Sir Arthur Currie Nationalism
Sir Arthur Currie the soldier of the past and the hero of today Nationalism is defined as the sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational group in the Webster dictionary.(Merriam, Webster. Webster’s dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalism). However that is just a technical term used in books. Nationalism is not just a word that spoken or just an action randomly done, it is the selfless sacrifice one makes in the face of adversity for the nation he loves. This was not lost on such man like Sir Arthur Currie, the greatest Canadian soldier. When world war one broke
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He was born into a normal family in Ontario, studied at local schools and graduated to become a teacher. After spending five years of teaching, he decided to join the Canadian militia. This was a part of Canadian identity in itself, as Canada has become a land known for its possibilities. Anyways, Curries was offered a officers commission (a higher rank), however it was expensive since he had to pay for his uniform and food, plus he was engaged to be married. So he decided to get into the financial business, eventually becoming a provincial manager in the national life assurance company and also went into real estate too. However even this national hero had a moment of darkness too. When he became a lieutenant-colonel commanding the 5th Regiment C.G.A (Canadian Garrison Artillery), he went bankrupt from a real estate bust in the Victoria. At the same time he was offered command of the newly formed 50th Regiment, the cost of the new uniform and mess bills only added to his financial problems. Facing personal bankruptcy and a disgrace retirement from the militia, Currie diverted $10,833.34 from the regimental funds to his personal account to pay off his debt. Although it is often left out that he was a thief, many feel that he made up for it for his contributions to the war and to Canada as well. (Humphries, Mark. Selected Papers of Sir Arthur Currie, The: Diaries, Letters, and Report to the Ministry, 1917-1933. Toronto: Wilfrid Laurier University Press,
He was born into a normal family in Ontario, studied at local schools and graduated to become a teacher. After spending five years of teaching, he decided to join the Canadian militia. This was a part of Canadian identity in itself, as Canada has become a land known for its possibilities. Anyways, Curries was offered a officers commission (a higher rank), however it was expensive since he had to pay for his uniform and food, plus he was engaged to be married. So he decided to get into the financial business, eventually becoming a provincial manager in the national life assurance company and also went into real estate too. However even this national hero had a moment of darkness too. When he became a lieutenant-colonel commanding the 5th Regiment C.G.A (Canadian Garrison Artillery), he went bankrupt from a real estate bust in the Victoria. At the same time he was offered command of the newly formed 50th Regiment, the cost of the new uniform and mess bills only added to his financial problems. Facing personal bankruptcy and a disgrace retirement from the militia, Currie diverted $10,833.34 from the regimental funds to his personal account to pay off his debt. Although it is often left out that he was a thief, many feel that he made up for it for his contributions to the war and to Canada as well. (Humphries, Mark. Selected Papers of Sir Arthur Currie, The: Diaries, Letters, and Report to the Ministry, 1917-1933. Toronto: Wilfrid Laurier University Press,