The War Ends: Canada’s Hundred Days

Background WWI had become the bloodiest war the world had ever seen The fighting in France and Belgium became a “war of attrition” and the Western Front was a series of virtually unbroken trench systems stretching from the North Sea to the Swiss Alps By 1918 it appeared as if this stalemate would continue for years What changed this situation? The Russian Revolution The Arrival of the Americans in 1917 Evolution of war technology

The Russian Revolution The WWI had been a disaster for the Russian Army By 1917 Russia had lost 1,800,000 soldiers, with an additional 2,000,000 taken prisoner and 1,000,000 “missing” Also, Russia was desperately short on supplies – men were sent to the front without weapons - they could recover arms from fallen soldiers from both sides Russian economy was in shambles – food shortages and inflation led many to stealing, begging and prostitution just to survive

“Red” October October 1917: Led by Vladimir Lenin & Leon Trotsky, the Bolshevik Party and the soviets (workers’ councils) overthrew the Imperial Parliament The Tsar Nicholas II abdicated & was later placed under house arrest. The Imperial family was murdered in July 1916 March 1918 Russia signs Treaty of Brest-Litvosk and pulls out of the war

The Arrival of the Americans By 1917 the Americans finally entered the war Public anger towards Germany had been growing since the sinking of the passenger ship the Lusitania in 1915 and the German policy of unrestricted submarine warfare

The Lusitania

The 1918 German Offensive With Russia out of the war, and the Americans about to enter it, Germany decided to launch one last offensive in March of 1918 Offensive was very successful – advanced to within 70 km of Paris The Allies were able to regroup, and with the support of fresh American troops, stopped the advance

New Technology This phase of the war saw the potential of the Tank as a weapon system The tank and matured to be an effective weapon – it could provide cover for advancing troops over no-mans land, flatten barbed wire and take out machine gun nests Trench warfare was over – the war was now fast moving and very destructive

Canada’s Role Since Vimy, the Canadians had not lost a single battle Canadians, now the most skilled and effective army on the western front, were given the task of being at the forefront of the counter attack on the German lines Germans studied Canadian troop movement – warning that an attack was coming Canadians now had to be moved in great secrecy (usually at night)

Canada’s Hundred Days Refers to a series of attacks, led by the Canadian forces, during the Hundred Days Offensive Began at Amiens August 8, 1918 – Canadians & Australians led the attack Ends at Mons, November 11, 1918

The Canadians in Mons Canadian Corps commander Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Currie and other Canadian officers taking the salute in the Grand Place, Mons, Belgium on 11 November 1918.

Canada’s Success The Canadian Corps 4 Divisions of about 100,000 defeat and or put to flight 47 German divisions – about ¼ of the German forces! The cost was heavy – 20% of our total battle casualties came during these 96 days. The final battle at Mons saw the last soldier killed on the western front – Canadian private George Lawrence was shot by a sniper minutes before the cease fire