Battle Of Vimy Ridge Essay

The Battle of Vimy Ridge was important in establishing Canada’s national identity both in the view of Canadians of themselves as well as the view of other nations. One major change in perspective was that Canadians now saw themselves as more Canadian than British. Many Canadians at the time were mostly born outside of Canada and if they were born in Canada they saw themselves as more British than Canadian. This changed at the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Vimy was where Canada started to move from colony to independent nation in terms of self identification. All four of the divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (C.E.F.) fought together for the first time as the army of a nation and though it was under a British General, the Battle of Vimy

Every Canadian soldier at the Battle felt the same pride whether they were from the western, maritime or central provinces. They shared in the accomplishment of taking Vimy Ridge no matter if they were Anglo-Canadian or French Canadian. Now they were now all Canadian. They had all taken an impregnable German hold in essentially one day in what H.P. Willmott, a Senior Lecturer at the Royal Military Academy, called “one of the greatest single day’s achievements in the history of the Western Front.” The Canadians had taken Vimy – an incredible accomplishment for any nation let alone a young colony that had only become a nation fifty years previous. The success would also cement the leadership of Arthur Currie over the four divisions of the C.E.F. – ensuring Canadian leadership over the Canadian troops for the first time during the First World War. The changing views of Canadians can be perfectly illustrated in Captain Claude Williams’ letter home after Vimy Ridge where he states that “[t]he Canadian has lived down his reputation as a ‘rag-tag’ army and is now considered the best in the [British Expeditionary Force.] One feels proud to be a Canadian out here now.” This shared sense of pride and accomplishment helped to cement the unity of the newly formed C.E.F. which would

Arthur Currie’s, the commander of the 1st Division of the C.E.F., innovations such as giving maps to soldiers for the first time, the use of extensive aerial photography to more accurately locate enemy artillery, and the plotting of muzzle flashes to pin point high areas of activity helped to create a standard for efficiency, success, and courage that would follow Canadian soldiers for the rest of the war. This would also lead to French and British generals looking to Canadian tactics for later battles. The success of Canadians at Vimy Ridge also earned Canadians the distinction of being known for extensive and thorough preparation and strategic planning. Every battalion, even if they were to be on reserve for the initial attack were involved in the preparations for the offensive. Canadians were now known for strategic ingenuity, and incredible skill and courage. The Canadians had shown the world and themselves that they could effectively plan and execute an effective offensive. In fact, they could mount an offensive to make the greatest advance since the start of the Great War. The Canadians were now seen as the elite troops of the British Army. Now, the fact that they were still considered a part of the British Army does speak to the idea that Canadians were still working to push themselves out of the role of ‘colony’ and into the role of ‘independent nation’ but the praise