Canada’s National Identity: History and a Poem

1382 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Canada effect on ww2

Prior to World War I, Canada as a nation had an identity crisis. A key factor in Canada’s pursuit of an identity are the countries that have influenced it.Through the influences that other countries have had upon the nation of Canada, Canada has been able to create a unique identity. The nation was created without one, but it was able to create a unique nation that in turn, went on to influence those who’s influences it drew from originally. Canada’s national identity is attributed to our role in World War I. Due to our British and French Heritage, there was a conflict of interest concerning the nation’s expectations. In the 1920’s, Canada achieved independence from Britain, as seen in the Statute of Westminster in 1931. Even though Canada remains part of the Commonwealth, its independence was starting to be recognized globally, through foreign and economic relations with non-commonwealth countries. When Britain declared war on Germany in 1914, Canada was automatically enlisted in the war as well. Within three week, 45,000 Canadians had been enlisted, and John McCrae was one of them.1 McCrae was a Canadian physician and soldier. On Sunday May 2nd, 1915, Lieutenant John McCrae scribbled a rough poem on the battlefield of Flanders, France. The day before, his closest friend, Alexis Herlmer of Ottawa had been killed by a shell. McCrae performed the ceremony for his friend the night of his death. As the battle of Flanders continued on, wild poppies began blooming between the marked crosses that marked the various makeshift graves.2

As a physician and a solider, John McCrae insisted in sleeping in tents like the regular soldiers did, rather than in officers’ huts. His health began to decline to pneumonia. Through living through the...

... middle of paper ...

... http://www.jstor.org.proxy.library.carleton.ca/stable/302458

"Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae." Veterans Affairs Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.

Neilson, Shane. "John McCrae on death." CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 10 Nov. 2009: 717+. Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA212326975&v=2.1&u=ocul_carleton&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=160ffb0368fbe2911c33fc89e8e2ffbd

Philip Mortimer BMJ: British Medical Journal , Vol. 321, No. 7269 (Nov. 4, 2000) , p. 1123

http://www.jstor.org.proxy.library.carleton.ca/stable/25226097

Teresa Iacobelli "A Participant’s History?": The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Manipulation of Oral History Oral History Review 2011 38: 331-348.

http://ohr.oxfordjournals.org.proxy.library.carleton.ca/content/38/2/331.full.pdf+html

Show More
Related

  • The Battle of Vimy Ridge and Its effect on Canada

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    Canada’s eligibility to participate on the world stage and its move towards independence was proven after the accomplishments at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Foremost, Canada’s first opportunity to partake on the world stage came soon after the end of World War I, during the Paris Peace Conference. The accomplishments of the Canadian Army in the Battle of Vimy Ridge helped to earn Canada a spot in the Paris Peace Conference, after long arguments made on behalf of Canada by Prime Minister Robert Broden . The Prime Minister argued that Canada’s wartime record had earned Canada a seat separate from Britain. Canada was granted the seat despite the disapproval of the American President, Woodrow Wilson’s as they contributed greatly to the Allied forces especially in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The approval of Canada’s seat is important to both the significance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the eligibility to participate on the world stage because it was one of the first steps Canada took towards its independence from Great Britain. Additionally, Canada became more social with other countries separate from Britain after the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Canada involved itself more in trading after the battle and the war, and had a flourishing...

    Read More

  • Nationalism In Canada Essay

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nationalism is a political, economic and social ideology, doctrine and practice describing the “advocacy of or support for the interests of one’s own nation”, especially above the interests of other outside nations, individuals, and regions (“Nationalism”). It is a conscious state of mind where individuals believe their duty and loyalty is to the nation-state. It believes that a nation is the most crucial aspect for human social life because it gives a nation a sense of unity by promoting the shared interests and identities of the individuals such as language, race, religion etc. (“Nationalism”). Therefore, the aim of nationalism is to preserve and promote the nation’s culture as opposed to other cultures. Politically, the goal is gaining and

    Read More

  • How Has World War 1 Affected Canada

    235 Words  | 1 Pages

    World War One is one of the most significant events in Canadian history and one of the most deadly wars known in history, having as many as sixty million casualties.The war may have been a brutal one as it impacted many countries but was extremely beneficial for Canada. The war allowed Canada to sustain their industrial production, monetary growth and shaped the nation to being a dominant and independent country. Due to Canada’s effective effort in the war, it portrayed a vital role in shaping its identity, Canada started to be seen as an independent country which led to and a nation that shouldn’t be underestimated. In addition, the war contributed to women’s rights in Canada which were distinguished as women accomplished jobs that men were

    Read More

  • The Day Canada Became a Nation

    1958 Words  | 4 Pages

    In World War I, the victory of the Allies was caused by the turning point of a stalemate on the Western Front of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. It was “the Canadians willingness to forgo nationalism in the interests of efficiency and effectiveness that marked a new” (Dickson 40) transition of the ending of war. Through the second battle of Ypres, the Battle of Aras, and observing the previous bloodbath at the Battle of The Somme, the Canadian Expeditionary Force (C.E.F) perfected their defense tactics and techniques to fight in the evolutionary battle that made Canada a nation.

    Read More

  • Vimy Ridge: A Defining Moment in Canadian History

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    April 9, 1917, was the beginning of a battle that would reshape a nation known as Canada. The battle of Vimy Ridge is considered a defining moment in Canadian history because, the achievement of Vimy earned Canadians a separate signature on the Treaty of Versailles, the victory was planned and executed by Canadians, and Canada’s nationalism was born. To begin with, Vimy is a defining moment as, the achievement earned Canadians a separate signature on the Treaty of Versailles. The victory was a record set by Canadians which was “…crowned by the achievements at Vimy, won for Canada a separate signature on the Versailles Peace Treaty ending the war” (“The Capture of Vimy Ridge: Canada in the First World War and the Road to Vimy Ridge.”). The achievement of winning

    Read More

  • Vimy Ridge Essay

    1596 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Canadian historiography, the Battle of Vimy Ridge has often been portrayed as the day “we became a full fledged nation with an army of our own.” The problem with this statement, and any narrative that sees Canada evolving from a colony to a nation on the top of Vimy Ridge is that it misrepresents both the nature of the Canadian Corps’ victory and exaggerates its place in developing the Canadian nation. Since World War I, Vimy Ridge has become the epicenter of Canadian nationalism, and has been the focus of many works from poems to textbooks that trace Canadian national history. As a result, it has been used often by politicians from Sir Arthur Currie to prime minister Mackenzie to promote their own political agendas.

    Read More

  • Autonomy In Canada Essay

    522 Words  | 2 Pages

    Canada’s participation in World War One contributed tremendously to national identity and autonomy. An example of this would be Canadian women having a major role working in all types of jobs, followed by gaining the right to vote. A Second example is Prime Minister Borden’s hard work to end the war with the birth

    Read More

  • How Did Aboriginals Recruit Aboriginal People

    847 Words  | 2 Pages

    Halfway through the second decade of the twentieth century one of the most destructive, fatal events in the history of humanity started – the First World War. It lasted 4 years until 1918, and took around 10 million lives from families and friends during that time. People all around the world still mourn this desperate soldiers for their bravery and courage. We can not exactly predict, how war would have finished in different ways, and situations, as we can not say that Triple Entente would have won without the help of Native Canadians soldiers, that risked their lives for British Crown.

    Read More

  • Canada's Involvement in World War One

    1424 Words  | 3 Pages

    Battles such as Vimy Ridge, the Second Battle of Passchendaele and the Battle of the Somme were some of the worst battles that the world can find Canadian's. Our northern nation had boasted over 600,000 soldiers to the battlefields whilst also providing vital manufacturing facilities and training soldiers from across the world. The strong imperial bond between Canada and the 'Motherland' was an important factor in Canada's decision to participate wholeheartedly in World War I, and influenced many in their decision to join the army. Most Canadians felt a strong connection to the British Emp...

    Read More

  • Canada In The Twentieth Century

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    Have you ever wondered which events in Canadian history have been the most significant in shaping Canadian identity? Many significant events in the twentieth century left a lasting legacy for Canada. Canada would not be the culturally rich, prosperous and progressive nation that it is today, without its immigration patterns in the past. World War I (WWI) was also a significant event as it united Canada and left behind a legacy of sacrifice and national pride. Economic development during the post war period contributed to Canadian success nationally and globally. Immigration, WWI and economic development were significant events in Canadian twentieth century history. Each event brought new and powerful

    Read More

  • Growth of Canada as a Nation during WWI

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    Canadians contributed in many ways to help our country's great efforts in the First World War. Canadians had literally the whole country and made enormous demands on the Canadian people, whether they were involved in the actual fighting or remained on the home front to work in industry or farming to support the war effort. Canada grew tremendously through the war as a nation, individually and emotional. Canadian troops had to be strong and responsible as they were always running from one front to another and had to be strong so that the little thing don’t bother them so they don’t become emotionally unstable, then could end there life. Strength played a major role through the war as did courage and every Canadian troop had those two components making them a strong army to attack against.

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Canada In The Second World War On Canada

    996 Words  | 2 Pages

    After forcing 60 million deaths, World War II was a disastrous event. Anyway, it transformed Canada from a small country into a well-respected and thriving nation. Canada’s participation in the Second World War had a very significant impact on it as a Country. Canada faced many hardships however, it emerged as a different and united nation. In fact, World War II had paved a new lease of activity in the Canadian setup in aspects such as social developments, economical developments, and political developments.

    Read More

  • Conscription In Canada Essay

    601 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mackenzie King, Canada’s Prime Minister who served during the Second World War, once said during a speech: “Let it be remembered, too, that at a time of war, nearly everyone is under great strain.” This single comment directly reflected on Canadian experiences during the Second World War. The straining events of the war stretched to the highest rank in Canada when the Prime Minister dealt with the Conscription crisis, and even to the lowest undesirable rank in Canada’s wartime society, enemy aliens with their struggles. It was also during this global conflict that Canadians witnessed change in their ideologies and methodologies as well as new introductions in these areas. Attitudes towards women matured to higher statuses, and the high demand

    Read More

  • Canada's Autonomy: The Chanak Affair Of 1922

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    A century ago, Canada was under control by the British Empire. The battles we fought the treaties we signed and the disputes we solved all helped us gain independence from our mother country “Britain”. Canadians fought a long battle protecting others, and from these battles we gained our peaceful reputation and our independence from Britain. Canada became a nation on July, 1st 1867. Although we were an independent country, our affairs and treaties were all still signed by Britain. In the next years Canada would establish its own government, and lead its own affairs. Many important events led to Canada’s independence, one of the earliest signals that Canada wanted to establish autonomy was the Chanak affair of 1921. In addition the battle of Normandy, which occurred on June 6 1944, contributed to the autonomy of Canada. The Suez Canal Crisis, which took place in the year 1956, earned Canada a place in the media spotlight, displaying Canada as a peaceful country that deserves the right to be independent. One of the final steps that aided with Canada’s independence from Britain was the Canada Act of 1982. Independence from Britain steadily increased throughout the 20th century because of political decisions made in Canada.

    Read More

  • Canadian Charter Of Rights And Freedoms

    1917 Words  | 4 Pages

    This historical event reflects a time when a true singular Canadian identity began to develop without being under the shadow of another country. It is said that Canada's impressive contributions during world war I was best exemplified by our triumph in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. This victory changed the way that we and others in the world viewed our country. Some historians say that Canada came of age as a nation in the battle as 100,000 Canadians from coast to coast came together to capture the vital German stronghold.This was the first battle that Canada fought as one with limited help from the British, it was a primarily Canadian only

    Read More

More about Canada’s National Identity: History and a Poem

Open Document