The Battle of Vimy Ridge
Canada played a huge role during the course of World War 1. Canada fought in many important battles such as Ypres, Somme, and Passchendaele, but Canada’s most important battle was at Vimy Ridge. The battle of Vimy Ridge took place on April 9, 1917 in France. This battle made the other nations realize that Canada was a strong country since they were able to defeat the Germans who were debatably the strongest nation at that time. Since Canada was so badly beaten at the battle of Somme with 24,000 deaths to Canadian soldiers, no one thought that Canada would stand a chance at beating Germany, but Canada, with the help of Britain, were able to prove all the doubters wrong.
This battle was planned with great determination and perseverance. Vimy Ridge was so protected that any attempts to capture it ultimately failed. Considering the great losses from past assaults, Canadian Corps put a lot of time into training every single soldier. This insured a more confident army. In 1916, the Canadian troops moved north. During the worst weather conditions
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Brigadier-General A.E. Ross stated after the war, "in those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation." In 1922, Vimy Ridge, and the land that surrounded it, was handed over to Canada by the French government. Canada won a seat as a separate nation at the peace talks after the war. Canada took this with great admiration and pride. Four Canadians won the Victoria Cross, which was considered as the most prestigious award given by Britain to its heroes at Vimy. The victory was a great morale booster and focused international attention on Canada. This shows how significant this battle was not only to Canadian Corps but also to the nation as a whole. To this day, the sculptures of the Vimy Memorial portray a dreadful and emotional remembrance of the many Canadian soldiers killed in