By: Lily and Eva
The Battle of
Passchendaele
Key Figures Technology Used
British &
Canadian troops Use of mustard
against gas
Germany Artillery
General bombardment
Douglas Haig o Over 4 million
(British shells by
Commander-in- Britain
Chief)
General Arthur
Currie
(Commander of
the Canadian
Summary
Corps)
British attempt to continue attack on Germans
after French loss
o Objective: to wear out the enemy and
secure the Belgian coast
Also known as the Third Battle of Ypres
Extremely muddy/wet conditions
Tanks/vehicles/guns sank into mud
Led to many excessive casualties
Trench warfare used
Outcome Key Dates
British/Canadian divisions captured Battle began on July 31, 1917
Passchendaele October 26: first Canadian assault
Minimal amounts of land won, October 30: second attack
excessive casualties November 6: third attack
Allied casualties: about 320 000 men November 10: final attack, British
German casualties: about 200 000 men captured Passchendaele
Historiography
Trevor Wilson
- A historian from the University of Adelaide
“Weather is a fundamental factor.”
“The great Passchendaele Campaign is a three-month campaign; and two months of it are fought in pouring
rain.”
He believes the outcome of the war, and the amount of excessive deaths, were greatly affected by the weather.
Tim Cook
- World War I historian at the Canadian War Museum
Largely regarded Passchendaele as a failure, and merely a symbolic victory
"It's pretty much a disaster, it's the lowest point in the war."
"It was a battlefield of despair, the place where soldiers went to die in the mud,"