Canada's Failure Of Vimy Ridge In The First World War

There had been many battles that were crucial in both World Wars, but the battle of Vimy Ridge and Dieppe had proved Canada to be a strong and developing nation during the wars. Vimy Ridge was captured by Canadians when all attempts made by the British and French both resulted in failure. On the other hand, the Dieppe Raid’s mistakes taught the Allies the importance of preparation, as proven during in D-Day. Finally, during these battles, Canada has supplied the most soldiers, which often times, reached thousands. The battles of Vimy Ridge and Dieppe proved Canada’s significance to both World Wars because of its many soldiers they provided, their leadership, skills and military expertise.

Vimy Ridge was one of Canada’s most famous historical

“Curtain Bombing” or the “Creeping Barrage” was a tactic created by Canadian General Arthur Currie, in which the massive artillery fired directly ahead of advancing troops. Strategies before this had the German army ready for the soldiers that were still making their way to the survivors, rendering the entire operation a failure: “The plan was put into use, and by nightfall, the ridge was taken by Canadian hands” (Bolotta, 54). This was important because Canada has sacrificed many of its soldiers in order to test out German defenses and to understand what military precautions that should be taken. Secondly, four individuals were awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military achievement in the British ranks, to Canadian troops who showed courageous acts. The four men responsible were: Private William Milne, who stalked and took out two German machine-gun nests shortly before being killed. Lance-Sergeant Ellis Sifton, who charged a machine-gun nest single-handed, killed its entire crew and held off reinforcements until his own reinforcements arrived, before being shot by a dying victim of his. Captain Thain MacDowell, who during the fight for the highest point of the ridge “Hill 145”,

The battle of Vimy Ridge was a Canadian controlled battle with only a minor percentage of help from the other countries part of the Allies. Roughly about 20 000 Canadian soldiers were present at Vimy Ridge (Canada at War, 4). This was imperative because the victory at Vimy Ridge was greeted with enthusiasm in Canada, and after the war, the battle became a symbol of an awakening Canadian nationalism. One of the prime reasons is that soldiers from every region of Canada were fighting together for the first time as a single assaulting force in the Canadian Corps and had taken the ridge together. This was one of the most renowned battles in Canadian history as it united Canada together and created an efficient work environment. Another historical battle with Canada’s involvement was the Dieppe Raid. Although British and American newsprints barely mentioned Canadian involvement, Canada had a large impact. “Only 50 American troops were involved with the raid...US newspapers reported it as an American attack and barely mentioned Canadian involvement” (Bolotta, 151). This had a large impact because it sent the entire country into mourning and had individuals furious as large amount Canadian veterans lives were sacrificed and were not credited for. Finally, the Dieppe Raid was part of the turning point for WWII. Despite its failure, the raid provided valuable