The Second Battle Of Ypres

The first World War has been reported to be one of the most brutal wars in the history of time for many reasons. One of those reasons was strategic usage of chemical warfare. Chemical gas was used on both sides of the line, which turned out to be fatal for many. World War I was mostly fought in the trenches, where soldiers lived in deep, v-shaped holes or underground bunkers. Both sides would occupy these trenches in order to escape from the constant stream of bullets. These battles often ended in a standoff, or tie, which helped the introduction of a different, brand new style of fighting that included the use of chemicals. These chemicals had a range of

On April 9, 1917, Canada sent out 100 000 fine men to serve and protect their country. To this day, the battle of Vimy Ridge is still known as the day Canada became a nation. Despite the cataclysm of the battle and the thousands of lost souls, Vimy Ridge is considered to be defining moments in Canadian History. The Germans were in complete control of Vimy Ridge for over two years prior to the Canadian onset. This enabled the Germans to strengthen their position, making them seem unvanquishable. The German forces were appeared to be impregnable. Nor the British armada or the French were able to vanquish the Germans. The French battled for over two years and suffered over one hundred and fifty thousand casualties. Despite the twenty divisions and three massive

The Battle of Fromelles was one of the most disasters battles in World War 1. It was British military operation which involved Australia’s 5th division, Britain’s 61st division and Germany’s 6th Bavarian Division and two flanking divisions. The commander for Germany was Gustav Scanzoni von Lichenfels and the commander for Britain was Richard Haking.

The Battle of Yorktown was the decisive battle of the American Revolutionary War. The French and American forces laid siege upon the British forces at Yorktown, Virginia and eventually forced the surrender of nearly one-third of the total number of British troops in America. This battle showed that massive loss of life is not the only factor that will determine the victor, as there were a relatively low number of casualties taken by both sides. Instead, it was an aggregate of economic, social, geographical, and weather factors along with a bit of luck when it came to the timing of the major military movements and tactics all led to the success of the Franco-American forces. Had it not been for these combined factors the Battle of Yorktown and the American Revolutionary Was may have had a very different outcome.

The Battle of Vimy Ridge was one of the greatest military battles ever fought. This battle contributed to Canada’s coming of age as a nation. The taking of Vimy Ridge claimed more than 200,000 lives during the first World War and will forever remain in the history as one of the worlds great military triumphs. The Canadian Military used extensive planning, new innovative weaponry and relied on the tremendous courage and sacrifice of its soldiers in order to claim victory.

The Battle of Yorktown or better known as the Siege of Yorktown was the final battle in the American Revolution. The battle took place in Yorktown, Virginia in 1781. The battle lasted from September 28th 1781 and October 19th 1781. The American and French forces were lead by George Washington, Comte de Rochambeau, and Comte de Grasse. The conflict was caused due to many events like the Boston Massacre and The Boston Tea Party but was reinforced by how the British were treating the people of America and raising their taxes.

The Second Battle of Ypres took place from April 22nd to May 25th 1915 and is distinguishable for Canadians as being the first battle in which Canadians troops fought in during the First World War. The battle marked the first Canadian victory and has become popularly known as the first site of mass use of chlorine gas on the Western Front. But the battle does not have to exist solely in the confines of the First World War. The battle and its effects impacted not only the immediate outcome of the war but rather spurred a shift in war tactics and Canadian enthusiasm to its troops. Essentially, the Second Battle of Ypres was vital to the First World War because of its maintained the strategic placement for the Western allies, but it is also important in a wider context through its ability to set a precedent for future battles with modern chemical warfare, and through the effect it had on the home front to boost Canadian support overseas. To begin, I will first summarize the battle and the context Ypres to give an overall understanding of the situation leading into the battle. In suit, I will examine the strategic advantage Ypres had with respect to its ability to protect the ports of northern Europe and its establishment of a buffer zone between Great Britain and Germany. Secondly, I will examine the battle as a pivotal moment for the future of modern warfare as the Germans breeched international code with their use of chlorine gas. Thirdly, I will demonstrate how the

World War One was a Canadian struggle for a respectable place on world stage. However, there were opportunities in Canadian history during the World War One that glorified Canada. Battle of Vimy Ridge was the most glorious Canadian battle that deserves the recognition of "True origin of Canada" as it recognized and identified Canada as a fierce-fighting nation on international scene. Although Vimy Ridge had some casualties, it unified Canadians with nationalism, recognized and earned Canada a place in World affairs as well as moved Canada towards its autonomy from British sovereignty creating and developing a new power in the world by the name of Canada.

On 22 April 1915 the second Battle of Ypres established the reputation of the Canadians’ being a fighting force. This was created through the Ypres Salient, which is where the British and allied line pushed into the German line in a concave bend. The Germans held the higher ground and were able to fire into the allied trenches from the north, the south and the east, but the Allies prearranged defense strategies: On the Canadian right was the British Expeditionary Force, and on their left was the 48th Algerian and 87th Territoral French, which were militia regiment enlisted into service a French division.3

In “The Face of Battle,” John Keegan analyzed the experiences of the individuals involved in the battles of the Somme and Waterloo; he thoroughly examined the advancements of industrialization in warfare and battle strategy between 1815 and 1916. The industrialization of modern warfare during the battle of the Somme, while progressive, was very much still in its experimental stages. While the inventions during this time period were later evolved into much more useful products, it seems as though the organized warfare in Waterloo was much more effective; the soldier’s mediocre training for the Somme was obvious in the chaotic events that occurred. While each battle was disastrous in their own ways, industrialization certainly improved means of warfare and the experience that the soldiers had.

Canada's much celebrated victory over the Germans during the Battle of Vimy Ridge in World War One was a huge step towards the country's independence. Canada came into the war as just another British colony and then left the war as a trusted member of the British Commonwealth. The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a huge turning point for Canada that will go down in history as how we made the change from colony to nation.

Many countries have tried but failed to capture this area. Both French and British armies tired but failed the Germans were too strong. This area was known as Vimy Ridge, which has many high hills and was located in France. The Germans had captured this area since September 1914, the Germans started to build artillery proof bunkers and trenches. Germanys had the advantage in every battle; Germanys had their bases on top of the long hills. Which lead them to look down on their enemies, which was easier for Germanys to kill their target. After countries failing to capture Vimy Ridge, Canada decided they were going to attempt to fight for Vimy Ridge. For the first time Britain asked for generals to lead Canada to victory for the battle of Vimy Ridge. Sir Julian Byng and Major Arthur Currie were asked to lead the Canadian Military to win the battle of Vimy Ridge. After months of practicing a strategy Canada was ready. April 1917, Canada went to battle with Germany for Vimy Ridge. This became one of the most devastating battles ¬in Canadian history. Canadians should remember that Vimy Ridge was not their triumph alone. British artillery and the elite 51st Highland Division helped make victory possible (Desmond Morton, Significance of Vimy Ridge). Vimy Ridge is considered a defining moment in Canadian history because, it was Canada’s first time using a general to plan tactics and strategy’s, Canada was the only country that succeeded on capturing Vimy Ridge, lastly all Canadian

The Battle of Yorktown took place during the war of independence of the United States of America from 28 September to 17 October 1781. The success of the Americans started back in 1778 when Benjamin Franklin succeeded to secure an alliance with the French that would bring money and extra-armed forces to defeat the British. It confronts the American insurgents led by General George Washington and their French allies led by the Comte de Rochambeau against 8000 British Soldiers led by Lord Cornwallis in Yorktown. The United Kingdom was conducting war around the world and in North America, which became an unbearable burden and difficult to provide supplies fast enough to keep the momentum of their troops going. After 21 days of combat, the Allied

Nearing the end of World War II and after the successful D-Day invasion by Allied Forces, Adolf Hitler would personally plan a counteroffensive he believed would turn the tied of the war in his favor and prevent his unconditional surrender. Historically known as the Battle of the Bulge, the Ardennes Counteroffensive, from 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945, would showcase the power of a full-scale German offensive while highlighting the ingenuity and heart of the United States Army as they encountered a seemingly undefeatable foe.

Up to this point the Canadians were not regarded as fighting soldiers and were thus given the assignment of occupying this relatively quite sector of the front. The importance of Ypres would soon be realized when on April 22, 1915 the German line used the first poisonous gas attack in war against the Canadians and Algerians troops to gain access to the important roads that intersected in Ypres. The Algerian troops fled leaving a gap of six kilometers along the trench system. Now the German side had the ability to take control of the area. Somehow the gap was filled with the Canadians who even managed to counterattack, a strategy that came as a complete surprise to the Germans. John McCrae’s post was near a particularly dangerous section of the road. The Germans had it covered with artillery fire for seventeen days of battle. McCrae would later