Most Defining Moment Of The 20th Century Essay

Canada's most Defining Moment of the 20th Century

By: Sarah Barclay Vimy Ridge, standing alone in the war torn area of northern France, seven miles long and one hundred and fifty metres tall. One hundred years age, under heavy gunfire and pouring rain, this became the birthplace of Canada. Firstly, This battle gave Canada an international voice which was respected by other countries. Secondly, this battle showed that Canada could make military innovation. And lastly, this was the first time in Canadian history that all four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought side by side. Therefore, The battle of Vimy Ridge is Canada’s most defining moment of the 20th century.

First, This battle showed that Canada was ready to take its place on the international

The battle of Vimy Ridge was not originally a 3 day battle, this had been an ongoing battle since the beginning of the war. With over one hundred thousand French and British casualties it seemed as if no allied force would be able to claim Vimy Ridge. Canada was able to implement new battle strategies, “They adopted a new combat philosophy, implemented daring field tactics, leveraged new technology and embraced a revolutionary command structure. In the process they created a modern model of warfare, which is still in use today.” ("Vimy Ridge Innovation & Leadership Lessons for Today") Before this battle, soldiers were told to follow commands without thinking, Byng and Currie wanted to change this though, by giving each soldier a map and practice on a mock Vimy Ridge, they were allowing each person to think for themselves. ("Vimy Ridge Innovation & Leadership Lessons for Today") This battle was also the first time the Vimy glide was used, a very effective battle strategy. Therefore, because Canada showed it was able to make military advancements, Vimy Ridge is one of Canada’s most defining moments of the 20th

Up until Vimy Ridge, The Canadian corps fought separately within the British army, but at Vimy, all four divisions were in the same unit of the british army. This allowed 97,000 Canadians to fight side by side as a nation. During this overwhelming victory, Canada proved that it could fight as a group to achieve a victory that no other allied army had been able to do. As General Alexander Ross stated, “it was Canada from the Atlantic to the pacific on parade. I thought then and I think today, that in those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation.” ("The Battle of Vimy Ridge", 2017) This showed that at Vimy Ridge Canada’s military became united, and showed themselves unified as a country to the rest of the world. In the short time of battle, “we became a nation… in the eyes of the world. It cut across French and English, rich and poor, urban and rural. Vimy ridge confirmed that we were as good as, if not better than any European power.” ("Vimy Quotes") The barriers that had stood between the French and English in Canada had been stripped away in this battle and showed that if we stood as a united nation we were stronger than a lot of major superpowers. Therefore, Because Vimy Ridge was the first time Canada fought as a unified nation, Vimy Ridge is Canada’s most defining moment of the 20th