For older generations in the UK, a great victory was the Heights of Abraham/Quebec - complete with the deaths of the generals on either side.
Compare and contrast, as they say, with Trafalgar and the death of Nelson.
I’m wondering if the salience of Agincourt is more to do with the Olivier film of Henry V, and its parallels with the invasion of Normandy at the time.
For military disasters pre-WW1, obviously the Charge of the Light Brigade (come to think of it, the Crimean War itself). Or, in the Boer War, Spion Kop.
According to Caddick-Adams Sand and Steel more men died in the training and preparation leading up to DDay than the actual invasion itself. Most of the earlier deaths were covered up and kept top secret for decades.
To people of a certain mindset, Agincourt couldn’t have been a great battle because of the relatively small number of Englishman who died. Greatness comes from sacrifice, so by not dying they obviously weren’t fighting hard enough.
It is a long-cherished tradition among a certain type of military thinker that huge casualties are the main thing. If they are on the other side then this is a valuable bonus.
Canada remembers the sacrifices today that were made at Vimy Ridge 105 years ago. May we seek to always increase our understanding and may we seek to never forget.
This is the “Vimy Flag” - probably the oldest surviving Canadian flag, used by troops of the Canadian Corps at Vimy Ridge. After long negotiations, now on semi-permanent loan by the Imperial War Museum to the Canadian War Museum.
During the four day battle, 3,598 dead and 7,004 wounded amongst the Canadians and British; unknown German casualties; 4,000 captured.
Canada entered WW1 as an English colony, who automatically declared war since Britain did, and ended it feeling more independent. Vimy was a hard fought victory which taught Canada their volunteers could fight as well as anyone. The battle itself was only of moderate significance. But the lessons taught led to much more independence, international respect, an awakened nationalism, and social changes like industrialization and increasing roles and rights for women, who helped in the new factories and who supported Canada’s hundreds of thousands of volunteers (before 1917 conscription).
I’m surprised no one has yet mentioned the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in the context of Canada:
The British victory in this battle was a crucial moment in history that, along with other events in the Seven Years’ War, resulted in Canada becoming a British colony instead of a French one, in which English language and culture became dominant. Today, an independent Canada still has strong associations with Britain and the Commonwealth, and is officially bilingual, with Quebec recognized as a distinct society.
The majority of Canada outside Quebec is primarily English-speaking, however, while the majority of Quebec – especially outside Montreal – is primarily French. Most Montrealers, in my experience, are amazingly bilingual.
Nitpick: at the time of WWI, Canada was not a British colony; it was a self-governing dominion, the term used then for a former colony that could control its own internal affairs. The UK looked after Canada’s foreign affairs, but that power would wither away shortly, and Canada’s signing of the Treaty of Versailles was an important point in taking that power away from the UK.
But you are correct on your second point. Canada signed the Treaty of Versailles separately from the UK, because we had earned that international respect. Canada’s self-determination was sealed with the Treaty of Westminster 1931, which made Canada de facto independent of the UK in all ways. Canada went on to establish embassies and consulates abroad, although Canada had established its own diplomatic mission in Washington DC as early as 1927.
You are correct. I was being glib in saying why we automatically went to war, though self-governing. However, the SDMB requires a higher degree of accuracy, so I thank you.
I would suspect that for the Zulu people, it would be the Battle of Isandlwana during the Anglo-Zulu war, when 20,000 warriors primarily armed with assegai spears, attacked an 1800 man coalition armed with modern rifles, mountain guns and field guns and defeated them.
In that same war was the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, in which 150 British and colonial troops held off 4,000 Zulu warriors through repeated attacks. It inspired the movie Zulu.
I have been re-reading a book about Field Hospitals, of obvious relevance to natural disasters including Covid, as well as man-made conflicts.
The history of military and mobile hospitals is interesting. Though everyone knows Florence Nightingale, I confess with sadness and surprise I had never heard of Jonathan Letterman, an American who revolutionized the field during the American Civil War. Did Americans learn more about him than us Canadians? Because he prevented many Union casualties through innovation still relevant today.
If you’re going to name the GREATEST British victory, though, I’d think a few would rank ahead of Quebec City. Certainly the most impactful was, I guess, Hastings.
