...Vimy Ridge: From Colony to Nation One of the many brave and selfless Canadian soldiers who fought in the historical battle of Vimy Ridge perfectly stated, “[t]hey fought as Canadians and those who returned brought back with them a pride of nationhood that they had not known before.” War does not only change a single, individual person, but a country as a whole. The battle of Vimy Ridge changed Canada from a colony to a nation in many important ways, allowing Canada’s reputation around the world to become more independent, strong, and connected as a country. When Canada defeated the Germans at the battle of Vimy Ridge, the world saw us as a more independent country. The battle showed that we did not need Britain, and surprisingly, we ended up “emerging from the shadow.” For many years and through many battles, we depended on Britain and their guidance; however, Vimy was different. We came up with our own plan of action. We gathered strong, Canadian troops and generals, trained them properly so that everyone knew their own job, built our own trenches and brought our own artillery. The great Canadian Commander of the Canadian Corps by the name of Sir Arthur William Currie wanted and effectively tried to keep the Canadian troops separate from the British troops. These were all acts of Canadian independence. Our nation truly showed that we could fight and win against a very strong enemy and without our motherland helping us. Furthermore, during the battle, it was all Canadian...
Words: 1000 - Pages: 4
...1917 our Canadian soldiers captured the Passchendaele ridge. They had to face many obstacles but they made it. Canadians take Passchendaele successfully. On November 6th, 1917 our Canadian soldiers captured the Passchendaele ridge. They had to face many obstacles but they made it. Reporter Reporter Canadian Wounded at the Battle of Passchendaele More than 15,000 Canadians died or were wounded during the Battle of Passchendaele. Many of them drowned in the mud and shell holes. Canadian Wounded at the Battle of Passchendaele More than 15,000 Canadians died or were wounded during the Battle of Passchendaele. Many of them drowned in the mud and shell holes. The mud, flat terrain, and relative lack of preparation time and artillery support would make Passchendaele a far different battlefield than the one the Canadians encountered at Vimy Ridge. Currie took the time to carefully prepare as much as possible and on October 26, the Canadian offensive began. Advancing through the mud and enemy fire was slow and there were heavy losses. Despite the challenges, the Canadians reached the outskirts of Passchendaele by the end of a second attack on October 30 during a rainstorm. On November 6, the Canadians and British launched the assault to capture the village of Passchendaele itself. In excessive fighting, the attack went according to plan. After fierce enemy counterattacks, the last part of the battle saw the Canadians attack on November 10 and take out the...
Words: 847 - Pages: 4
...Vimy ridge: April 9th 1917 is when the battle of Vimy Ridge began its also is known to be Canada's defining moments in history. This is when Canada's military contribution to WWI was successful which allowed them to capture Vimy Ridge. The battle took place at 5:30am 30,000 Canadian soliders who formed the Canadian troops accomplished something that the French and British has failed to do in two years. Leading the Canadians into battle was master and commander Arthur Currie, he was the first Canadian to lead the Canadian troop. Currie developed a new artillery war strategy called the "creeping barrage". The Canadian were given the task of recapturing the ridge, they built railroad tracks so their artillery could keep up the creeping barrage against the German position. When the Canadians weren't controling the front lines they were in a secret training area practicing their assault plan, this new tactic allowed the Canadians to advance on the German trenches that were at the base of the ridge. One of the reasons why they Canadians manage to do things successfully was because the Canadian corps soldiers were given maps of their objectives and given instructions to each individual. This allowed each man knowing what he was doing in the periods of time given, the planning was done until the very seconds to when it would happen. On April 9th 1917 at 5:30am, the Canadians corps begin firing all the field guns This battle gave Canada a new identify, an identity which would...
Words: 294 - Pages: 2
...The Battle of Vimy Ridge was the greatest battle ever in the history fought by Canadians. This battle of Vimy Ridge started on April 9, 1971. This battle was the turning point of World War One. The braveness and heroism that Canada displayed while fighting this battle led to an amazing victory and converted Canada from a colony to a powerful nation. The Canadian troops went to Vimy ridge to size that land which Germans had taken away. To get this land, Vimy Ridge, the allies which consisted powerful countries such as United States, the Great Britain and France had also tried but their tries had always failed no matter what. But Canada fought and won the battle making a way to be recognized as such countries. The British had declared the war on Germany in 1914 and Canada who was a British colony at that time was automatically in the battle. They had no option other than to fight with British against Germans. The CEF, Canadian Expeditionary Force joined with the troops sent by Robert Borden were sent to fight under the rules of British. “The CEF soon became the symbol of a new wave of nationalism in Canada.” (www.histori.ca) The Ministry of Overseas Military Forces was created by Borden in the year 1916 and Arthur William Currie became the commander of Canadian Corp in Europe, first Canadian to be appointed in 1917. In this war Canada entered as a colony under the British but by the end of the war it came out with its own identity and with full power. It was proven when Canada...
Words: 481 - Pages: 2
...Before the Battle Prior to Canada’s involvement in this event, the British and French were hammering away at Vimy Ridge, but the battles always ended in a stalemate because the Germans had the advantage of controlling the ridge. The ridge, located in France was much higher than the rest of the flat plains which made it both an offensive, and defensive position. Apart from driving the Germans further back, this was another reason why the Allied forces wanted to capture Vimy Ridge in the first place. Finally, after many failed attempts and over 100,000 casualties, Canada was assigned to capture Vimy Ridge. Planning & Preparation In order for the Canadian corps to capture Vimy Ridge, lots of meticulous planning and training was done. The Canadians dug tunnels and bunkers underneath the ridge so that at the time of the attack, they could use them to transport troops secretly, store ammunition and sometimes even detonate areas. Likewise, they rehearsed the battle strategy countless times and finally, a week before the actual assault, the Canadians corps continuously shelled enemy bunkers and trenches to weaken their forces and to keep them from knowing when the attack would start. The Battle...
Words: 500 - Pages: 2
...Canadian troops contributed a lasting significant impact on numerous battlefields along the Western Front. Crucial battles of importance are the Battle of Ypres (1914-15), the Somme (1916), and Passchendaele (1917). However, the Battle of Vimy Ridge (1917) stands out as the most iconic involvement of Canadian troops, as it symbolized the birth of Canada’s national identity on an international stage. Four days of intense battle witnessed the four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces come together in battle for the first time in history. Led tactically by a future Canadian hero, General Arthur Currie, Canadians overtook the Ridge from the Germans, a task the English and French failed to accomplish. Therefore, Vimy Ridge deserves a place in the memory of all Canadians, as it symbolized a proud moment in history, where Canadians, a diverse group of individuals made up of English, French, European, and Natives individuals, rallied together as a united force sacrificing their lives for their country and the freedoms entailed to those at the home...
Words: 529 - Pages: 3
...| Canadian History | People, Events, Concepts | | Genti Agako | 3/21/2013 | | Person/ Event/ Term | Identify | Historical Importance | Robert Borden | -Elected Conservative MP from Nova Scotia in 1896.-Prime Minister of Canada from 1911 to 1920.-Adopted the controversial policy of conscription in 1917.-Is regarded as one of Canada’s most successful prime ministers. | -He managed Canada’s war effort with great success and increased international status.-His handlings of wartime issues such as conscription remain controversial – he did initiate women’s right to vote in 1917 election.-Expanded Canada’s autonomy with Britain. | Schlieffen Plan | -German plan to avoid a two-front war by concentrating troops in the West and quickly defeating the French and then, if necessary, rushing those troops by rail to the East to face the Russians before they had time to mobilize fully. | -The Schlieffen Plan was the strategic plan for victory, in case of the instance where Germany would be fighting a war on two fronts. In order to speed up the process of the Schlieffen Plan and avoid a war on two fronts, Germany declared war on France and invaded Belgium.In defence of Belgium's neutral standing in the War, Britain declared war on Germany and thus the First World War began, therefore, the hastiness of German forces and the Schlieffen plan; had effectively sparked the First World War. | ...
Words: 1505 - Pages: 7
...diesel or gas engine. They were extremely armored so they could withstand gunshots. They had armored treads to travel on the rough ground. The first tank, the British Mark I, was designed in 1915. It was first used in battle during “The Battle of the Somme” on September 15, 1916. Flamethrowers The German army was the first army to use a flamethrower in February 1915 near Verdun. They were very useful weapons for soldiers to use while they were in the trenches. They were used for burning enemy soldiers alive. Poison gas Poison gas was used on October 27th, 1914 by the Germans for the first time in the Battle of Ypres. Chlorine gas, phosgene, and mustard gas were the mainly used chemical weapons. Both sides used it. The gas was stored in cylinders. Poison gasses made the men suffocate and vomit until they inevitably died. Victims sometimes took four or five weeks to die of mustard gas exposure. It burned soldiers’ eyes and lungs and blistered their skin. It caused extreme pain. By the end of the war, Germans had opened over 5,000 cylinders. Canadian soldiers would hold cloths soaked in urine over their mouths and noses to survive through chlorine gas attacks. Airplanes Airplane technology was new. Some soldiers had never seen a plane before the war. Many battles occurred in the air. Pilots would tailgate enemy planes. If a plane was shot down, it always resulted in death. On average, pilots only survived about two weeks. Pilots were not provided parachutes to prevent them from...
Words: 2054 - Pages: 9
