Historically, Canada has only been one of the main adversaries in one war: the War of 1812. It is therefore safe to say that Canada is generally a peaceful country with a respectful “middle power”. " status. A term used to describe countries that are not "superpowers" but nevertheless have great influence. Yet this reputation would have been impossible without Canada's role in past wars, which helped it gain independence. establishing itself as a middle power among nations; particularly battles like those at Vimy Ridge and Normandy, as well as Canada's contributions during the Cold War, which began as a dispute between the. Britain and Germany turned into a real world war At the time, Canada still had very close ties with Britain and therefore had no choice but to follow the British into. war, while suffering the gaze of the French Canadians The first years of battle were not as glorious as everyone had imagined, and to make matters worse, Germany still had the upper hand. Battle of Vimy Ridge which was a turning point in the war. On April 9, 1917, the four Canadian divisions set out to do what the British and French had failed: secure the highest point of the ridge: Hill 147. They won the battle and it was at this point that Canada began to enter the international scene. Allied countries saw Canadians in a new light (more like their own nation); this victory was the turning point that gave the Allies an advantage in the Great War. At the end of the war, Canada demanded to have its own representative at the peace talks at Versailles, saying that without his contribution it might not have won. Given this, Canada received two seats. Before the war, Canada did not really have a na...... middle of paper ...... present before the Great War. Works Cited “Middle Power,” Wikipedia, January 10, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_powerTim Cook, Shock Troopers: Canadians Fighting the Great War 1917-1918 (Toronto: Penguin Group, 2008) 76J. Bradley Cruxton and W. Douglas Wilson, Spotlight Canada 4th ed. (Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2000) 240 “Juno Beach – Canada's contribution to WWII June 6, 1994 – D-Day Operation Overlord”, 2008, CommunityWalk, January 10, 2010. http://www.communitywalk.com/location /juno_beach__canadas_contribution_to_wwii_june_6_1944__dday_operation_overlord/world_war_1__2_monuments/1109400J. Bradley Cruxton and W. Douglas Wilson, Spotlight Canada 4th ed. (Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2000) 291J. Bradley Cruxton and W. Douglas Wilson, Spotlight Canada 4th ed. (Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2000) 292