Major Battles of WW1

• The first world war is characterized by a war that is quite static rather than one that relied on lots of movement of the armies
• Much of World War One was static, but it began and ended with mobile fast-moving Warfare
• The British army had some incredible successes during the war
• If a source is from July 1916 and appears to be about the war in France, it is likely related to the Battle of the Somme
• Major battles on the Western Front

  • First Battle of Ypres 1914
  • Second Battle of Ypres 1915
  • Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) 1917
• The city of Ypres (Eep or Wipers) in Belgium was attacked repeatedly from 1914 until the end of the war
• Ypres was the last major Belgian City not controlled by the Germans during World War One
• Ypres became a Salient, a part of the line sticking into the German defenses
• The Germans occupied the trenches on higher ground surrounding Ypres on three sides
• The destruction in Ypres during the war was significant, as seen in the example of the medieval Cloth Hall and cathedral
• First Battle of Ypres 1914


  British, French, and Belgians stopped repeated attempts to take the city, both sides dug their trenches
• Second Battle of Ypres 1915


  Second huge German effort to take Ypres, marked the first widespread use of poison gas in World War One
• Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) 1917


  Huge British and Allied effort to push the Germans back, started well
• Widespread use of poison gas in World War One
• Tear gas was used previously but it's not poisonous, just irritating
• The Third Battle of Ypres, also known as Passchendaele, occurred


  1917
• Third Battle of Ypres


  1. British and Allied effort to push the Germans back

  2. Started well with tunnels under German positions and enormous mines destroying hilltops

  3. Weather and heavy mud prevented real success with tens of thousands killed and very little ground gained
• The Battle of the Somme occurred between July and November 1916
• Battle of the Somme


  1. Supposed to be a huge breakthrough winning the war on the very first day

  2. Became clear it would not work despite a week-long artillery bombardment

  3. British army suffered heavy casualties and the battle is seen as a huge failure of planning
• The Battle of the Somme resulted in significant losses for both the British and the Germans
• The Battle of Arras occurred between April and May 1917
• Battle of Arras


  1. Unusual compared to other World War One battles

  2. Did not achieve the breakthrough the British wanted

  3. Cost 150,000 killed, wounded, and captured

  4. Unique aspects included terrain based on Chalk, large networks of tunnels, underground hospital, and extensive use of airplanes
• The Battle of Arras was known as "Bloody April" due to the high casualties among British pilots
• The Battle of Cambrai occurred between November and December 1917
• Battle of Cambrai


  1. Saw the British try to break through German lines using new weapons and tactics

  2. They broke through but not for long

  3. British did not have an artillery bombardment at the start of the attack
• The British tried to break through the German lines at Cambray using new weapons and tactics
• The British used 378 tanks as a secret weapon to break through the German lines
• The Germans couldn't destroy the heavy armor of the tanks and fell back in panic
• The tanks broke through but couldn't hold on to the captured ground
• The first use of tanks in battle was at Flair Causalet, part of the Battle of the Somme
• At Cambray, tanks were more dependable than at Flair Causalet
• The British were slow in sending infantry reinforcements to support the tanks at Cambray
• In 1918, new tactics involving tanks, aircraft, and rapid infantry support were used to push the Germans back for 100 days in a row, winning the war
• Cambray showed a new way of conducting warfare compared to the static trench warfare of World War I
• World War I is remembered for static trench warfare, but there were instances of mobile warfare
• Both sides developed new technologies during World War I, including aircraft, gas, and tanks
• The battles around Ypres between 1914-1917 and up to 1918 were characterized by muddy conditions and heavy casualties
• The Battle of the Somme in 1916 saw the first use of tanks and the deadliest day in British military history
• The Battle of Arras saw the use of vast underground hospitals to treat the wounded
• The Battle of Cambray in Autumn 1917 saw the first use of tanks in large numbers but ultimately failed to break the deadlock