Canadians take Vimy Ridge
Four Canadian divisions fight together for the first time in a battle that becomes a national symbol
Quick facts
- Dates
- 9 to 12 April 1917
- Canadian troops
- All four Canadian divisions, c. 40,000
- Canadian casualties
- 10,602, including 3,598 killed
- Memorial
- Honours 11,285 missing with no known grave
What happened
As part of a broader Allied offensive near Arras, France, the Canadian Corps, all four Canadian divisions attacking together for the first time, assaulted the German-held high ground of Vimy Ridge on 9 April 1917. Detailed preparation preceded the attack: practice trenches and battlefield miniatures were built to rehearse the assault, and maps, normally reserved for officers, were issued to all 40,000 soldiers involved so that small units could keep advancing even if their commanders became casualties. Fighting continued until 12 April, when Canadian troops secured the ridge, the largest Allied territorial gain of the war to that point. The victory cost 10,602 Canadian casualties, including 3,598 killed, against an estimated 20,000 German casualties.
Why it matters
Vimy Ridge is remembered as Canada's most significant military achievement of the First World War and has become a touchstone symbol of Canadian nationhood, even though the ground gained changed little about how the war ended. The memorial atop the ridge today honours 11,285 Canadians killed in France with no known grave.
How we know
Battle casualty returns, unit war diaries, and after-action reports from the Canadian Corps are the basis for the Canadian Encyclopedia's and Veterans Affairs Canada's figures on troop numbers, tactics, and casualties.
Sources
- The Canadian Encyclopedia. Battle of Vimy Ridge · Reputable sourcethecanadianencyclopedia.ca · The domain "thecanadianencyclopedia.ca" is on our Reputable source registry. · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
- Veterans Affairs Canada. Battle of Vimy Ridge · Primary source (author-declared)veterans.gc.ca · Cited as a "primary" source (no stronger domain match). · Link is live and its text matches the event's key terms (Jul 2026)
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Related timelines
- World War I → · Vimy Ridge was one battle inside the wider Western Front campaign of 1917; see the full war for Passchendaele, the U.S. entry, and the armistice