Vimy Ridge was considered Canada’s greatest victories. This is the time when the country came out from Britain’s shadow and was capable of doing great things as their own country. Canadian soldiers earned respect and a reputation of effectiveness and a tough army. On April 9th 1917 the Canadian army were ordered to attack Vimy Ridge which was located in Northern France in the pas-de-Calais region. Near the border of Belgium, is a village called Vimy which was equipped with Barbed wires and machine guns. To attack this difficult position, Canadian troops had to carefully plan and practice their attack on France. In order to provide a wide range of firepower in the war they were given specialist roles as machine gunners, and grenade-throwers. …show more content…
The use of new maps and aerial work using remote sensing is to help to guide a way. To keep men safe, engineers dug tunnels from the back to the front. Not only do troops have to train and prepare for battle, the main guide to victory is the artillery barrage that would allow the opposing team (Germany) to come forward. The Canadian troops were led by Lt. - General Sir Julian Bying and Major General Arthur Currie where they overcame an impossible task. As an army they learned from their mistakes of previous battle. As a leader, Bying researched and studied on the French catastrophes in the Battle of Verdun as well as every perspective of Vimy Ridge. He predicted that Canadians can go far in capturing the Vimy Ridge (4000m) by 1pm because they were well prepared. As General Julian predicted, during the battle the Canadian army captured over half of the ridge in the first day of attack. To addition with all of the training, they had underground tunnels that were going through Vimy Ridge. This was made for the Canadian troops to cross over the no man’s land. By April 12th 1917, the Canadians controlled Vimy Ridge. The Canadians had taken over 60km2 of territory, captured 54 guns, 104 trench mortars, and 124 machine guns and captured over 4000 POWs. Canada has gained the respect of many people about this battle, unfortunately they lost 3500 men. Due to the success of Vimy, Arthur Currie became the first Canadian born
These two factors contribute to the overall turning of the Battle of Saratoga and American Revolution. If General Burgoyne would have shown more resilience by waiting on reinforcements and supplies this would have allowed his forces to regroup and prepare for the next battle. In addition, he would have also been joined by other British troops under the command of Sir William Howe. Of the 7,000 British and Germans who marched from Canada, only 3,500 were fit for duty at
Source III portrays that Canadian nationalism was created by the victory of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and how the battle unified and strengthened Canada as a nation. The source embraces civic nationalism and illustrates how a strong sense of patriotism for one’s country can be founded and can further inspire and establish nationalism. For example, the Canadian soldiers that fought at Vimy Ridge were patriotic and fought for Canada, and the results and rewards of the battle were significant to the war. At the time, German leaders and soldiers that fought at Vimy Ridge would disagree with the source, as they believed the Battle of Vimy Ridge did not considerably influence the outcome of the war. They would argue that although the location and
Vimy Ridge was one of the greatest battles of Canadian history, it was part of the opening phase of the British-led Battle of Arras, a diversionary assault for the French Nivelle Offensive. This essay will describe the success of the Canadian troops, the battle’s significance, and the importance of the positioning with respect to the geography of the land. The actual battle took place 5:30 am Easter Monday April 9th 1917, but the planning of the attack took place for more than 5 months beforehand starting in November of 1916. Rehearsals and training also occurred, and the soldiers were trained specifically for each position in the war.
Many historians and writers consider the Canadian victory at Vimy a defining moment for Canada, when the country emerged from under the shadow of Britain and felt capable of greatness. Canadian troops also earned a reputation as formidable, effective troops because of the stunning success. But it was a victory at a terrible cost, with more than 10,000 killed and wounded. The Canadian Corps was ordered to seize Vimy Ridge in April 1917.
The Battle of Vimy Ridge is historically significant because it established the Canadian Expeditionary Force as elite troops of the Entente Army, allowed Canada to emerge from the shadows of the British Empire, and united Canada as a Nation. The battle of Vimy Ridge showed the world that Canada was an important ally of the Entente. French and British troops tried to recapture Vimy Ridge for three years and failed (Service and Sacrifice). However, Canada succeeded in recapturing the ridge (Service and Sacrifice). This shows that Canada is an important ally to the Entente Army because it proved that they were capable of doing things the other powers couldn’t.
Canada’s dedication to the war, one of the biggest mission failures, and affecting the outcome of future battles are the reasons the battle of Dieppe was a defining moment during World War Two. Canada demonstrated their courage and commitment to the war by assisting the Allies to defeat German forces despite losing so many troops. The battle itself was a total failure with many dead, wounded and taken prisoner, due to the poor planning and execution of the battle. Even though it was not a success, there were some important lessons learned such as they needed to change their strategy, equipment, and communications. Canada's dedication and commitment to the war especially to the battle of Dieppe proved to be a major failure and a huge success
Even with great loss of live for the Allies on Juno beach, the Canadian’s were still able to take the beach and pave a way for more troops to be
Located in France near the Belgian border was the strategically important highground of Vimy Ridge. In April of 1917, Canada defeated the Germans who had occupied the area since their first offensive in 1914. Canada's victory at Vimy Ridge not only outlined the unique aspect of their win, but created the foundation for Canada's autonomy internationally. “They said it couldn't be done and we did it.” (-Historian, Pierre
The Allies and the Central powers also had different strategies with the French relying on speed and surprise and the Germans relying on firepower. This led to firefights in between the trenches. Eventually, with the invention of the tank, armies changed their tactics and progress was easier to see every
Canadian Involvement Around the World 1. a. Hypothesize why the Battle of the Atlantic would become the longest and one of the most important campaigns of the Second World War. I think the Battle of the Atlantic would become the longest and one of the most important campaigns of the Second World War because it showed how North America and Canada played a big part in the war. The Canadian force learned how to limit the disrupting of German U-Boats on supply routes. It was the longest campaign of the Second World War because it lasted through the whole war.
TORONTO, CANADA- Yesterday, as the sun set on the horizon, signaled the last day of the horrific four month battle at the Passchendaele Ridge, Ypres for British, German as well as Canadian troops. The battle of Passchendaele, which had begun on July 31st, 1917 carried on till the final attack. It has been told that the Canadians had joined the war sometime in October, on the order of General Douglas Haig. The order was passed on to General Sir Arthur Currie, the Canadian’s new commander, who then prepared the 4 divisions of the Canadian Troops. After the great success at Vimy Ridge, Canadians were presented with the opportunity to celebrate and enjoy their new success.
Despite their loss, the inexperienced colonial forces inflicted considerable casualties against the invading British, and the battle provided them with an important confidence boost. Colonel Prescott’s leadership throughout the battle is an excellent example of good mission command. Upon receipt of mission from higher and given limited resources, Colonel Prescott effectively issued orders to his soldiers, which ultimately led to
At Vimy Ridge Canadians proved themselves to be capable fighters, created a Canadian nationalism that had been lacking before, and showed the world that Canada was nation independent from Britain. The global recognition that Canada received for the work of the C.E.F. at Vimy Ridge also changed Canada’s role in the international political community. Due to Canada’s initial role in the world as part of the British Empire, Canada was an ally of Britain from the start and would remain allied with Britain even to today. So, what changed in the relationship between Britain and Canada? Canada had now proved itself to be capable of operating independently.
The battle of Vimy ridge has left a significant mark on Canada and the reputation of Canadian soldiers. The battle of Vimy ridge is known as the most defining moment for Canada, it has put new tactics in place that have created long lasting change and were used throughout the rest of WW1 and still used today. The significance of the battle was not the battle itself but the effects that Canada would feel nationally instead, the first steps were made of Canada becoming its own country instead of a British colony. After the battle of Somme, Canadian soldiers had lost their passion to fight and confidence in their general.
The British and French had already attempted to take this area, and although it was valiant they still lost. This put weight on Canada’s soldiers. On April 9th, 1917, 1000 guns opened fire on German positions. 15000 Canadians attacked the Germans and after four days and 10000 casualties, Canada single handedly took Vimy Ridge (Vimy Ridge, 1). This victory gained the nation immense respect from the rest of the world.