The 4th division had the most difficult obstacle, securing Hill 145 and a feature known as the Pimple. 8 They suffered heavy losses in doing so. Finally on April 12, the Germans were pushed from their Canadian battalions in a blinding snowstorm. During the battle the Canadians had captured 54 guns, 104 trench mortars, 24 machine guns and more than 4,000 prisoners. (Goodspeed, 91). Even though the battle was successful, the Canadians would have over 10,000 causalities in which 3,598 were fatal. The causalities were by no means light, but were far lighter than those of any previous battles. The French had called the capture of Vimy Ridge by the Canadians, "an Easter gift from Canada to the French nation.""(Goodspeed, 92). This comment would portray Canada Corps as independent from the British Army.
Internationally, Canada's status changed drastically after the battle. Politically, Vimy Ridge had helped change the nature of relations between Canada and Great Britain. Canada was always considered a colony of Great Britain, even after Confederation in 1867. When Great Britain had declared war on Germany on August 4, .
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1914, Canada, as a part of the Empire was obligated as a colony to aid the mother country. "When Britain was at war, Canada is at war,"" Laurier had said in 1910, "There is no distinction."" (McKee, 130). The British saw the Canadians as colonials when they entered the war, which would be controlled by the British army. No one presumed otherwise. When the Admiralty asked for every trained seaman and naval gun, Canada did her best to oblige. From strategy to finance, Britain's authority was supreme and unquestioned. (Morton, 145). All this would soon change after the battle. After the German surrender, Canadian Prime Minister Rob Borden, insisted on having a seat at the peace conference, and signed both the Peace Treaty, and the League of Nations covenant on behalf of Canada.