Why is the 1917 Battle of Vimy Ridge important?
Vimy Ridge was a particularly important tactical feature. Its capture by the Canadians was essential to the advances by the British Third Army to the south and of exceptional importance to checking the German attacks in the area in 1918.
What is Vimy Ridge simple explanation?
Vimy Ridge is an unusually prominent, 9 km-long escarpment rising amid the open countryside north of the town of Arras. To the north and east of the ridge are the Douai plain and the important coal mining city of Lens — in 1917 both were occupied by Germany.
What happened in Vimy Ridge ww1?
The Battle of Vimy Ridge began at 5:30 a.m. on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917. The first wave of 15,000-20,000 Canadian soldiers, many heavily laden with equipment, attacked through the wind-driven snow and sleet into the face of deadly machine gun fire.
What did Julian Byng do?
As commander of the Canadian Corps from May 1916 to June 1917, Byng transformed the Canadians into a well-trained and effective striking force whose victory at Vimy was one of most spectacular “set-piece” attacks of the war.
How did ww1 shape Canada’s identity?
The war had simultaneously reinforced the nation’s Britishness and its sense that Canada should have more control over its destiny. To Sir Robert Borden, this meant more control of foreign policy in Ottawa—not independence but autonomy, a neat halfway house that could be defined in many ways.
Why did the battle of Hill 70 happen?
The Battle of Hill 70 took place in the First World War between the Canadian Corps and four divisions of the German 6th Army. The objectives of the assault were to inflict casualties and to draw German troops away from the 3rd Battle of Ypres and to make the German hold on Lens untenable.
Who were the Byng boys?
One of the oldest veterans groups in the country held its final meeting Tuesday night at the Union Club in Saint John. The Byng Boys started in 1919 after the First World War, and were named after Sir Julian Byng, commander of the Canadianarmy at Vimy Ridgeand later a governor general.
Who was Sir Julian Byng?
Field Marshal Julian Hedworth George Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, GCB, GCMG, MVO (11 September 1862 – 6 June 1935) was a British Army officer who served as Governor General of Canada, the 12th since the Canadian Confederation.
What is the Battle of Vimy Ridge?
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was fought during the First World War from 9 to 12 April 1917. It is Canada’s most celebrated military victory — an often mythologized symbol of the birth of Canadian national pride and awareness. The battle took place on the Western Front, in northern France.
Who were the Vimy Ridge victors?
Anglophone, Francophone, Black, First Nations, Métis and Asian soldiers: the victors of Vimy took the Ridge as Canadians. By the spring of 1917, the Allies were desperate to break through the deeply entrenched German line, which zigzagged over 800 kilometres from the North Sea to the Swiss border.
What happened to Curley Christian at Vimy Ridge?
During the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Curley Christian suffered multiple injuries that would leave him a quadruple amputee.
What role did airplanes play in the Battle of Vimy Ridge?
The early military aircraft of the day also played a role in the battle by sweeping enemy aircraft and observation balloons from the skies. Battle of Vimy Ridge The Battle of Vimy Ridge began at 5:30 a.m. on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917.