World War II led to Canada’s independence. Canada joined the war not only because of the allies, but based upon their own decisions. Out of all the battles and events that went on I’m going to focus on the beginning of the end: D-Day. Trying to figure out an inquiry question, I was looking around on different sites and some people said The Dieppe Raid and D-Day were important events for Canada. I was trying to think to myself why it was important and it didn’t come to me. So I started doing some research and found a lot of different opinions and views. Which led me to my question. Why was The Dieppe Raid and D-Day so important to Canadian identity?

Canadians played a major role in both events. The Dieppe raid was Canada’s first time battling against the Nazis on land. Even though Dieppe was a disaster, it still was a very memorable and defining moment for Canada because of its lasting affects on the later battles. It showed how dedicated Canada was to fighting in the war. Then again it also was one of the biggest failures. 6000 men fought in the Dieppe raid and 5000 of them were Canadian. Canada fell short when most of them had died. On June 6th Canada fought beside their allies in one of the greatest invasions in history. The allied troops arrived on five beaches that were codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Canadian troops landed at Juno Beach. The Americans landed at Utah and Omaha while the British landed at Sword and Gold. In the attack at Juno beach, Canada had completed all of the objectives. Though taking Juno beach was no walk in the park, through dedication and motivation Canada managed to get passed the German defence lines. The success of the allies morally depended on Canada. The Canadians brought pride to their nation and showed just how powerful Canada really is, as a military force and an ally. From this point on to the end of the war Canadians fought equally to the British and Americans. With the Canadians being so successful they were picked to liberate the Netherlands. These battles brought Canada closer to Europe and the US. This is why The Dieppe Raid and D-Day will always be an important memory to Canada.

These two battles formed Canada to the powerful independent country it is today. Canada played major roles in both of these battles. Dieppe and D-Day changed the future of Canada. Thanks to the efforts of the Canadians, Germany was defeated. It was a struggle to do but we pulled it off. The Canadians killed in action fighting for this great country should be recognized. Not only is Canada a part of these battles, but the battles are a part of Canada.