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Battle of Ypres
The notorious Battle of Ypres, Canada’s first major appearance on a European battlefield. In April 1915, Canadian troops were moved to the infamous Yves Salient. They fought the Germans, who were using poison gas, a new weapon at that point. This was a critical victory for the Allies, despite sustaining major casualties -
Battle of Festuburt
The survivors in the battle-depleted 1st Division were moved to the south to aid Allied efforts at Festuburt and Givenchy. Ultimately a forgotten battle, the Canadians made minimal progress and the deaths were high, especially at Festubert against a powerful and unrelenting German defence. The total casualties were around 16,000 -
The Battle of the Somme on Beaumont-Hamel
One of the more significant battles in terms of flat out fighting. Lasting 4 and a half months, the Battle of the Somme had over 20,000 casualties for Canada. This battle was important because it would crucially relieve German pressure on the French armies. -
The battle of Vimy Ridge
The Canadian Corps were ordered to capture Vimy Ridge, a 7 km graveyard of over 100,000 French soldiers and one of the most heavily fortified areas in the war. The British equipped Canadian Soldiers with infantry and weeks of training. After fighting bravely and countless acts of sacrifice, the point was captured. This remains one of the most important victories for Canada in the whole war. -
The battle of Passchendaele
It was all too familiar for Canadian forces, after being sent to Passchendaele, which is located near Vimy Ridge. Around 100,000 Canadian soldiers bravely marched to fight and capturing the village was only possible for the many acts of sacrifice and bravery. Around 4,000 Canadian selflessly sacrificed their lives at Passchendaele -
The Battle of Hill 70 and Lens
After the victory at Vimy Ridge, Canadian forces continued operating in the Aras area, to bring attention away from the French forces. The casualties were huge here, around 9,000 but considerable ground was made and heavy losses on the German front. -
The Battle of Cambrai
The first effective tank attack in history, Cambrai was the first to see over 300 tanks roll across no man's land and open fire upon the Germans. An attack of this size and effectiveness took the Germans by surprise and eventually they retreated. -
Canada's Hundred Days
The last 100 days of the war, known as Canada’s 100 days because of the successful march to Mons. In August and September, Canada launched a series of attacks, completely breaking through the German lines, reaching the infamous Hindenburg line. The attack made was extremely daring but successful, effectively breaching the Hindenburg lines. After reaching Mons before the armistice, the war was truly over.
