Before the battle a British general by the name of Sir Douglas Haig wanted to launch an assault on the city of Lens, seeing the well-fortified city as an important strategic location. However, after surveying the nearby area, the commanding officer of the Canadian Corps, Sir Arthur Currie decided to advance towards Hill 70 instead. He saw Hill 70 (its name corresponding to the hill's 70 metre height) as a good strategic position to have as it offered a dominating high ground for whoever controlled it. If the Canadians took it, the Germans would have no choice other than to counterattack. The counterattack would lead the Germans into a trap as the Canadians could easily use machine guns and artillery to attack the Germans from above. The more soldiers the Germans sent, the more they would lose. This would severely weaken the German forces, making the invasion of Lens easier for the Allies. Thus the decision to occupy Hill 70 was made.
