World War I is known for both its decisive victories and the vast destruction from the losses. Vimy Ridge is Canada’s proudest victory which also led to the global recognition of its nationhood. Canadian General Arthur Carrie’s motto “Neglect nothing” encapsulates the degree of training that Canadian soldiers received. The focus on training the individual soldier in every respect of the battle led to a significant sense of empowerment of worth and self-command. The modification of existing tunnels allowed for constant reinforcement of Canadian troops to the detriment of German efforts. World War I revolutionized battle style in its attention to training detail, its focus on the individual soldier and its resourceful use of existing strategy. …show more content…
The soldiers spent the coldest winter of war time building up the defenses and practicing more and more raids on enemy trenches while gathering resourceful information, for the spring offensive. In the last century, winters used to be very cold and harsh. The amount of snowfall used to be very high even in Britain in 1916. The Canadians soldiers set up a practice base for intense training against the upcoming attack of the German forces in the spring of 1917. The soldiers trained through the hardest times of war period. Arthur Carrie, said, “Take time to train them.” The soldiers were broken down into smaller units and each individual soldier was trained to his utmost until the soldier became his own commander. Every soldier carried more than 32 kilograms of armory equipment such as bullets and hand weapons, resulting in greater difficulty for the soldiers in climbing up and down the hill. The soldiers were already really cold and wet due to the poor clothing and inadequately constructed boots fraudulently provided by Sir Sam Hughes. As a result water would leak through the boots, thus, hindering the soldier’s accent and descent on the hill. The combination of mud, heavy winds and weight of equipment exhausted the soldiers but also strengthen them for …show more content…
Long tunnels were dug up by British, French and Germans soldiers and filled with explosives destroying enemy trenches. The tunnels were used to build an underground network for the real battle. Twelve subways, reaching more than five kilometers deep, were dug at night by construction companies which allowed troops to move to their jumping points faster. Smaller tunnels called sapper, leading off subway to the front-line, were sealed until zero hour. At that point they were blown on, giving Germans an element of surprise, the soldiers attacked right on the front. The network reduced injuries among the troops and wounded soldiers could be brought back safely for recovery. The equipment could be carried to the battleground in less hazardous conditions. “Canadian and British engineers repaired 40 km of road in the Corps’ forward area and added 4.8 km of new road. They also reconditioned 32 km of tramways, over which light trains hauled by gasoline engines.” After widening the road and repairing the trail more dangerous, heavy and explosive equipment could be carried to the front for Canadian soldiers. All the firepower amounted was divided among the total
For training, the author shares the difficult task involved in the training and that went into preparing the American solider for battle in World War I from multiple levels including from Brownies’ perspective. The author gave clear and concise examples to strengthen his claim concerning the overwhelming task of training an inexperienced army. As the Snead explains, “Historians, journalists, and others have written numerous books
Previous Allied attacks on Vimy Ridge in 1914 and 1915 had cost the British and French hundreds of thousands of casualties and had been mostly unsuccessful. The planning and preparations for the attack were extensive, and time consuming. The Canadians were trained rigorously. Models of the trench systems were made and the soldiers were drilled on what they were to do and
One of Currie’s most impressive and important achievements had come during the winter or 1919-17, while he was still a divisional commander. By analyzing the fighting he had witnessed on the Western Front, Currie had drawn up what proved to be a blueprint for tactical success. In a paper, Currie synthesized the best of British and French concepts, and with many of his own beliefs based on personal experience. Under Sir Arthur Currie, the Canadian Corps emerged as an outstanding formation on the ...
With careful planning, co-operation, good leadership and courage, Currie managed to bring out the characteristics of a well thought out success at Vimy Ridge in April of 1917 (Dancocks, 1985). Sir Arthur Currie’s responsibility was to command the 1st Canadian Division (Hyatt, 1987). He pushed his troops to undergo rigorous training and to prepare themselves by using a life-size course, with every trench marked by tape and a flag (Dancocks, 1985). Currie designed very accurate maps and he had a small-scale plasticine model built so that it could be studied by all soldiers. Arthur Currie insisted that his division’s knowledge of the enemy was excellent (Dancocks, 1985).
Stacey, C. P. Six Years of War: The Army in Canada, Britain and the Pacific.
"I am a good enough Canadian to believe, if my experience justifies me in believing, that Canadians are best served by Canadians." Sir Arthur Currie. This statement Sir Arthur Currie, Major General for the Canadians at Vimy Ridge, could not describe any better why the Canadians were so successful at Vimy Ridge. Thought to have been a near impossible task to take Vimy Ridge as both the French and British had tried and failed miserably with substantial losses the Canadians were now tasked with taking this Ridge. The Ridge overlooking the Douai plain was essentially the “Hinge of the German line” as quoted by John Stephen. Losing this high ground would leave the Germans positions in the region exposed to the Allies, destabilizing the entire area. In the end the impossible was made possible and the Canadians captured the ridge and won the first major victory in the war. The reason for their success came from not only their strategies and preparedness but also uniting together for the very first time in the war as Canadians.
A big reason behind Canadian victory at Vimy is due to the preparations made beforehand. To understand the demand for such intense preparations made by the Canadians, it is necessary to understand why this Battle was so significant. “The taking of Vimy Ridge was very important offensively as it was a key position of the German line in Northern France, but it was even more important for the Germans to not lose Vimy Ridge”(Stephens). If the Allies are successful in capturing the ridge, German position on the battlefield would significantly weaken. Should the Allies take the Ridge from the Germans, they would have a clear view of German positions throughout the Douai Plain. For the Germans, winning this Battle was extremely important as the Ridge defended the Hindenburg line as well as the western front. The battle was important to win because Vimy Ridge was an important strategic point that gave a perfect opp...
The First World War witnessed an appalling number of casualties. Due partly to this fact, some historians, developed the perception that commanders on both sides depended on only one disastrous approach to breaking the stalemate. These historians attributed the loss of life to the reliance on soldiers charging across no-man’s land only to be mowed down by enemy machineguns. The accuracy of this, however, is fallacious because both the German’s and Allies developed and used a variety of tactics during the war. The main reason for battlefield success and eventual victory by the Allies came from the transformation of battlefield tactics; nevertheless, moral played a major role by greatly affecting the development of new tactics and the final outcome of the war.
The battle of Saratoga was a significant turning point in the American Revolutionary War. This key conflict was, in fact, two significant battles that shaped America’s struggle for independence. The battles were fought 18 days apart in the same location - 9 miles south of Saratoga, New York. John Burgoyne, the British General, had an initial strategy to divide New England from the southern colonies. This was at first successful when the British took Pennsylvania, but hit a snag when Burgoyne met the Continental Army at Freeman’s Farm on September 19, 1777 - the first of the Saratoga battles. This was a tactical victory for the British, but it came at a price, as their casualties were heavy. It was known that the British won this Battle at Freeman’s Farm, but in actuality, they didn’t have many troops left. On October 7, in the Battle of Bemis Heights, the second Battle of Saratoga, Britain attacked America again as Burgoyne took the offensive. The troops crashed together south of the town of Saratoga, and Burgoyne's army was broken and his command captured. At this battle, the Americans were able to capture a large number of British troops, ultimately resulting in Burgoyne’s surrender on October 17, 1777. The Battle of Saratoga is well known to be “one of the most important victories of the conflict and an early success for the colonists.” The victory gave new life to the American cause at a critical time. Americans had just suffered a major setback at the Battle of Brandywine. They had also received news of the fall of Philadelphia to the British. Significantly with the success at Saratoga, France gained the confidence to enter the war as an American ally. The Battle of Saratoga was a war-altering conflict between the America...
The Civil War was one of the worst tragedies fought on the United States soil. It scared so many families, friends, and even the surviving soldiers. The Battle of Chattanooga, one of the greatest battles of the Civil War in America, was fought to determine who had obtained the strategic passageways and waterways surrounding the city.
Tragic events occur not only in the United States, but also all over the world. From these tragic events communities, families, and the government decide to place memorials for people that were lost and as a thank you for people protecting the citizens of the country. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Wall, in Washington D.C. is one of these cases. However, what exactly was the purpose of this memorial? The purpose of putting up the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was not only to thank the veterans for their bravery, but to remind future generations about happened during the Vietnam War. Also, the memorial is important to help people and the veterans to accept the fact that the war actually
Warfare was in a state of transition. Older commanders and generals in the French and British militaries were very cavalry and infantry focused. These commanders believed that cavalry, infantry, and artillery would assure victory in any circumstance, against any foe. They clung to the static tactics of the bygone World War I era. World War I had been fought primarily on French soil, and the military as well as the government never wanted that to happen again, therefore they wanted to reinforce their main border against any future German. Little did they know that only twenty two years later they would be bested by German forces in a way that would shock the world. This research will be analyzing many important assumptions, oversights,...
i. Difficulties faced by soldiers due to the nature of fighting in the Vietnam War - Personnel had difficulties with transportation supplied with adapted vehicles back seat faced rear to provide additional fire power (Source A) – It appears as if the government didn't worry enough to supply men with safe and capable equipment - Threat of traps led to fear as vehicles had to be parked on street at night (Source A) o Check for traps each morning became a daily ritual particularly in fuel tanks (Source A) o A request for a locking fuel cap was denied because weren’t entitled to one” (Source A) • What circumstances would have needed to arise for them to be entitled to one? The Offensive full guard was set up (24hrs a day), personnel got no sleep and were constantly on alert (Source A) – How significant would this have been in the personnel’s mental frame of mind?
The revolutionary war of the United States of America was a time of many important battles fought in the name of freedom and independence from Great Britain, the greatest military power of the world at the time. One of these famous battles that took part of the history of the American Revolution is known as the Battle of Bunker Hill. Taking place on the night of June 16, 1775, the Battle of Bunker Hill was a battle that resulted in an American loss of the battle, but also hurt the British Army significantly and boosted the American rebels’ morale during the Revolution. The battle took place in Charleston, Massachusetts, specifically on the Charleston Peninsula, which was home to Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill and had a vital oversight of the Boston Harbor, the most important harbor in the Americas at the time.
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...