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Canada joins the war
In 1914, Britain joined WW1 to help France and the Allies. Canada was still a colony of Britain, therefore they automatically had to join the war, August 14, 1914. With a regular army of only 3,110 men and a fledgling navy, Canada was ill-prepared to enter the war. Yet, some boys wanted to join the war to fight for their country, get paid and travel the world. Some lied about their age to join, and soon Canada’s army became bigger (Veterans Affairs Canada 2019). -
Battle of Ypres 1915
In April of 1915, the Canadian troops were moved to the Allied line in Ypres, Belgium. The Germans tried to remove the Ypres salient by using a new weapon; poison gas. All through the night the Canadian troops fought to close the gap. On April 24, the Germans attacked in an attempt to obliterate the Salient once and for all, and attacked the Canadian lines (Veteran Affairs Canada 2019). Luckily, the Canadians were able to hold up, and eventually the Allies won the battle (Hickman 2018). -
Festubert and Givenchy 1915
May 1915, after the battle of Ypres, the Canadian Division, marched south to join the Allied defences. Canadian troops went on the offensive for the first time in the First World War (Vimy Foundation 2020). They fought against powerful enemy defences, and although the Canadians achieved some of their objectives, the gains were negligible and the cost in lives extremely high. The Canadians suffered 2,468 casualties at Festubert and a further 400 at Givenchy (Veteran Affairs Canada 2019). -
The Battle of the Somme
On July 1st 1916, Britain launched the largest battle on the Western front against German lines. It was one of the bloodiest battles and approximately 1.2 million men were killed or wounded at the Somme. Canadian forces had joined for the last three months of fighting and it ended November 18th 1916. The battle of the Somme produced little gains and has long been an example of senseless slaughter and the futility of trench warfare (Roy 2018). -
The Battle of Vimy Ridge
The Canadian Corps was ordered to seize Vimy Ridge, situated in northern France, in April 1917. The Canadians would be assaulting over an open graveyard since previous French attacks had failed with over 100,000 casualties. The battle had many casualties, but in the end the Canadians captured the victory. This was an important victory because Canadian troops earned a reputation as formidable, effective troops because of the stunning success (Cook). -
Passchendaele
On July 31st 1917, the British attempted to break through German lines by capturing a ridge near the ruined village of Passchendaele, on the Ypres salient. After the troops launched failed assaults, the Canadian Corps joined the battle. In November, the Canadians captured the ridge with nearly 16,000 killed or wounded. The Battle of Passchendaele did nothing to help the Allied effort and became a symbol of the senseless slaughter of the First World War (Roy 2018). -
Cambrai
In November 1917, the first effective tank attack by the Allies happened in Cambrai, France. Three-hundred and eighty of these new weapons rolled across No Man's Land. The attack took the Germans by surprise, because they thought the British would be incapable of an attack while Third Ypres still continued. Therefore, the trenches were quickly crossed. Since the Canadian forces fought well, the Newfoundland Regiment was granted the title "Royal" (Veterans Affairs Canada 2019). -
Battle of the Avre
On April 4 1918, the final German attack was launched towards Amiens, France. Fifteen German divisions attacked seven Allied divisions. The fighting was remarkable because it was the first use of tanks simultaneously by both sides in the war. At the end of the battle the Allies recaptured french land (Villers-Bretonneux) and halted the German advance (Lau 2016). -
Canada's Hundred Days
Canada’s Hundred Days was the final 100 days of the First World War. It was from August 8 to November 11 1918. The Canadian Corps' significant contributions along the Western Front generated the name "Canada's Hundred Days." During this time, Canadian and allied forces pushed the German Army from Amiens to Mons, Belgium, in a series of battles. That was the drive that ended in German surrender and the end of the war, with around 8.5 million casualties (2020 Facing History and Ourselves). -
The Battle of Amiens
The Battle of Amiens was the beginning of the end of the German armies. On August 8 1918, the Canadian and Australian troops nearly broke through the enemy lines, pushing the Germans back several kilometres. After this battle, this showed that the German army was closer to defeat than anyone had predicted (Canadian War Museum 2017).
