Vimy_Ridge

Vimy Ridge When General Currie received orders to capture Vimy Ridge in February of 1917, Canadian soldiers prepared for the toughest battle they would face. This would be a battle of hard fought teamwork under one dominant force, the Canadian army. When the offensive was launched on April 9, 1917 Canadians prepared to do what the British and French had failed to do numerous times before, take over Vimy Ridge. With 100,000 troops the Canadians advanced under General Currie’s strategy of “paying for victory in shells rather than in lives {Lotz, p.42}. When the tear gas and dust cleared on Easter Monday this goal would be reached with only 3598 soldiers dead. This battle would put Canada on the map not only as great soldiers and a brave people but also as a “true nation” separate from Britain. Since it’s capture in 1914 by the Germans, Vimy Ridge was a key to the German defence system. Towering 61 metres above the Douai Plain it gave the Germans a unique birds eye view of their enemy’s every move. For the allies to attack they would have to scurry across open plains where vimy, ridge, canadian, soldiers, german, germans, british, battle, general, canada, line, men, divisions, capture, byng, attack, under, subways, soldier, second, lines, french, before, been, army, week, troops, sir, over, julian, guns, first, currie, assault, april