When Did Canada Achieve Independence? Joely Brown For Canada, achieving independence was an especially long and gruelling mission. From being compared as a ‘second-class’ country to Britain to developing the role of a World War II hero, the experience that Canada went through could be described as a climb up a very high mountain. In order to gain independence, a country needs to be able to have control over itself without having a complete breakdown, have a strong reputation that brings positive effects to the rest of the world, and most importantly, make their citizens proud to be where they are from. Based on these criteria, Canada truly achieved independence in 1945, from the new attributes learned from the overwhelming success
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The final battle of World War II in Europe was the Liberation of the Netherlands, taking place on February 8. On this day, the Rhine Offensive added 175 000 new Canadians to their assault force (Colyer, Hoogeven & Murdoch, 2010, p. 302). Before all of this happened, though, the Netherlands was going through a terrible “Hunger Winter”, where the daily intake of 320 calories – just one eighth of the amount necessary – claimed the lives of thousands of Dutch citizens (www.veterans.gc.ca). Once the liberation began, the Canadian soldiers were able to hold the Dutch front lines for three months, while the First Canadian Army cleared the Nazis and captured many canals and farmlands (www.veterans.gc.ca). They successfully captured the town of Arnhem in two days, and captured Apeldoorn just a few days later (www.veterans.gc.ca). Eventually, in May, the Germans surrendered, ending the war in Europe once and for all. It was made clear that the Netherlands truly was thankful of the Canadian troops. One civilian said, “As the [Canadian] tank came nearer...there was a big hush over all the people, and it was suddenly broken by a big scream, as if it was out of the earth. And the people climbed on the tank...and they were crying. And we were running with the tanks and the jeeps all the way into the city” (www.veterans.gc.ca). This shows the growth of international trust and relations to Canada, along with holding up their reputation from World War I. This new profile continued in November, as Canada signed on to participate in the United Nations. The U.N., a modified version of the 1920 League of Nations, was put together by British PM Winston Churchill, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. To this day, there are 9 European, 21 North/South/Central American, 7 Middle East, 5 Commonwealth, 2 Soviet,
The final battle of World War II in Europe was the Liberation of the Netherlands, taking place on February 8. On this day, the Rhine Offensive added 175 000 new Canadians to their assault force (Colyer, Hoogeven & Murdoch, 2010, p. 302). Before all of this happened, though, the Netherlands was going through a terrible “Hunger Winter”, where the daily intake of 320 calories – just one eighth of the amount necessary – claimed the lives of thousands of Dutch citizens (www.veterans.gc.ca). Once the liberation began, the Canadian soldiers were able to hold the Dutch front lines for three months, while the First Canadian Army cleared the Nazis and captured many canals and farmlands (www.veterans.gc.ca). They successfully captured the town of Arnhem in two days, and captured Apeldoorn just a few days later (www.veterans.gc.ca). Eventually, in May, the Germans surrendered, ending the war in Europe once and for all. It was made clear that the Netherlands truly was thankful of the Canadian troops. One civilian said, “As the [Canadian] tank came nearer...there was a big hush over all the people, and it was suddenly broken by a big scream, as if it was out of the earth. And the people climbed on the tank...and they were crying. And we were running with the tanks and the jeeps all the way into the city” (www.veterans.gc.ca). This shows the growth of international trust and relations to Canada, along with holding up their reputation from World War I. This new profile continued in November, as Canada signed on to participate in the United Nations. The U.N., a modified version of the 1920 League of Nations, was put together by British PM Winston Churchill, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. To this day, there are 9 European, 21 North/South/Central American, 7 Middle East, 5 Commonwealth, 2 Soviet,