intro to ww1-major battles involving canada

Battle of Ypres (1915)

Canada's first major battle; partnered with French-Algerian soldiers; first use of chlorine gas; 6000 Canadian deaths; earned nickname “stormtroopers”

Flanders Fields

Location of Ypres battle; inspired Lt.-Col. John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields”; red poppies became remembrance symbol

Battle of the Somme (July 1, 1916)

Bloodiest battle of WWI; 57,470 British/Canadian casualties in one day; Newfoundland regiment lost 90%; led by General Douglas Haig; 1.25 million total casualties; British advanced only 11 km

Battle of Vimy Ridge (February 1917)

Canadian troops attacked as a single unit for first time; led by Arthur Currie; introduced creeping barrage; 15,000 Canadian casualties; boosted national pride; “Canada was born on the battlefields of Vimy Ridge”

Battle of Hill 70 (August 1917)

First major battle under Canadian commander Arthur Currie; demonstrated new tactics; gave artillery advantage overlooking Lens; influenced allied strategy

Battle of Passchendaele (October–November 1917)

Horrific conditions; “bottomless mire” due to destroyed drainage; 16,000 Canadian deaths for 7 km gain; total Canadian force 20,000, only 4,000 survived

Halifax Explosion (December 6, 1917)

Collision of IMO (Belgian relief ship) and Mont Blanc (French munitions ship); 3000 tons of explosives; 1900 killed, 9000 injured; massive destruction; aid from Maritimes, central Canada, Northeastern US; annual Nova Scotia Christmas tree sent to Boston

Canada’s Hundred Days (August 8 – November 11, 1918)

Final 100 days of WWI; Canadian Corps led Allied offensives; pivotal in defeating Germans

Battle of Amiens (August 1918)

100 tanks used; Canadians and Australians led attack; broke German lines for good

Battle of Canal du Nord

Canadian Corps crossed canal in daring plan; captured Cambrai rail hub; over 10,000 Canadian casualties; strategic victory

Battle of Mons (November 11, 1918)

Last day of WWI for Canada; 40 Canadians killed; last Canadian death – Private George Lawrence Price in Belgium, two minutes before armistice