Canada & D-Day

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Canadians have fought heroically in many battles throughout history. Canada’s troops continue to persevere no matter how difficult the battle may be. They are passionate, courageous, and most importantly, role models for Canada. The battle which Canada fought on June 6, 1944, was no exception. D-Day refers to the day when a military operation commences, such as the landings on the Normandy beaches did.

Rob Cotey 11-3-25 8:36 AM Comment: This is a strong introduction. It has 1-2 sentences, gives context to the essay and has a hook to get the reader interested.

Canada’s brave fighting at Juno Beach on D-Day is a defining moment in Canadian history because of the independence Canada gained, the number of lives that were saved, and the successes that helped bring an end to World War Two. Firstly, D-Day is seen as a defining moment because it helped Canada gain independence and recognition among other nations. The exceptional military strength presented by Canadian soldiers validated this. Previously behind Britain, Canada was given their very own beach to fight on (Juno), equal to Britain and the USA. In addition,

Rob Cotey 11-3-25 8:37 AM Comment: This is a strong Thesis Statement. It is clear, concise, includes the three arguments, has parallel structure and is argumentative.

Rob Cotey 11-3-25 8:38 AM Comment: Your first topic sentence of each new paragraph should introduce the argument you are presenting.

Canadian troops were the country to advance the farthest into France out of all the allies. They fought through the towns of Bernieres, Courseulles, and St. Aubin. British historian John Keegan, in regards to Canada’s 3rd Division on D-Day said “At the end of the day, its forward elements stood deeper into France than those of any other division.” (D-Day for Canada and Juno Beach) Due to this advancement so far past the coast, Canadian soldiers secured a crucial spot where their allies could land and continue the take over of enemy-occupied Europe. In conclusion, the bravery of Canada’s army led to their further independence and makes it a defining moment in Canadian history. Secondly, though there were many lives lost on D-Day, more soldiers would have died if Canada had not have fought on Juno Beach. Over 40,000 Canadian troops died while fighting in World War 2. Even though 340 troops died at Juno Beach, many more

Rob Cotey 11-3-25 8:42 AM Comment: The evidence presented here is a direct quote from a source so it has to be in quotation marks and cited. Notice the brackets at the end of the quote. This indicates the source the information was taken from. You can embed this by using Word (located in the toolbar) or by copy and pasting from your bibliography. Rob Cotey 11-3-25 8:44 AM Comment: The concluding sentence wraps up the argument and relates it back to the thesis. Rob Cotey 11-3-25 8:45 AM Comment: The opening sentence of the second paragraph starts much the same way as the first paragraph by introducing the second argument.

would have died if they had not of fought. This is because the Canadians victory led to the end of World War 2. Furthermore, if Canadians had not have fought, the war would have gone longer, giving the Nazis the opportunity to kill even more innocent Jews at the concentration camps, and possibly even take over more land. Next, if Canada had not have fought on D-Day, it is possible that Hitler and the Nazis (together with Stalin) would have taken over the Rhine, the North Sea, and the English Channel. This would have left Britain all alone in Europe, with only the USA as its ally, like it was in World War 1. “The whole post-war history of Britain, of Europe, and of the world, would have been radically different”, says Dr. David Stafford, centre for World War Two Studies. (What If D-Day Had Failed?) Overall, D-Day is a defining moment in Canadian history because it saved the lives of so many people. If the Canadians had not have fought on Juno Beach, many other innocent people, whether soldiers, civilians or Jews, would have been brutally murdered. Thirdly, the victory at Juno Beach for the Canadians led to the end of WW2 and the freeing of Europe. D-Day was the Germans final attempt at winning the war. The Canadian troops and the allies managed to counteract this severely. Germany’s army was starting to weaken and so when Canadian troops met the Germans on D-Day, the German soldiers suffered more losses than they had in any other battle so far. After conquering the towns of Juno Beach, the Canadians continued inland and broke down the Germans “Atlantic Wall”, defeating the first line of German defense in one day. Furthermore, as David R. Jennys, writer for History Net Magazine said, “Most German strategists felt that the target would be the Pas-de-Calais area, where the English Channel was narrowest.

Rob Cotey 11-3-25 8:46 AM Comment: Notice the evidence provided again in this argument. It is important to have at least one major piece of evidence in each argument. It does not have to be a quote, it could be a statistic or an argument presented from another source. If you use information from another source you need to cite it.

Therefore, the strongest defenses were constructed there.” (D-Day, The Beginning of the End for Nazi Germany) However the allies did not land there, which made the German troops less prepared and equipped for the attack at the Normandy beaches. Equally important, defeating the German troops led to the freeing of the North-Eastern

Rob Cotey 11-3-25 8:49 AM Comment: Notice how this sentence provides analysis of the above piece of evidence and relates it back to the thesis.

Netherlands and then continued on to the end of Nazi-Germany. To sum up, the end of World War 2 and the defeat of the Nazis prove D-Day to be a defining moment in Canada’s history. To conclude, there were many positive impacts D-Day had on Canada and the rest of the world. D-Day was the largest land, sea, and air invasion in all of history. As a result, Canada’s brave fighting at Juno Beach on D-Day is a defining moment in Canadian history because of the independence Canada gained, the number of lives that were saved, and the successes that helped bring an end to World War Two. D-Day was a life-changing time which influenced all Canadians and it will never be forgotten.

Rob Cotey 11-3-25 8:53 AM Comment: The conclusion restates the thesis and arguments and closes the essay with a strong statement.

Bibliography   Canada in World War Two. . Copp, Terry and Robert Vogel. Maple Leaf Route: Caen. Alma: Maple Leaf Route, 1983. D-Day for Canada and Juno Beach. . D-Day, The Beginning of the End for Nazi Germany. 5 2009. . Markville History. . What If D-Day Had Failed? .