1. Land Battles
Ms. Campbell
Socials 11

2. Second Battle of Ypres
The Canadian Expeditionary Force arrived in France February 1915 and began fighting on the Western Front
One of the first major trench battles for Canadians came at the Second Battle of Ypres in Belgium

3. Second Battle of Ypres

4. Second Battle of Ypres
On April 22, 1915 French and Canadian troops were blinded, burned, or killed when the Germans used chlorine gas
This had been outlawed by an international agreement in 1907

5. What do you think would be your first reaction to a gas attack?
Second Battle of Ypres
“[We noticed] a strange new smell… A queer brownish-yellow haze was blowing in from the north. Our eyes smarted. Breathing became unpleasant and throats raw… Some fell and choked, and writhed and frothed on the ground… It was the gas.”
What do you think would be your first reaction to a gas attack?

6. Second Battle of Ypres
The battle continued for one month but neither side gained much ground and more than 6,000 Canadians were killed, wounded, or captured
One of the doctors was Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae and after the battle he wrote the poem “In Flanders Fields”

7. Battle of the Somme
In July 1916 the Triple Entente launched a massive attack (The Battle of the Somme) trying to end trench warfare; however, this attack failed
The German line had been shelled for days but the defences and barbed wire were not destroyed
Marching across open fields was useless
The attack continued even after heavy losses on the first day of battle

8. Battle of the Somme
The Somme was the first battle to use tanks and after five months the battle was over

9. Battle of the Somme
The Triple Entente (The “Allies”) captured only 13 kilometers at a cost of more than 1.25 million casualties – and almost 24,000 Canadians
The Newfoundland Regiment lost about 90% of its men and every officer was either killed or wounded
Shell Shock was very common  The stress of war

10. The Battle at Vimy Ridge
In late 1916 Canadian troops were chosen to lead an assault on Vimy Ridge – a place the French and British had been trying to capture for two years
The attack was planned by Lieutenant-General Julian Byng, a British officer
On April 9, 1917 Canadians began their attack
By April 12, 1917 they had captured the German position

11. The Battle at Vimy Ridge
Vimy Ridge was the first time Canadian divisions had attacked together
The Success was a source of national pride
Canadians got a reputation of being an elite fighting force
Lieutenant-General Arthur Currie replaces General Byng as commander of Canadian forces

12. The Battle at Vimy Ridge

13. Battle of Passchendaele
In October 1917 the Canadians were asked to break through German lines and capture Passchendaele in Belgium
General Currie warned that casualties would be high but he was overruled
“Victory” resulted in more than 200,000 casualties on each side and 16,000 Canadians
The Allies gained 7 or 8 kilometers that were quickly recaptured by the Germans

14. Battle of Passchendaele
At Passchendaele the mud was a huge challenge for troops

15. Other Battles The Battle of Verdun The Gallipoli Campaign
A defining battle
High levels of psychological damage for French troops
The Gallipoli Campaign

16. World War One Final Project
Your job is to choose, research, and present your findings about one of the key land battles for Canadian troops during World War One. You may do this by creating a poster, a newspaper, a comic strip, or a film.
Your assignment will be marked on:
Content
Research
Presentation
You may choose: The Second Battle of Ypres, The Battle of the Somme, The Battle at Vimy Ridge, or The Battle of Passchendaele
You may work by yourself, or in groups of NO MORE than three people. Your final project will be due in class on Thursday April 28.