The French and the British had both made attempts to Capture Vimy Ridge but they failed in their attempts. The French and the British both lost 150,000 soldiers in these attempts.
Before the Canadians were to attempt capturing Vimy Ridge they wanted to wear down the German defense before the battle so artillery bombardment was increased. During the next seven days more than one million shells were fired onto the German defense lines. Then on Easter Monday, the attack began. The Canadians displayed incredible bravery and fought very well. The victory happened quickly and three of the four divisions achieved their goal by capturing r part of the Ridge by noon that day. The final hill was captured two days later. The Canadian front line had been pushed forward four kilometers which is an enormous distance in trench warfare.
The Canadians had intensive training and excellent planning and it paid off. They showed the utmost courage while performing the attack. This proved to the world that the Canadians were a dedicated, hardworking, and extremely forceful attack troop. They won the battle on their own and without being lead by a British commander. The Canadians were becoming highly respected and loved throughout Europe. For their courage, four Canadians were awarded with Victoria Crosses which is Canada\'s highest honor for bravery.
Captain T.W. MacDowell was one of the Canadians who received a Victoria Cross. He called upon the occupants of an underground bunker to surrender to their superior numbers. He ordered the men to come out in groups of 12 and the 72 Germans discovered that Captain MacDowell and a single soldier had tricked them into captivity. This shows the bravery and innovation that the Canadians used to win this battle.
The victory at Vimy Ridge happened quickly but not without the cost of 3,598 dead out of 10,602 Canadian casualties. If it weren\'t for their dedicated training and planning there would definitely be a lot more dead.
The news of victory in Canada was rejoiced and made Canadians feel closer as a nation. At the end of the war, the Versailles Peace Treaty was signed. This recognized Canada as a separate nation and pride and nationalism was spreading across the country. Canada was a proud, strong, independent nation and the victory at Vimy Ridge greatly contributed to this \"separation\" from Britain.
Vimy was chosen as the site for Canada\'s greatest memorial of the First World War. The French government allowed the 250 acres of land on the Ridge to be used by Canada to erect a memorial and a design by a Toronto sculptor was chosen. It was made up two tall pylons symbolizing Canada and France. This was a place to commemorate both the battle and the memory of the 11,285 Canadians who died in France and have no known graves.
Vimy was a military victory won with Canadian ingenuity, innovation and courage. Very few Vimy veterans are alive today but the memory of what they achieved will endure forever. It is a symbol of what Canadians can achieve in both war and peace. On this Remembrance day let us remember that achievement.
