Battle of Vimy Ridge

On Easter Monday, 9 April 1917, the Canadian Corps attacked Vimy Ridge, a strongpoint the French and British had failed to take in earlier years. The assault was prepared for months: tunnels and trenches brought troops close to the line, and men rehearsed on taped-out replicas of the German positions. At 5:30 am a creeping barrage began and the infantry advanced behind it in sleet and snow. Most of the ridge was taken within hours, with the last stronghold falling in the following days. It was the first time the four Canadian divisions had fought together, and the battle became a symbol of Canadian national identity.

Vimy has become Canada's best-known battle, and some historians question the idea that the country was "born" there, noting that other battles of 1917 and 1918 cost more and mattered more. The attack succeeded partly because of better planning, preparation and artillery techniques than earlier assaults, which were used by many armies, and the Canadians were supported by British units and guns. The memorial, designed by Walter Allward and unveiled in 1936, is itself an element in this memory.