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Introduction
Prior to Confederation in 1867, residents of the colonies in what is now Canada served as regular members of French and British forces and in local militia groups. The latter aided in the defence of their respective territories against attacks by other European powers, Aboriginal peoples, and later American forces during the American Revolution and War of 1812, as well as in the Fenian raids and North-West Rebellion. Consequently, the lineages of some Canadian army units stretch back to the early 19th century, when militia units were formed to assist in the defence of British North America against invasion by the United States.
The current iteration of the Canadian Forces dates from 1 February 1968, when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged into a unified structure. Its roots, however, lie in colonial militia groups that served alongside garrisons of the French and British armies and navies; a structure that remained in place until the early 20th century. Thereafter, a distinctly Canadian army and navy was established, followed by an air force, that, because of the constitutional arrangements at the time, remained effectively under the control of the British government until Canada gained legislative independence from the United Kingdom in 1931, partly due to the performance and sacrifice of the Canadian Corps in the First World War.
The Canadian forces were then heavily involved in the Second World War (which, as with the previous world war, involved conscription) and Korean War, and, from the 1950s on, actively worked with her NATO Allies to counter the threats of the Cold War. Land Forces during this period also deployed in support of peacekeeping operations within United Nations sanctioned conflicts. The nature of the Canadian Forces has continued to evolve. They are currently engaged in Afghanistan, under the NATO-led United Nations International Security Assistance Force, at the request of the Government of Afghanistan.
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The Victoria Cross is awarded for "the most conspicuous bravery, a daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty, in the presence of the enemy" at any point after 1 January 1993, may be presented posthumously, and, unlike its British counterpart, may be revoked. The main distinction between the Victoria Cross and the Cross of Valour is the specific reference to "the enemy", which the Canadian government has defined as a force hostile towards the Canadian Crown, including armed mutineers, rebels, rioters, and pirates, meaning that the Queen-in-Council does not officially have to declare war to give acknowledgement of the existence of a hostile force that fits the official description. Thus, a Canadian serving as part of a peacekeeping operation is eligible to be awarded the Victoria Cross if the service member fulfils the above criteria.
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The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought primarily as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps against three divisions of the German Sixth Army. The battle, which took place from 9 April to 12 April 1917, was part of the opening phase of the British-led Battle of Arras, a diversionary attack for the French Nivelle Offensive.
The objective of the Canadian Corps was to take control of the German-held high ground along an escarpment at the northernmost end of the Arras Offensive. This would ensure that the southern flank could advance without suffering German enfilade fire. Supported by a creeping barrage, the Canadian Corps captured most of the ridge during the first day of the attack.
The town of Thélus fell during the second day of the attack, as did the crest of the ridge once the Canadian Corps overcame a salient of considerable German resistance. The final objective, a fortified knoll located outside the town of Givenchy-en-Gohelle, fell to the Canadian Corps on 12 April. The German forces then retreated to the Oppy–Méricourt line.
The battle was the first occasion when all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force participated in a battle together, and thus became a Canadian nationalistic symbol of achievement and sacrifice. A 250-acre (100 ha) portion of the former battleground now serves as a preserved memorial park and site of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.
Did you know? -
- ...that in 1916, Berlin, Ontario changed its name to Kitchener due to World War I-era anti-German sentiment?
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Military of Canada featured articles
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Canadian military history task force- Featured articles
- Battle of Arras (1917)
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2nd Canadian Regiment- 410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron
- Edwin Alderson
- Battle of Amiens (1918)
- Liberation of Arnhem
- Avro Canada CF-103
- Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow
- Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar
- John Babcock
- Battle of Hill 70
- Battle of Bloody Creek (1711)
- Battle of Fort Cumberland
- Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial
- John Braham (RAF officer)
- British cavalry during the First World War
- Hubert Brooks
- C and D-class destroyer
- Moro River Campaign
- Canadian Afghan detainee issue
- Canadian National Vimy Memorial
- HMS Comet (H00)
- HMS Crescent (1931)
- HMS Crusader (H60)
- HMS Cygnet (H83)
- HMS Decoy (H75)
- HMS Diana (H49)
- HMS Duncan (D99)
- E and F-class destroyer
- Convoy Faith
- John Emilius Fauquier
- Franklin's lost expedition
- HMCS Fredericton (K245)
- G and H-class destroyer
- Imperial Gift
- In Flanders Fields
- Invasion of Canada (1775)
- Juno Beach
- Battle of Kapyong
- HMS Kempenfelt (I18)
- George Kenney
- Lachine massacre
- Frank McGee (ice hockey)
- Battle of Mont Sorrel
- Leonard W. Murray
- NATO
- Normandy landings
- Operation Backstop
- Operation Overlord
- First Battle of Passchendaele
- Francis Pegahmagabow
- Battle of the Plains of Abraham
- HMCS Protecteur (AOR 509)
- Battle of Quebec (1690)
- Quebec Expedition
- Queen Anne's War
- Royal Canadian Air Cadets
- HMT Royal Edward
- SS Fort Stikine
- Second Battle of Passchendaele
- Siege of Fort St. Jean
- Conn Smythe
- Operation Totalize
- Battle of Trois-Rivières
- Operation Windsor
- World War II
- Walter Zinn
Military of Canada articles
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