Canada made an important contribution to World War I. In order for Germany to carry out the Schlieffen Plan, they had to go through neutral Belgium to attack France. As a result Britain came to Belgium’s aid. At this time Canada was tied to Britain’s foreign policy, so when Britain went to war so did Canada. Canada contributed to the war effort in specific battles in Europe, in the air, on land, at sea, and through a war effort at home. In Canada, there were many pilots being trained to fly airplanes. Billy Bishop was Canada’s top air ace in the First World War, due to the fact he shot down 72 enemy planes.
He was the second best air pilot second to Manfred von Richthofen also known as The Red Baron. When the French and Canadian troops went to war in the Belgian town of Ypres on April 22, 1915 the German’s attacked with chlorine gas. Many soldiers suffocated or choked to death from the deadly fumes. This was the Battle of Ypres, where more than 6000 Canadians were killed, wounded, or captured. Even with the Germans using their chlorine gas, the battle lasted for a month, but neither side gained much advantage. The Battle of the Somme was near the Somme River in France in July, 1916.
Canada had 24,000 casualties at the Somme. Both sides suffered heavy losses. Despite all the casualties, the Canadian troops distinguished themselves as brave soldiers during the battle of the Somme. In the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Lieutenant-General Julian Byng led Canadians to an astounding victory. The Canadian Corps captured German position, gaining more ground, and capturing more artillery than most of their allies. In this battle there were 3,598 men killed. The Battle of Vimy Ridge gave Canadians a sense of national pride and the reputation of being an elite fighting force.
The Essay on World War I -Did Canada benefit from the war?
World War I was one of the worst battles in the world’s history. It was fought from 1914 to 1918 which involved several allied forces trying to stop Germany and its allies from trying to dominate all of Europe. On August 4, 1914, Britain declared war on Germany and its allies because of the infringement they made on The Treaty of London of 1839. Legally being a member of the British Empire, ...
When the Canadians captured Passchendaele, with Canadian general Arthur Currie, the “victory” resulted in more than 200,000 casualties on each side. This included 15,000 Canadians. On August 8th to November 11th, 1918, with the arrival of the Americans, the Allies launched a series of attacks that came to be known as the Hundred Days Campaign; and were able to stop the German advance. This was the final Allied offensive against the Central Powers on the Western Front. With the war at sea, Allies had developed the convoy system to protect their ships from the German U-boats.
Minesweepers were also used at the war at sea to detect and destroy explosive mines planted by the Germans. Back home, due to increased industrial production a higher demand for labour was created. Since the men were at war, this allowed women to work all kinds of jobs. Borden’s government allowed women who had sons, brothers, or loved ones in the war to vote which helped Borden get more votes in the election. Food productions were very high in Canada, during the First World War. The farmers produced as much wheat and beef they could to feed troops overseas. For munitions, women worked in munitions factories where shells were manufactured.
War Bonds were issued by the Canadian government to support the war effort. Through these bonds, the government raised close to $2billion. At the end of World War I, Germany was defeated and the war had come to an end. Canada had gained more autonomy as a result of this war when they were able to sign the Treaty of Versailles as a separate nation. This act of independence led to Canada becoming a full-fledged member of the League of Nations. Canada contributed to the war effort in specific battles in Europe, in the air, on land, at sea, and through a war effort at home.
