Currie believed in Paying the price in bullets and not men, this was the beginning of a new strategic outlook on the war. Sir Arthur Currie wanted to fight less bluntly and more strategically. The Canadian general would bomb all hours of the night and would have the German camp under constant fire. Sir Arthur Currie also did not want just to send his men over the trenches with guns, so he created the
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
Dear Mother, It’s been a long time since I had the opportunity to sit down and write you a letter. I miss you and father a lot. I am overjoyed to be writing this letter to you. The mood here is one of jubilation. Our assault on Vimy Ridge began at 5:30 am on Easter Monday, eight days ago. We lost a lot of good boys but I am so very pleased to inform you that the Canucks got the job done! What the French couldn’t do for two years and the Brits too we, Byng’s Boys did in three days. I was assigned to the front line in the trenches as part of the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade attached to the 4th Canadian Division. This is actually the first time all four divisions got to work together as a unified Canadian Corps. They
The Battle of Somme had a significant impact on Canadian nationalism by uniting people under a shared identity. This battle brought Canadians together against a common cause despite the intensity of the war and the heavy death toll. The majority of the deaths were young men from Newfoundland. The Battle of the Somme was a significant event in the First World War. The bravery and accomplishments of Canadian soldiers there helped establish their growing reputation as skilled defensemen who could face opposition in the face of heavy fire. Before WW1, Canada was merely a Federation that did not have the soul and unity of a nation. Residents did not identify themselves as “Canadians” until this momentous occasion in the war that helped cement the
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.
On April 9, 1917, Canada sent out 100 000 fine men to serve and protect their country. To this day, the battle of Vimy Ridge is still known as the day Canada became a nation. Despite the cataclysm of the battle and the thousands of lost souls, Vimy Ridge is considered to be defining moments in Canadian History. The Germans were in complete control of Vimy Ridge for over two years prior to the Canadian onset. This enabled the Germans to strengthen their position, making them seem unvanquishable. The German forces were appeared to be impregnable. Nor the British armada or the French were able to vanquish the Germans. The French battled for over two years and suffered over one hundred and fifty thousand casualties. Despite the twenty divisions and three massive
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,
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
Vimy Ridge had been a very prominent stronghold, of the triple alliance, being Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy. This had been a landmark that had been constituted by the German fortifications and their allies. Vim Ridge had been a central hub and military base for soldiers coming form different regions, seemingly it had been difficult for the base to be captured, subsequently not being captured until April 12, 1917 by the Canadian regiment with British and French allied help. Through countless efforts by the British and French in 1915 and 1916 to capture the stronghold, they had not emerged as victorious, evidently causing many war casualties in both of those attempts. The most precedented reason for the inability to upheave the strong
Many get worried that the Germans will destroy the Memorial in World War II. Thankfully this was not the case; it survives and is being visited constantly even till today. The battle of Vimy Ridge was the only battle in which was made a memorial in Canada. In 2003, April 9th was officially declared Vimy Ridge Day by the Canadian Government. The Vimy Ridge Memorial is a key historical site for Canadian culture and Remembrance. It still stands for other Canadians to remember and preserve their legacy for the future generations.
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.
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
Some of Canada’s greatest challenges and major contributions on land during the Second World War were centered in D-Day, Hong Kong, and the Italian
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
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was historically significant because there were a wide range of stakeholders that had different perspectives on Vimy Ridge. Many Canadians thought that it was a great victory for Canada. The Germans thought of it as a draw at best for the Canadians because there wasn’t a breakthrough following the victory. Some historians thought the battle was just a myth created by Canada because the battle occurred on Easter Monday, giving it religious significance. Historians also believe that it was not a very significant event because no breakthrough occurred after the battle. They believe that other battles, for example Amiens, were far less known, had more effect on