Transcript Major Battles of WWI

Major Battles of WWI
From Encylopedia of WWI
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWW.htm
Battle of the Marne
• Sept. 1914
• French and British forces are able to stop
the German advance and shut down the
Schlieffen Plan.
• Paris is saved when 6000 troops rush out to
battle in taxicabs.
• Both sides “dig in” and trench warfare
begins.
Battle of the
Marne
http://sectioneuro.blogspace.fr/20/
http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?read=181846
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
German_soldiers_Battle_of_Marne_WW
I.jpg
Battles of Ypres
• April, 1915
• Canadians are sent to Ypres, in Belgium, to
prevent the Germans from getting to the
English Channel.
• To try and end stalemate, the Germans use
the unthinkable - poison gas, for the first
time.
Battle of Ypres cont’d
• Canadians are ill-equipped. They don’t
have gas masks, and must use urine-soaked
cotton pads to survive gas attacks.
• Canadians hold the line for two days until
British reinforcements arrive.
• Canadians earn the respect of all for their
bravery and toughness.
• See text pp 86-87
http://westernciv2.umwblogs.org/2010/12/03/stormtroopers-during-gas-attach-1924/
http://www.ruddock.ca/historyproject/
http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/on-line-exhibits/war-artists/big/big_37_2nd_battle.aspx
http://www.1914.org/podcasts/podcast-13-gas-attack-at-ypres/
http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/gas.htm
Gallipoli
• Gallipoli is important because the British
hope to travel through Turkey to get
supplies to Russia.
• Troops come from Australia and New
Zealand (ANZAC forces) to fight against
the Turks (Ottoman Empire).
• This is an example of a non-Western front
battle. Allied forces lose due to poor
leadership and poor communication.
Battle of Verdun
• Verdun is in the eastern part of France
where the Germans attack over and over
again to try and break through the trenches.
• Verdun is the longest battle in WWI, lasting
from February to December of 1916.
• Almost 1 million French and German
soldiers die there before the French
successfully stop the German advances.
"Men were squashed. Cut in two
or divided from top to bottom.
Blown into showers; bellies
turned inside out; skulls forced
into the chest as if by a blow from
a club.“ French description of
artillery attacks during the Battle
of Verdun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Verdun
http://www.wereldoorlog1418.nl/battleverdun/battleverdun66/index.htm
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_of_verdun.htm
Battle of Jutland
• May 1916 in the sea between Scotland and
Denmark.
• The German and British fleets fight for
control of the North Sea.
• Only sea battle of WWI.
• Germany claims to have won since they
sink more ships. Britain claims to have
won, since they keep control of the North
Sea.
Battle of
Jutland
Battle of the Somme
• July to November, 1916
• British and French offensive against the
Germans in France.
• Allied forces send artillery for 7 days and 7
nights to totally knock out German defences
in the trenches.
• Unfortunately, the artillery is loud, but
fairly ineffective. Germans wait it out.
Battle of the Somme cont’d
• Germans are waiting in the trenches when
the Allied forces make their attack.
• This is the bloodiest and most wasteful
battle of WWI.
Battle of Vimy Ridge
• April, 1917
• For months, British and French try
unsuccessfully to take the higher ground
occupied by Germans.
• Canadians are given the task of trying to
take the ridge.
• Canadians attack at 5:30 am on Easter
Monday morning.
Battle of Vimy Ridge cont’d
• Canadians successfully wipe out the
German lines within a few hours.
• There are many losses, but Canada has done
what the British and French failed to do…
they have taken Vimy Ridge.
• 3600 Canadians die, but it is Canada’s
proudest moment.
Canadians attack Vimy Ridge
http://atethepaint-canadianbacon.blogspot.ca/2011/01/vimy-ridge.html
Canadian Victory – Vimy Ridge
Battle of Passchendaele
• July to November, 1917
• Also known as the 3rd Battle of Ypres.
• Allied forces attempt to break through
German lines.
• Due to heavy rain and artillery, the
battlefield is a swamp of mud.
• Tanks are useless. Men can hardly move
through mud. Tragic waste of lives.
Mud at Passchendaele
Battle of Cambrai
• November, 1917
• After Passchendaele, generals plan to attack
German lines with tanks on DRY ground.
• First use of tanks to effectively break
through no man’s land and end stalemate.
• Beginning of the end of WWI’s trench
warfare.
http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-battle-of-cambrai
http://pldfox.wordpress.com/the-image-of-the-tank-in-germany-after-1918/
Early Tank Design
MARK V Tank
The Whippet Tank