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I was wondering what the First World War would look like if, instead of a formal Candian Expeditionary Force. Volunteers are just used to replace losses in British units and/or just given Regiments that were in British Divisions (similar to Canada's Royal 22`e Regiment for French Canadians).
I'm mostly curious on these two things.

1. Would the Germans have been able take Ypres during the second Battle of Ypres if there wasn't a Canadian division to fill the hole left by the gas attack on the neighbouring Colonial French Division. Espicially since there was a chemist among the Canadians who recognized the gas and came up with the idea of the urine soaked gas mask.

2. What would have become of Arthur Currie. Currie planned the attack on Vimy Ridge. I think this would be the most significant change or difference since Vimy Ridge was an all Canadian attack with all four Canadian divisions. Vimy ridge was a success because of Arthur Currie, a Canadian born lawyer. Aswell as his superior, Bing, who recognized the need for non traditional military planning. Bing was the CO of the attack but gave Arthur Currie, the CO of the First Canadian Division, most of the responsibilities with planning and preparing the men for the actual attack. He was the first to give every soldier a map and made sure each man knew where he was supposed to be, when they need to be. He came up with what he called the Vimy Crawl which was renamed the Creeping Barrage. And he came up with the first modern platoon fighting tactics. Which include Advancing Fire and the specific roles each soldier is required to fill. Basically the modern fighting unit and the basic maneuvers that all modern armies teach during basic training.

There are also other minors things such the poem Flanders Fields and the last 100 day push which Canadians spearheaded.
So is there anyone out there who knows how or if the war could have been different if Canadians were just used as British reinforcements and the two previously mentioned people were simply in different places when they were needed?
Am I just being overly nationalistic or is this actually something worth thinking about for someone who isn't me?
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