Ypres
The amount of Battles that occurred in Ypres.
What is Three?
A new machine that was introduced in this war.
What are Tanks?
(Tanks were able to cross 'No Man's Land as they were immune to machine gun fire. They could also go over trenches and barbed wire, however, oftentimes the tanks got tangled in the wire and were therefore useless).
The amount of time it took for Allied troops to take back Vimy Ridge after the Germans took control of it.
What is Two Years?
(The French and the British had already attempted to take back the ridge several times before the Canadian soldiers arrived. Over 150,000 French and British troops died in failed attempts).
The Country where Passchendaele is located.
Where is Belgium?
(At the start of the war, Belgium was a neutral country, but the Germans went through Belgium to get to France. They often bombed and took over cities, this caused Belgium to join the Allies).
The name of the dangerous strip of land between opposing enemy trenches.
What is 'No Man's Land'?
The Canadian soldiers used this to protect themselves from the poison gasses.
What is a Wet Cloth?
(Soldiers discovered that wetting a rag and tying it over their mouths would keep the gas out. These became the first gas masks of WW1).
The British fired these on the Germans for weeks before the actual battle.
What are Shells or Artillery?
(The British fired shells on the Germans in hopes of weakening their defenses. The shells did not weaken the German positions).
The troops were planning this attack for how many months.
What is 6 Months?
(The Canadian troops moved to the front lines across from Vimy Ridge in Autumn of 1916. they were planning their attack strategy until the actual battle took place on April 9, 1917).
The amount of soldiers killed at the battle of Passchendaele.
What is 16,000 Soldiers?
(About 4,000 of these were Canadian).
WW1 started and ended in these years.
When was 1914-1918?
(WW1 started because of the assassination of the Archduke of Austria-Hungary. The war lasted 4 years, and ended on the Eleventh hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month in 1918. Known as Armistice day).
The newest weapon that the Germans used against the Allies in this battle.
What is Poison Gas or Mustard Gas?
(This was the first poison gas attack in history. Mustard gas was invented by a German scientist named Fritz Harber. He won the 1918 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his synthesis of ammonia and is known as 'The Father of Chemical Warfare').
(Read 'Dulce et Decorum Est'. A poem by Wilfred Owen).
(The French started using Phosgene gas at the Battle of Verdun).
The approximate total casualties that occurred during the battle of The Somme.
What is 1.25 million soldiers?
(Allied and Central Powers).
The reason this battle is so important to Canadian troops.
Why the Canadian soldiers became known as the best soldiers on the Western Front?
(And was a symbol of Canadian independence and nationhood, as the Canadian Corps fought together rather than 4 separate divisions).
The four Allied countries that fought at the Battle.
Who are, Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand?
The first battle that the Canadian soldiers fought in trenches.
What is the Battle of Ypres?
A famous poem that was written after this battle.
What is 'In Flanders Fields'?
(Written by John McCrae, in memory of a friend who was killed)
The name given to this Battle by the Germans.
What is 'Das Blutbad' (The Blood Bath)?
The name of the week before this battle.
What is 'The Week of Suffering'?
(During this week, over 1 million shells rained down on the Germans in the front lines).
This made the Battle of Passchendaele even more difficult.
What is Mud?
(During this battle the mud was so deep and thick, soldiers could barely walk through it, hundreds of soldiers even drowned in the mud as it was waist deep in some spots).
The amount of Canadian soldiers who fought in WW1.
What is more than 650,000?
(Approximately 60,000 Canadian soldiers were killed and another 178,000 wounded).
This weapon was not very beneficial for the Canadians.
What is 'The Ross Rifle'?
(This was a Canadian issued rifle and was good for sharp shooting, but not good for trench warfare as they jammed easily in the dirt and mud).
What is 'The Creeping Barrage'?
What is an Allied War Tactic?
(During the Battle of 'The Somme', the Allied troops advanced approximately 100 meters behind a carefully aimed Allied artillery fire. This heavy bombardment forces the Germans to take cover and not be able to fire at the Allies).
The replacement for the commander of Canadian troops.
Who was Canadian General Arthur Currie?
(Before General Currie was promoted to Commander of the Canadian Troops, General Byng, a British General, had control over the Canadian soldiers. This occurred after the battle of Vimy Ridge).
This made the Battle of Passchendaele almost completely fatal.
What is a Machine Gun?
(At the start of the war, machine guns could fire 500 rounds a minute, by the end of the war, this advanced to 1,000 rounds a minute. This made going over top of the trenches almost always fatal).
The name of the highest decoration for bravery a Canadian could earn in WW1.
What is 'The Victoria Cross'?
(Did you know: Only nine Canadian soldiers were awarded this medal for their bravery at the battle of Passchendaele, and only 7 Canadian soldiers survived this battle).