The reasons and background of the Battle of Vimy Ridge

The reasons and background of the Battle of Vimy Ridge

The Battle of Vimy Ridge was an important battle in World War I and took place in 1917. This battle was the prelude to the Battle of Arras and was one of the most famous battles in which Canada participated. By the end of the campaign, the Canadian Legion had become the most powerful force on the Western Front. In order to maintain adequate manpower, Canadian Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden decided to impose a conscription.

However, Canada's conscription crisis was met with resistance in Quebec, causing difficulties for the conscription system. Eventually, approximately 120,000 soldiers were recruited, of whom approximately 47,000 were sent to the front lines.

Vimy Ridge is a mountain ridge near the town of Vimy, north of Arras, France. It is the best place guarded by Germany on the entire western front. Both sides consider this a strategically important place. Britain and France attacked Vimy Ridge in 1915, but both ended in tragic failure. On the British side alone, 150,000 soldiers were killed. In 1917, the Allies decided to attack Vimy Ridge again.

The Canadian Corps was dispatched to perform offensive missions. In order to win this battle, the Canadian Army unified its four divisions to participate in the Battle of Vimy Ridge and formulated a good combat plan. The Canadian Army began bombarding the German front with artillery on April 2, 1917, investing more than one million artillery shells, which had never been done before in this battle.

On April 9, 1917, the Canadian army began to attack the German defense line, investing approximately 30,000 soldiers, and reached its original destination in only two hours. By April 12, the Canadian Army controlled the entire Vimy Ridge at the cost of 3,598 killed and 7,104 wounded soldiers. The Germans suffered about 2,000 casualties and more than 4,000 prisoners.

The victory at Vimy Ridge improved Canada's status in World War I and demonstrated Canada's strong military potential. The victory at the Battle of Vimy Ridge added glory to Canada's performance in the war.

Results of the battle

Because the British and Austrian forces failed to achieve their goals south of Vimy Ridge, the territory gained by Canada was essentially of little military strategic importance. But in terms of morale, the victory of this battle is very important, especially for Canada. This battle was the first time that the Canadian army participated in a battle independently. Moreover, Canadian soldiers from nine provinces across Canada (Newfoundland only joined the Canadian Confederation in 1949) participated in the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

Many Canadians say that the Battle of Vimy Ridge was the day when Canada grew up. In 1922, the French government gave Canada one square kilometer of territory around Vimy Ridge to thank Canada for its support in this battle. Contribution and sacrifice.

Vimy Ridge is a war memorial museum managed by the Department of Veterans. The victory of this battle, together with Canadian ace pilots William Barker and Billy Bishop, created Canada's new international image, and the United Kingdom gave Canada more autonomy.

After this battle, Canada won a seat at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference due to its outstanding military performance and contribution. It joined the League of Nations in 1921 and finally gained full autonomy after the Law of Westminster came into effect in 1931.