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Canada Goes to War
On August 4, 1914, Canadian troops went to France to help Britain in war. Canada was allies with Britain which made them automatically join the war with them They went alongside other Britain allies, which were Russia and France. Their alliance was called the Triple Entente. -
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Canada and the War Front During WW1
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War at Sea
On November 1, 1914, war at sea began. It took place along the Atlantic, and Northeastern seaboard of North America. The type of battle was submarine warfare. Britain was successful by shutting off German access to the North Sea. This prevented the Germans from shipping supplies to their army on land, so many of them died from starvation. -
Battle of Yrpes
On April 15, 1915, the Battle of Yrpes began. This was Canada’s first battle. The British line pushed into the German line in front of the City of Yrpes. The Germans exposed the Britain troops to poison gas, which killed many of them. -
War in the Air
The war in the air started on August 1, 1915. This was an aircraft battle. Planes would fly over enemy trenches to observe their movements and hunt submarines. There were also planes that would drop bombs on enemy territory. -
British Lee-Enfield Rifle
The British Lee-Enfield rifle was the most used weapon in WW1 for Britain. It was introduced and first used in the mid-1916. This gun replaced the Canadian Ross rifle. The Canadian Ross rifle was unreliable as it would easily get jammed by mud and after rapid fire. -
Gas Mask
The gas mask was first introduced to the British army in April 1916. It prevented people from inhaling the poison gas, which saved many lives. The design allowed them to see and continue to battle while still breathing in clean air. -
Battle of the Somme
On July 1, 1916, The Battle of the Somme began. It lasted over 4 and a half months, which is one of war's longest attritional campaigns. This was the first use of tanks in warfare. The British were unable to break through German defence and didn’t achieve the victory they hoped for. -
Battle of Vimy Ridge
On April 9, 1917 the Battle of Vimy Ridge began. This was the first time four Canadian divisions attacked together and it was a success. They captured German prisoners and captured the land of Vimy. -
Battle of Passchendaele
The Battle of Passchendaele began on July 31, 1917. The British, Australians and New Zealand attacked the Germans, while Canadians were sent to Belgium. On November 6, 1917, Canadians and British started the assault to capture the village of Passchendaele. They were successful and took the village that day. -
Canada's Hundred Days
Canada’s Hundred Days started on August 8, 1918 and ended November 11, 1918. These were Canada’s last hundred days at war. Canadian attacks broke through German defence and Germany surrendered. German and Britain allies all signed the Treaty of Versailles, which ended the war.
