Autonomy: the state or condition of having independence or freedom, or of being autonomous; self-government, or the right of self-government. In both World War I and World War II, Canada demonstrated its independence from Great Britain in various forms, but it was during World War I, also known as the Great War, and soon after, that was particularly effective in shaping Canada’s individuality. The war accelerated the shift from the British Empire into the British Commonwealth and revealed the independence of the self-governing dominion. It was during WW1 that Canada had confirmed its individuality for the first time through the demonstration of war efforts through its resilient military, booming economy, and greater voice in political …show more content…
From the beginning, the Canadian government assured its citizens that although Canada had no choice in the matter of whether or not to fight in the war, Ottawa did have the right to choose the degree of its participation. When more than 33 000 Canadian soldiers landed in England for training, Lord Kitchener, the British Minister of War, informed Sam Hughes, the Canadian military commander, that the Canadians would be divided to serve as support for existing English battalions. Hughes intentionally ignored this order, keeping the Canadian soldiers together, and establishing from the start that Canadians were an independent combat force, not simply an extension of the British army. As the war continued on, Canadian troops proved again and again their military distinction autonomous of Britain and secured the admiration of the other Allied nations, specifically shown in Canada's brilliant performance during the battle of Vimy Ridge. The fight in 1917 was a significant …show more content…
The actions during WWI and the events soon afterwards set Canadian autonomy in motion. For example, Sir Robert Borden fought for Canada to have a greater voice, and a key step to independence was taken in 1917. Britain systematized the Imperial War Cabinet, where Borden presented Resolution IX, which acknowledged Canada as an independent nation within the British Commonwealth. Furthermore, the Paris Peace Conference drafted the Treaty of Versailles (1919) which concluded the war. Borden successfully insisted that Canada have a seat at the meeting and be a signatory to the ensuing treaty. One provision of the Treaty was the establishment of the League of Nations, and Canada quickly joined as an independent member. Finally, in 1931 the Statute of Westminster made it a matter of official British law that the Commonwealth members were autonomous and equal in status to Britain. Canada had proven its individuality throughout the war, and by the end, Canada was no longer perceived as simply a colony of Britain. Canada was able to function on an international level ‘’shoulder to shoulder’’ with
The years since the Battle of Vimy Ridge may have passed quickly, but the legacy of the Canadians whose accomplishments were great in that pivotal First World War battle lives on. Many people claim to this day that Canada came of age as a country on those hard April days in 1917. At first, through the meticulous planning of the battle, the world saw a nation capable of working together and making decisions as a team. Afterwards, with the range of technical and tactical innovations involved in the attack, the world saw a strong nation unafraid to protect and defend. In the end, through great sacrifice the world bore witness to the birth of the Canadian legacy.
After the Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge, other counties immediately started to view Canada as a strong and determined army. In earlier years, many British and French attacks had been made against the ridge, as it was the barrier preventing the allies from getting to Lens-Douai Plain. The French has lost 150,000 men at Vimy, while the British also suffered heavy causalities. Before the battle at Vimy, Canadian forces were not recognized for any significant military contributions, and a Canadian had never been commander of more than a single division of soldiers. After their victory, however, both Britain and France viewed Canada and their soldiers as a military force to be reckoned with. In fact, Sir Arthur Currie became commander of the entire Canadian corps after his performance in commanding the first Canadian division at Vimy. This showed that the British commander...
Canada was one of Great Britain’s empire who fought under British units or in the Canadian Corps, formed by the Canadian Expeditionary Forces. These Canadians who fought aside with Great Britain earned a recognition of becoming an independent strong fighting force. They earned this reputation through one of World War One’s battles called, Vimy Ridge. Canadian soldiers who were in the Canadian Corps had an awful General named, Sam Hughes who preferred to use the Ross rifle. This type of weapon was too heavy and often jammed too many times to be used as a rifle for upcoming horrific battles. Thus, a new general replaced Sam Hughes and that was, Arthur Currie. General Currie had the desire for the Canadian Corps’ four divisions to fight together to take hold of Vimy Ridge. Arthur Currie made precise plans of military tactics that no general had done to their troops. General Currie gave his troops maps and had a duplicate model of Vimy Ridge so that troops are able to have an ideal look of what they should be taking hold of. Als...
World War, Canada remained virtually unaffected during the war and its involvement set up a
Source I is a quote from the Paris Peace Talks by British Prime Minister; Lloyd George, where he states a desire for Germany to suffer. This line was said after the end of World War I, where nations met up to discuss the Treaty of Versailles or the treaty to end World War I. In that treaty, it claimed that Germany was responsible for the war and included all the punishments for Germany. Britain and France wanted to make Germany hurt, in return from all the losses it’s caused them, like death of loved ones and damaged property. Squeezing an orange until its pips squeak, means to apply intense pressure on one, until it suffers or in Germany’s case, becomes economically and militarily weak. The Treaty of Versailles harshly punished
The Paris Peace granted an individual seat for Canada. This seat was apart from the other state under British rule and was symbolic for Canada's independence during the war. Furthermore on the war effort, at the signing of the Treaty of Versailles Canada was also given its own seat. Canada was still the only state under British rule to have its own seat and further impressed the independence of Canada upon the world. The last important seat Canada was granted was one part of the League of Nations, the interwar league that was focused on maintaining peace. Canada was yet again given a seat apart from Britain and this one lasted for more than one
Canada also became a leader internationally as well. With such an enormous military contribution during the war, other countries began to recognize the success of Canada. People wanted to know more about Canada. Consequently, the war advanced Canada’s sense of identity.
Any person, place or event that has held the honour of being commemorated in Canada has been recognized of an extreme importance to the country. It is impossible to research commemoration in Canada without reading about world war one and two; The great wars are arguably the most commemorated events in History let alone Canada. Understanding this they are not the only events that receive attention from Canada, the government recognizes many other occurrences as, well, anything from Sir John A. Macdonald day on the 11th of January to the anniversary of the statute of Westminster on the 11th of December. I do not believe that any one event can be placed above or below another, and that they all hold a value in whatever way that may be. This Essay
and not viewed under the influence of British control. Canada achieved autonomy due to the
Canada has come a long way to become an independent country, from being another colony outside of Britain, Canada has become a nation of its own, bigger than what its mother country is and much stronger. Canada has had many battles to fight, some they won, others they lost, but to this day it made Canada what it is, a country that fights for freedom and their own independence. It was a combination of multiple events that paved the road for Canada, some of these events stood out more than others. Vimy Ridge was a tremendous battle that made Canada known and created the birth of this nation. The symbol of our almighty country, the one thing that symbolizes our citizenship, the national flag; without it Canada would not have been. Most of all,
In 1914, Canada entered the international stage when the nation joined the largest conflict the world had ever seen. Canada, a colony of Britain, fought the same battles and experienced the same losses as all the other established nations in the war. For four years, the country came together and played a crucial role in bringing down the rising threat that was the Central Powers. Despite the great cost, WWI had numerous positive impacts on Canada, especially regarding its economy, unity as a nation, and status on the world stage.
One would have to admit that World War One did give Canada a reputation and Canadians pride. Canada’s accomplishments in the war, notably the victory at Vimy Ridge and Canadian troops holding against the German attack in the Second Battle of the Ypres, not only gave Canadians a reason to be proud of their country, but also let other countries to see that Canada was a very helpful and useful. Also, Canada representing itself in signing the Treaty of Versailles increased Canadian pride and further showed Canada’s contribution to the war. However, this increased Canadian pride and reputation came at a heavy price. As
In 1867, four provinces of Canada became a dominion of Great Britain. From 1867 to 1914, before the Great War, Canada worked at achieving its national status as an autonomous country. Canada’s role and contributions to the war played a crucial part in obtaining this status. Due to Canada’s efforts during the Great Was, it received recognition at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. During this conference, Canada was viewed as an independent nation for one of the first times in history when the country was given its very own seat. Canada grew from a dominion of Great Britain to being a truly independent country in the time period from 1919–1939 because of the Chanak crisis in 1922, the Halibut Treaty in 1923 and the Statute of Westminster
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...
Canada's sacrifices and contributions to the war changed its history and enabled them to become more independent and they friendship with Britain grew stronger and stronger. Canada was first inducted into the World War 1 when Britain declared war on Germany, August 4, 1914. Canada being allies with Britain had to support those in the war even know they weren’t in there and fighting all on the front they were backup just in case the German soldiers broke through the trenches and head towards France. Later on the Governor General also declared war on Germany but the Canadians fought under the ruling of a Britain commander. The achievements of Canadian military during the First World War came during the Somme, Vimy Ridge, and Passchendaele battles and what later became known as "Canada's Hundred Days". They help fight for the freedom and peace for the small village of Passchendaele and however as it was a muddy hell, they still persevered throu...