Canada and Vimy Ridge

‘Canadian troops began to foster a well-known reputation for themselves after the battle of Vimy Ridge. It would be the first battle in which “all four Canadian divisions would fight together”. These 100 000 men came from all across the country and united together for months of training, three days of battle and the “shared equality in the triumph”. The “technical and tactical innovations” generated by the Canadians led to an organized and successful battle. They developed organized maps, strategic rehearsals and a maze of trenches beneath the ground. This was significant because by 1917, machine guns were dominant in the war. The Canadian generals saw no point in wasting lives by sending men running straight into the machine gun fire. But, it was not always about the strategies and battle plans. The Canadians were also so successful because of each individual effort. For Canadians, preparation meant success. As Captain Claude Williams, a Canadian soldier said in his letters home “The Canadian has lived down his reputation as a rag-tag army and is now considered the best in the B. E. F… One Feels proud to be Canadian out here now”. From that point on, the Canadians became known as the elite troops of the British Army. They were recognized for their trench raids, and specifically as “shock troops. The Germans knew if the Canadians… appeared on a front, they could expect trouble”’