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Canada is called to war
Being a dominion of Great Britain, Canada is obligated to go to war when Great Britain does. When Great Britain declares war on Germany after Britain's ultimatum to Germany to withdraw their army expires, Canada is forced to join the war. -
First Canadian Contingent Leaves Canada
The First Canadian Contingent leaves Canada, from Quebec City. Their destination is England. They are the largest convoy to ever cross the Atlantic. The forces they brought over included around 31000 troops on 31 ships. -
Battle of Ypres
The Battle of Ypres ended on May 15th 1915. The first large battle Canada participated in, the battle occurred in the Western Front on Ypres Salient in Belgium. The Canadian army experienced the first ever large scale poison gas attack, and did not falter, winning the battle. Although, there was around 6500 Canadian casualties, this battle will go on as one of the most glorious events in Canadian history. -
Battle of Festubert
The Battle of Festubert was the next large battle Canada participated in. The First Canadian Division fought along with a way bigger British force, trying to break German lines at the village, Festubert, in France. Both sides lost a lot and did not gain much. The casualties on the Canadian side almost equaled 2,500. -
Battle Of Vimy Ridge
The battle that Canada is most proud of, the Battle of Vimy Ridge was one of the biggest victories for the allies, not just Canada. All four divisions of the Canadian Corps were fighting together, which was never seen before. Unfortunately, over 10,000 Canadian casualties were the result of this battle. -
Storming of Hill 70
The Storming of Hill 70 was the first large-scale action led by a Canadian commander. The capture of Hill 70 was very important as it gave the allies a crucial view of the area from the hills. It also allowed them to see the city of Lens, one of their next targets. They didn’t want to invade Lens first, because the Germans could just shoot down at them from Hill 70. -
Battle of Passchendaele
Description: The Battle of Passchendaele was also known as the 3rd Battle of Ypres, which was on the Western Front. There has been a stalemate here for 3 years and the British wanted to make an advance so the allies tried to capture a ridge near the village of Passchendaele. There were almost 16000 Canadian casualties. The battle is known for being very muddy and wet. -
Battle of Amiens/Hundred Day War
The Canadians joined the Allies in the offensive against the Russians in France. During night, soldiers would go to the frontlines undetected. The allies surprised the Germans with an extreme amount of soldiers, and battle equipment. After this victory, the allies marched forward for 100 days to end the war. This was the worst defeat the Germans had suffered and were forced to surrender. -
Armistice
The biggest conflict in the world has come to an end as both sides come to an armistice and stop fighting. More than 650,000 Canadians aided the effort, around 66,000 died, and over 172000 were wounded. Canada had gained much respect around for their contribution to the allied effort and distinguished themselves from just being a colony of England. We now remember this day as Remembrance day. -
Treaty of Versailles In Effect
The formal end of WW1, the Treaty of Versailles stipulated the punishment Germany would have to endure. Canada didn’t really have much impact on this document but our Prime Minister fought for our right to be recognized for our deeds. In the terms, Canada would also have their own spot at the League of Nations.
