1. Important Canadian Battles in WWI

2. Vimy Ridge- April 1917
Many historians consider the Canadian victory at Vimy a defining moment for Canada
The Canadian Corps was ordered to seize Vimy Ridge in April 1917.
The Canadians would be assaulting over an open graveyard, previous French attacks had failed with over 100,000 casualties.

5. "In those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation. " BGen A. E
"In those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation." BGen A.E. Ross
Canadian troops also earned a reputation as formidable, effective troops because of the stunning success
four Canadian divisions stormed the ridge at 5:30am on 9 April More than 15,000 Canadian infantry overran the Germans all along the front
Artillery and preparation key in this battle

6. 3,598 Canadians were killed and another 7,000 wounded
In 1922, the French government ceded to Canada Vimy Ridge, and the land surrounding it.

7. Canadian WWI Memorial

12. Victoria Cross

13. Battle of Ypes
April 1915, the 1st Canadian Division fought the grim Battle of Ypres, in Belgium,
Germans introduced poison gas to the Western Front.
5,200 Canadian deaths

14. Battle of the Somme 1916
Canadians fought under gruelling conditions to advance only a few miles on the Somme front
By October 1916, the Canadian Corps had grown to four infantry divisions supported by strong artillery, cavalry, engineer, and auxiliary forces, a total of more than 80,000 men.
Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of the First World War, with more than one million casualties
The battle is remembered today as the debut of the tank.

15. The 1st Newfoundland Regiment,
Most of the battalion was wiped out before it crossed the front line, and it suffered 91% casualties

21. Passchendaele
June 1917, Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Currie became the first Canadian to command the Canadian Corps. That October-November, fighting on horrific battlefields in waist-deep mud, the Corps captured Passchendaele, in Belgium, but suffered 16,000 killed or wounded.

24. Battle of Vimy Ridge
You will watch the following documentary (23:00) and fill in the question sheet as you watch.