Women Kurdish fighters near Mosul in Northern Iraq, October 7, 2014 .... .. ·• A destroyed village in northern France during WWI, 1914-1918 Storming of the Bastille, 1789 Brazilian protesters in Rio de Janeiro, July 29, 2014 ©P Violent terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria {ISIS), founded in 2014, thrive during the chaos of war. Refugees flee ISIS forces near Sinjar in Northern Iraq, August 11, 2014. ' ... e -~( • ;~ rtoon critldzlng colonial powers in China, 1898 During the war in Syria, Aleppo suffered heavy damage, November 3, 2015. 83 ©P ©P The Canadian National Vimy Memorial ,1m@jfi The Canadian National Vimy M emorial, Western France The Vimy Memorial is one of the most iconic "Canadian" symbols despite the fact that it is in France. It is located on the site of the Battle of Vi my Ridge (1917) . Completed in 1936, it honours the sacrifice of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during WWI. The memorial was designed and created by Canadian sculptor Walter Seymour Allward. Begun in 1925, it took 11 years to complete. ,1mm3j:• Walter Seymour Allward, Designer Excerpt from the Toronto Star, Urban Issues, by Christopher Hume, April 1, 2007. Allward's art was, in the most profound sense of the word, public. Through his work he spoke for the nation; indeed, he helped define that nation, one we have come to take for granted ... His most impressive creation, the extraordinary Vimy Memorial, remains a unique moment in Canadian cultural history ... the scope and ambition of the Vimy piece is unparalleled. But then, so was the battle it commemorated ... Using the overtly Christian symbolism of the time, Allward conceived a memorial on a grand scale. It was to be grief made palpable, a monumental display of national mourning and loss. Of the 625,000 Canadians who enlisted to fight in World War I, 60,000 died, and of those 16,000 had no grave. 84 Chapter 5 Regi onal and Global Conflicts ©P @ Use Sources A and B to answer questions 1 to 3 . 1. The Vimy Memorial includes 20 large figures carved in stone and two central pillars or pylons. The 30-metre-high pylons are usually thought to represent Canada and France, but there are other interpretations. What else might they represent? 2. The Vimy Memorial required thousands of tonnes of limestone on top of a steel-reinforced base that used 15 000 tonnes of concrete and took 11 years to build. Why do you think Canada went to this effort? What purposes, besides remembrance, do memorials such as this one serve? 3. Read the statement in Source B about the designer behind the Vimy Memorial. Why do you think he relied on Christian symbolism to display mourning and loss? r ,,mjij••I Many historians and writers consider the Canadian Quote from Historian Tim Cook victory atVimy a defining moment for Canada, when the country emerged from under the shadow of Excerpt from "The Battle of Vimy Ridge, 9-12 April, 1917 ," Britain and felt capable of greatness. Canadian troops by Tim Cook, April 9, 2013 . also earned a reputation as formidable, effective troops because of the stunning success. ,,ml;J•l•I Quote from Journalist Michael Valpy Excerpt from Michael Valpy, "Vimy Ridge: The Making of a Myth," Globe and Mail, April 7, 2007. Note: Propaganda means the deliberate spreading of information-that may or may not be true-for a purpose. r [Vimy Ridge] had a negligible effect on the war's outcome. The Canadians had equal casualties and more strategic successes in other battles, such as Amiens and Passchendaele. If French or British rather than Canadian troops had driven the German enemy offVimy Ridge, history probably would have forgotten about it. As it is, over the years, Canadian propaganda-and there is no other word for it-has airbrushed out the participation of British officers, I tacticians and artillery and even supporting British infantry. @ Use Sources C and D to answer questions 4 to 7 . 4. Which of the two quotes do you find fits best with the message or symbolism of the Vimy Memorial? 5. What kind of evidence (for example, documents, testimonies, images, records, news articles) would you want to see in order to determine which of the two quotes is closer to the truth? Make a short list and indicate whether they are primary or secondary sources. 6. Learn more about the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Look back at Sources C and D. Which of the statements do you agree with more? Why? 7. If the Vimy Memorial were to be renovated to reflect more of the ideas from Source D, what would have to be modified or added? ©P ©P The Canadian National Vimy Memorial 85 "The Breaking of the Sword" One of two figure groups called "The Defenders." ,,mliJ•II "Sympathy of the Canadians for the Helpless" One of two figure groups called "The Defenders." @ Use Sources E and F to answer question 8. 8. a) Examine Sources E and F. In the larger context of Canada in WWI, what do you think these sculptures symbolize or mean? Consider the title, body position, and where the individuals are looking. b) After you have sorted out your own thoughts, compare them with the "official" interpretations at the Veterans Affairs website for the Vimy Memorial. 86 Chapter 5 Regional and Global Conflicts ©P ,M'ht•li "Knowledge and Truth" Two of eight allegorical figures known as the "Chorus" grouping. @ Use Source G to answer question 9. 9. Examine Source G. What role do Truth and Knowledge have in a reflection on WWI and Canada's involvement? How about their role specifically in the Battle of Vimy Ridge? @ Use Source H to answer questions 10 and 11. ,ul)ijijj: ■ "Justice" 10. Examine Source H. The figure One of eight figures known as the "Chorus" grouping, situated at of Justice sits up on the central the top of the pylon of the monument. pylons with seven other figures: Charity, Faith, Honour, Hope, Knowledge, Peace, and Truth . Why is Justice part of the list? Justice for whom? 11. Wars are often justified, or explained, as "the right thing to do" by the countries that fight them. How do you think the Central Powers (Germany, etc.) justified WWI? How about the Allied Powers (Britain, France, etc.)? @ Use Sources A to H to answer question 12. 12. Considering the symbolism in Sources A through H, what other themes could have been included among the figures? In other words, what else could represent Canada's involvement in WWI? The Canadian National Vimy Memorial 87 ,imhAII "The Torch Bearer" and "The Spirit of Sacrifice" "The Torch Bearer" (left) and a dying solder, "The Spirit of Sacrifice," located atthe bottom of the pylons of the monument. @ Use Source I to answer question 13. 13. Examine Source I, which shows a torch from a dying soldier being taken up by another soldier. Is the belief of average soldiers in the value of sacrifice a necessary condition for making war? Why do soldiers sacrifice themselves in war? What happens if soldiers do not hold this belief? 88 Chapter 5 Regional and Global Conflicts © P ,imhJ•II In Flanders Fields "In Flanders Fields," poem by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, 1915. McCrae was a Canadian poet and surgeon during WWI. He died on January 28, 1918, before the war ended. In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, @ Use Source J to answer question 14. Loved and were loved, and now we lie 14. Walter Allward, the designer of the In Flanders fields. sculptures, intended the memorial to provide a quiet reference to the poem Take up our quarrel with the foe: "In Flanders Fields. " What is the To you from failing hands we throw reference, and what is the connection? The torch; be yours to hold it high. Why do you think the designer made If ye break faith with us who die this connection? We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields . 15. Find out more about the artist behind the Vimy Memorial, Walter Seymour Allward. What challenges did he face in getting the memorial built? Considering the sources in this topic, do you think the messages he intended to give through the memorial have stood the test of time? 16. Can you think of modern examples of public art {in Canada or elsewhere) that use religious symbols? Why might this be less common today than it was 100 years ago? 17. Millions of people will visit the Vimy Memorial following its dedication in 2017, the 100-year anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. A lot of research, planning, and investment goes into major war memorials and museums. What are other, smaller ways in which battles or wars can and should be represented? What kinds of criteria or decisions have to be made when planning a war memorial or remembrance? 18. Do countries that go to war have a duty to document their battles, their victories or defeats, and make that evidence available to the public? What do you think that should look like, and what issues might arise during this process? 19. "In Flanders Fields" presents a glorious, if tragic, view of war sacrifice. Find other examples of well-known war poetry from this time and make some comparisons in tone and meaning to McCrae's poem.