Transcript Famous Battles

Canada In The Great War
• Most Canadians served in the Canadian
Expeditionary Force (CEF), which fought all of its
battles on the Western Front (Belgium and France)
• The CEF fought as part of the British forces for
most of the war.
• Almost 2,500 Canadian women joined the medical
field and ambulance corps, and some served as
nurses in the Canadian Army Medical Corps,
known as the “Bluebirds.”
Bluebirds
The Battles
• Write down the battle answers on the
worksheet provided
• Read your textbook pg.30-35 for more
information
Battle of the Marne (1914)
• As part of the Schlieffen Plan, Germany moved
its army through Belgium and into France.
• Germany threw all of its forces against the
French Army, but was stopped at the Battle of
the Marne, only 35km from Paris.
• The Schlieffen plan failed because Germany
was denied a quick victory against France, and
was forced to fight on two fronts (Russia and
France).
• As a result of Germany not taking France, both
sides were locked in a stalemate, and dug into
their trenches for 4 more years of fighting
around the same area on the Western Front.
Second Battle of Ypres
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When: April 1915
Where: Ypres, Belgium (Flanders District)
German’s used: poison (chlorine) gas (first time in battle)
Canadian casualties: 6,035 (1 in 3)
Type of warfare: Trench warfare
Battle did this for Canada: Established the reputation of the
Canadians as a fighting force.
• John McCrae: Canadian who wrote the famous poem “In
Flanders Field” in memory of a friend who was killed in the
battle of Ypres.
*** There would be 3 major battles at Ypres. The third battle is
known as Passchendaele.
*** The Allies also used gas in WWI.
* Adolf Hitler was temporarily blinded in a British gas
attack in 1918.
Ruins of Ypres
Verdun
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*** (Not a Canadian battle!)
Start: 21st February, 1916
Finish: 19th December, 1916
Where: North-Eastern France
Total casualties: 700,000
Mincing Machine of Verdun: because of the sheer
number of casualties and suffering of the
combatants.
Battle Strategy: War of attrition (wear down the
enemy)
Battle Outcome: French victory as the German
attackers failed to capture Verdun and were pushed
back to their initial starting lines.
The Somme (The bloodbath)
• When: July 1916 (Somme River, France)
• Duration: 5 months
• Why the Allies attacked: The Germans were busy with the
French at Verdun, so the Allied commander (Douglas Haig)
tried to end trench warfare with a massive attack. “Big Push”
• Canadian casualties: 24,029
• Casualties on both sides: 1,250,000 (58,000 British 1st day)
• Newfoundland Regiment: suffered 90% casualties, and
every officer was either killed or hurt. (30 minutes)
• Land taken: Only 13km of land had been gained
• 23 Canadian men ordered: “shot at dawn” after facing a
court martial, and then the firing squad because they would
not or could not return to the front.
• Many Canadians suffered from: Shell shock
Canadians going “Over the Top”
Vimy Ridge
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When: April, 1917
Where: Vimy Ridge (France), near the Belgian border
French & British killed in 2 years: 150,000
Canadians killed: 3,000 killed (7,000 injured)
Leader of CEF after Vimy: Gen. Arthur Currie (Victoria)
Significant facts:
– Canadians suffered heavy losses (110 metre high / 8km long ridge)
– Was a turning point of the war for the Allies
– Was the first time in history that Canadian units fought together as
one (They fought under General Julian Byng)
– The victory became a symbol of Canada’s independence and
nationhood
– Canadian troops were soon recognized as some of the best troops on
the Western Front
– Canadian General Arthur Currie was promoted to replace British
General Byng as the leader of the CEF, which marked the end of
British soldiers commanding Canadian troops.
• People said this: “Canada became a nation at Vimy Ridge”
“They said it couldn’t be done and we did it.”
> Canadian historian Pierre Berton on Canada’s
victory at Vimy Ridge.
German P.O.W.’s after Vimy Ridge
Passchendaele
• When: October, 1917
• Reason for Allied problems: Mud
• Terrain: Utter desolation!!
– Destroyed drainage system
– Heavy rains
– Oozing quagmire of yellow mud.
• Gen. Currie’s complaint: Passchendaele could not be
taken because troops could not move through the mud.
– He also predicted that there would be 16,000 casualties
• Cdn. Battle achievement: They took the town and held it
until reinforcements came.
• Canadian casualties: 15,654 (500,000 on both sides)
• Canadian survival rate: One out of every five survived!!!
• Land gained: 7 kilometres of mud
Canadians in the Air
• Canadian Air Force in 1914: Zero
• Canadians in the British Royal Flying Corps in 1918: 40%
• Why Germany had the upper hand: German planes greatly
outnumbered the British and French.
• Aerial combat: Dogfights
• 1916 pilot life expectancy: 3 weeks
• Germany’s ace: Manfred von Richthofen (Red Baron)
– 80 planes shot down
• Canadian who shot him down: Captain Roy Brown
• Canada’s ace: Billy Bishop
– 72 planes shot down
• A pilot needed to shoot down 5 planes to become an ace.
• Bishop’s award: Victoria Cross medal
– Awarded for Courage and Bravery
Manfred von Richthofen “The Red Baron”
Billy Bishop
War at Sea
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German submarines: U-boats
1915 torpedoed ship: The Lusitania (1,198 dead)
Significance of Lusitania sinking:
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American public opinion began to turn against Germany.
It began the process of America coming out of isolation to become
involved in world affairs.
German sea policy: Unrestricted submarine warfare
(began in 1917)
Allied system of protection: Convoy system
Three reasons why the U.S.A. entered the war in :
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The 1915 sinking of the Lusitania.
German U-boats unrestricted submarine warfare.
Zimmerman Telegram: Americans learned that Germany was
encouraging Mexico to attack the United States when Britain
intercepted a telegram.
*** Canada’s merchant marine had the dangerous job of shipping
munitions and food across the Atlantic ocean to Britain.
U-boat
Convoy System
Eastern Front
*** Canadians didn’t fight on the Eastern Front!
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The Russian Campaign: (August 1914 – 1916)
By August 1914, Russians were invading Germany, which took the
Germans by surprise.
The German’s were forced to send troops from the Western Front to
the Eastern Front to fight Russia.
The German’s advanced into Russia until 1916.
In March 1917, Russia Czar Nicholas of Russia was forced to abdicate
and a provisional government was formed. In October 1917, the
Bolsheviks (Communists) under Lenin took over the government and
then signed a truce (peace) with Germany, ending the Eastern Front.
The Gallipoli Campaign (April 1915 – December 1915)
Turkey (Ottoman Empire) joined the Central Powers in an attempt to
keep Russia out of the Gallipoli peninsula (water passage allowing
Russia a route to the Balkans and Black Sea).
The British also wanted control of the Gallipoli peninsula so they could
help supply Russia.
The battle was a poorly planned disaster for the Allies (Australians)
The Gallipoli Campaign had little impact on the war!