Vimy Ridge Research Paper

Words: 498
Pages: 2

The battle of Vimy Ridge is well known to Canadians as the battle which proved our military expertise and ability to stand for ourselves. Vimy Ridge was a ridge located in northern France which allowed you to strategically look at the battlefield from above. Although many attempts were made by the British and French troops to seize the ridge, all of them were unsuccessful and the Germans still held the ridge. The British High Command decided to promote Arthur Currie to General, and it was he who developed the “creeping barrage” strategy. The plan was to have all four Canadian forces advance shoulder to shoulder, as barrages of artillery were fired in front of them to weaken the German defenses as well as leave little to no time for them to …show more content…
Prior to Vimy Ridge, the Canadian troops were still being doubted by British and French troops in terms of military ability, even though they held their own and proved their bravery during the Second Battle of Ypres. During the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Canadians accomplished something not even the French or British troops could do, proving them to be as good or even better as their neighbour forces. Furthermore, it was only Canadians who developed this new tactical strategy; giving them the advantage and demonstrating their ability to adapt and fight accordingly to the situation. Back home in Canada, this battle was also a huge step in our growing nationalism. This was the first time all four of the Canadian forces joined together and fought shoulder to shoulder. It brought a sense of unity, which connected the people of Canada and gave us a feeling of pride. As well, it was the beginning of our independence from Britain, as we managed to capture the ridge with Canadian troops under Canadian command; something that could not be completed by British or French troops and Canada was finally being defined as an independent country, not just another British