Canadian Battles of WWI

A. Roughneen and J. Mireault Wiseman

Election 1911 Sir Wilfred Laurier (Liberal PM) supports Free Trade with Americans

Annexation by the Americans was still a concern

Sir Robert Borden (from NS) “ No truck or trade with the Yankees”

Borden and the Conservatives swept into power

Borden- father of political independence in Canada

- left the country divided over many issues

Hopes

"L'identité canadienne selon Wilfrid Laurier."

"First World War.com - Who's Who - Sir Robert Borden."

Fears

Political Climate in Canada at the beginning of WW1

War on the Western front ground to a halt – trenches were dug

Area in between the trenches= “ no man’s land”

Modern warfare was born on April 22, 1915 when the German’s released 5700 cylinders of chlorine gas – no gas masks had been issued to troops

With the gas attacks the French broke ranks but the Canadians stood their ground and closed the gap

Used handkerchiefs soaked in muddy water or even urine to serve as filters against the gas

6,000 Canadians dead wounded or missing later on Mustard gas would also be used as

a weapon Ruddock

Ypres, Belgium: late 1914- 1915

TRENCHES

Battle of the Somme, France: July 1916

In July 1916 the British command ordered a big push toward the German lines- this came under a lot of criticism

100,000 allied troops were ordered to leave trenches and “go over the top” in broad daylight toward the Germans

The result was the slaughter of 57, 000 troops killed wounded or missing in one day

At Beaumont-Hamel the 1st Newfoundland Regiment was all but annihilated. Of 790 only 68 survived without injury

The Battle of the Somme turned into a battle to see who could outlast who. In 3 months the allied forces lost ½ million men

Rare German War Pictures

Guards Division

Vimy Ridge, France: April 9, 1917High ground in Northern FranceGermans were well equipped and

fortified- allies could not take the ridge previously and had lost 200,000 men

Canada’s turn came and under the leadership of Arthur Currie they practised repeatedly (timing, learned how to use German guns etc)

“rolling barrage” – dropped shells ahead of their own advance

most organized and successful battle of the war

“Nation-making moment”3600 Canadians died at Vimy

Vimy Ridge 2

Lieutenant-General Arthur Currie

“ We went up Vimy Ridge as Albertans and Nova Scotians. We came down as Canadians”- WW1 Veteran

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial

To the valour of theirCountrymen in the Great WarAnd in memory of their sixty

Thousand dead this monumentIs raised by the people of Canada

-Inscription on monument

Passchendaele, Belgium: July 31 1917

Reclaimed marshland in BelgiumA soup of mud due to the British

Artillery- rain made it worseWounded soldiers drowned on

the battlefield and guns disappeared in the mud

Great Britain sent for Currie and the Canadians

Currie estimated that it would take 16, 000 men to defeat the Germans and opposed the advance (it took 15, 654 dead or wounded to capture 5km2 of mud

Harry Patch, veteran soldier

“Mr. Prime Minister- I want to tell you that if ever there is a repetition of the battle of Passchendaele, not a single Canadian soldier will leave the shores of Canada again…” Sir Robert Borden (PM of Canada) to Herbert Asquith (PM of Britain)

Also known as Canada’s 100 days- led to the end of the war

In 1917 the communist revolution occurred in Russia and the new ruling party began to negotiate with Germany

Germany used the opportunity to relocate troops to the western front

Canada broke through the front- 13km in one day

Trench warfare was now over and a full scale battle ensued

Again led by Currie the Canadians captured 5,000 German prisoners

Des soldats australiens prennent la pose avec une équipe de chars d’assaut britannique à Lamotte–Warfusée, France, 8 août 1918. [AWM E04922] Référence: Bataille d’Amiens, 8 août 1918

Songs Sung by the Soldiers - History - The Virtual Gramophone

Amiens, France: August 18, 1918

The Hindenberg Line: September 27, 1918

Canadians broke through the lines that the Germans had held for 2 years

Every officer of the French Canadian 22nd Regiment (known as the Vandoos) was killed or wounded

4 divisions of Canadians defeated 47 divisions of Germans

30, 000 Germans were capturedThis battle led to the liberation

of 200 cities and towns.

Soldats canadiens qui escortent des prisonniers allemands. Réf: Exhibitions : The Western Front 1918

The Western Front

World War I: West's Encyclopedia of American Law (Full Article) from Answers.com

"Bataille d’Amiens, 8 août 1918." Australians on the Western Front 1914-1918 : Home. 24 mai 2009 <http://www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/fr/battlefields/amiens-8-august-1918.html>.

"Exhibitions : The Western Front 1918." National Army Museum. 24 mai 2009 <http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/exhibitions/westernFront/page5.shtml>.

"First World War.com - Who's Who - Sir Robert Borden." First World War.com - A multimedia history of World War One. 24 mai 2009 <http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/borden.htm>.

Guards Division. 24 mai 2009 <http://www.footguards.org/>. "Harry Patch, veteran soldier." Sailing to Byzantium. 24 mai 2009

<http://shazgood.wordpress.com/2007/07/30/harry-patch-veteran-soldier/>. "L'identité canadienne selon Wilfrid Laurier." La République libre du Québec. 24 mai 2009

<http://www.republiquelibre.org/cousture/LAURIER.HTM>. "Lieutenant-General Arthur Currie." Canada Online - About Canadian Government - Services News

Issues and History. 24 mai 2009 <http://canadaonline.about.com/od/ww1battles/ig/Pictures-of-Passchendaele/Arthur-Currie-Picture.htm>.

"Rare German War Pictures." The Heritage of the Great War / First World War 1914-1918. Graphic color photos, pictures and music. 24 mai 2009 <http://greatwar.nl/germany/somme.html>.

Ruddock, Geoff. "The Second Battle of Ypres - Geoff Ruddock." Index of /. 24 mai 2009 <http://www.ruddock.ca/historyproject/>.

"Songs Sung by the Soldiers - History - The Virtual Gramophone." Welcome to the LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA website | Bienvenue au site Web BIBLIOTH?UE ET ARCHIVES CANADA. 24 mai 2009 <http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/gramophone/m2-3001.9-e.html>.

"Vimy Ridge 2." CENSOL Environmental Consultants. 24 mai 2009 <http://www.censol.ca/research/greatwar/vimy2.htm>.

"World War I: West's Encyclopedia of American Law (Full Article) from Answers.com." Answers.com - Online Dictionary, Encyclopedia and much more. 24 mai 2009 <http://www.answers.com/topic/world-war-i>.

Works Cited