Battle of Vimy Ridge
Vimy, Pas-de-Calais, France
What happened
The Canadian Corps, commanded by British General Julian Byng with Canadian General Arthur Currie, attacked the German Sixth Army of General Ludwig von Falkenhausen. As part of a larger British attack near Arras in northern France, the Canadians were given the task of capturing Vimy Ridge, a strongly defended German position. For the first time all four Canadian divisions fought together, using tunnels to get close and a 'creeping barrage' of artillery fire moving just ahead of the soldiers. They attacked at dawn on Easter Monday in sleet and snow and took the ridge in four days.
Why it matters
Result: British Empire victory. Leaders: Julian Byng against Ludwig von Falkenhausen. Why it matters: The victory became a symbol of Canadian national identity, though historians debate how much. Four Canadian soldiers won the Victoria Cross.
What came next
Germany never took the ridge back. In 1922 France gave Canada land on the ridge, where the Canadian National Vimy Memorial was unveiled in 1936.
Did you know?
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial was unveiled by King Edward VIII on 26 July 1936.
Timeline
- 9 April 1917The Canadians attack at dawn on Easter Monday.
- 12 April 1917The last German position, the Pimple, falls.
- 1922France grants Canada land on Vimy Ridge.
- 26 July 1936King Edward VIII unveils the Vimy Memorial.