World War I: The Battle of Vimy Ridge

The battle of Vimy Ridge is considered to be a defining moment in Canadian History and is known as the moment Canada removed themselves from under Britain's shadow. This not only gave Canada the reputation that was needed, but it also gave the Canadian Army the bond, courage, and reputation that they needed. This reputation they earned was so important throughout the history of Canada and is still relevant to them today. Although over 10,000 Canadians were unfortunately killed and wounded, The Battle of Vimy Ridge will go down in history as one of Canada’s most important battles. Before the battle, there were many conflicts that happened to put this one in action. Multiple battles were fought, including The Battle of Ypres (1915) and The Battle of Somme (1916).

These conflicts affected Canada’s Army in very beneficial ways and helped them earn respect from many other countries. However, these battles came with its cons, which happened to be the number of deaths. Canadian soldiers suffered almost 30,000 deaths in those two battles alone. As tragic as that was, it really set the tone for the war and how serious it really was. In April of 1917, The Canadian Corps was ordered to grasp on to Vimy Ridge, which was located in northern France. Due to the British and French troops unsuccessful attempt to push back nor take Germany out, Canadians were told to step in to hopefully finish the job. Since the battlefield was pure chaos, with seven-kilometers that were heavily fortified, The Canadian Corps had a challenge on their hands.

The strategy was very similar to the past few battles, except this time the plan was to get Germany out of France, permanently. Germany was quick to dig trenches on high pieces of land, which would let them control the surrounding area, therefore have an advantage. To apprehend this location, Canadian troops would have to train and practice beforehand to earn more flexibility in the battle. Using models of the battlefield, these soldiers went through several weeks of training to establish their victory. 1 week before the battle, the British and Canadians attacked Germany’s positioning on the ridge, causing many deaths and ultimately giving Canada a significant lead into the upcoming encounter. In the early morning of April 9th, 1917, multiple Canadian divisions had charged the ridge and ended up outrunning the competition, marking the first time all four Canadian divisions worked together. Many acts of bravery and courage, would lead the infantry across the battlefield, even under heavy fire. Sacrifices fastly became a common theme, with the Canadians even losing their officers. However, nothing would be able to stop them, as they kept charging forward, across machine gun nests, and into vulnerable enemies.

The highest part of the ridge, Hill 145, was captured with a bayonet charge against Germany’s machine gun points. This became a very significant moment, which ended up directing the rest of the 3-day battle, in favor of Canada. This battle ended with Canada on top, at the cost of losing 3,598 lives. With 7,000 soldiers impaired, the Canadians were beyond proud of what they had achieved and knew this would be a big moment for them. Not only was The Battle of Vimy Ridge just another piece of the war, but it was also the first time men from all over Canada worked together to defeat Germany and write a very important piece of our history. In 1922, The government of France granted Canada a perpetuity of Vimy Ridge.

In 1936, many sculptures and memorial pieces were displayed in honor of every Canadian to risk and lose their life, to help win and conquer Vimy Ridge. This battle has gone down as one of the most important battles in Canadian history and has given the Canadian soldiers the respectable reputation they have today. Many lives were lost, but every Canadian to be apart of this will be remembered for the brave example they set. These heroic acts and unforgettable moments are why we remember the soldiers that were lost, the soldiers that survived and of course, The Battle of Vimy Ridge.