Battles of World War One

Battles of World War One

The Canadian Role

World War One BeginsWith the out break of war Germany

wanted to avoid war on two fronts.

Assumed 4 things:1.Russia would take at least six weeks to mobilize.2. France could be defeated in six weeks.

3. Belgium would not resist a German attack.

4. Britain would remain neutral.

As a result The Schlieffen Plan was introduced.

Began Aug. 2, 1914held up by Belgian and British forces.Meanwhile, Russia mobilized in 10 days.

Germany forced to face Russians on Eastern front, settle in trench warfare on Western Front.

We will concentrate on the Western Front as that is where the Canadian forces were concentrated.

War is now being fought on Eastern and Western fronts in Europe and among colonies in Africa and Asia.

The Battle of YpresApril-May, 1915

Germans fired Chlorine Gas on French Forces killing most of them in 10 minutes.

Canadian forces moved in and were able to hold the position using primitive gas masks.

The Canadian soldiers created the first “gas masks” which were actually handkerchiefs soaked in urine.

This led to the eventual Canadian invention of the Gas Mask - which has evolved today to become something worn by soldiers all over the world.

1915 Today

Of the 10,000 Canadians involved in this battle 1000 were killed and almost 5000

wounded.

John McCrae

While working in a field hospital during the Battle of Ypres John McCrae sat down during a 20 minute break and wrote “In Flanders Fields” after his friend was killed.

The Battle of the Somme

July - Nov. 1916

Canadian forces fighting as part of the British forces.

Significance to the War

almost 60,000 British troops lost the first day due to German use of the Machine Gun.

"We were walking on dead soldiers ... I saw poor fellows trying to bandage their wounds... bombs, heavy shells were falling all over them. it is the worst sight that a man ever wants to see.

The Battle of the SommeCdn. leaders

insisted that Cdn. troops fight as one group - Arthur Currie Commander

Significance to Canada

resulted in Cdns. becoming known as “Storm Troops”

Br. Prime Minister David Lloyd George said: “Whenever the Germans found the Canadian Corps coming into the line they prepared for the worst.”

Empty shell casings and ammunition boxes representing a small sample of the ammunition used by the British Army on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916.

British Mark I tank in action, 1916. Pigeons carried on board tended to become disoriented by petrol fumes.

Once a forest, now a battlefield during the Battle of the Somme

The Battle of Vimy Ridge

this was an 8km. long strategic strong hold for Germany

Vimy Ridge: Significance to the War

heavily protected by machine guns and barbed wire

British and French tried 3 times to take the hill but failed - lost 150,000 men.

April, 1917 - Cdns. brought in.

Vimy Ridge: Significance to Canada

Extensive planning and training paid off - ridge was captured in a number of days.considered the defining battle for Canadian in the war.

After this battle Germans were famous for saying “Anyone but the Canadians.”

New York Tribune carried an editorial entitled “Well Done Canada”.

Headlines in British newspapers proclaimed “CANADIAN SWEEP VIMY RIDGE”.

In 1922 the government of France donated a 290 acre section of land to Canada a memorial

to those lost.

This has since become a Canadian National Historical site consisting of a monument, a preserved section of battlefield, restored

trenches and tunnels and cemeteries.

PASSCHENDAELE

Passchendaele - Significance to the war:

success here was necessary to break through the front and destroy German submarine bases on the coast of Belgium.

heavy rain and artillery attacks turned the battlefield into a bog of thick mud making movement very difficult.

October 1917 - 20, 000 Cdns. took over for Anzac (Australian and New Zealand) forces.

Passchendaele - The canadian significance:

By Nov. 6, village of Passchendaele was taken.

15,000 Cdns. dead or wounded.

Canada’s 100 Days

Canada’s100 Days - Significance to War

Became the last 100 days of war - August 8 - November 11, 1918.

Allied forces broke through the Hindenburg Line (German defence) and forced a German surrender.

Canada’s 100 Days - Significance to Canada.

Canadian successes vital to forcing the surrender.

Pushed German’s back to Mons, Belgium where the last 24 hours of the war were fought.

November 11, 1918