16.3.6

Battle of Passchendaele

Test yourself on Battle of Passchendaele

After reading these notes, test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

Battle of Passchendaele

The Battle of Passchendaele (also called Third Battle of Ypres) took place outside the city of Ypres in Belgium from July to November 1917 AD. It is most famous for the terrible conditions that soldiers had to fight in.

Background

Background

  • The British launched Passchendaele to try to reach the Belgian coast and attack German submarine bases.
  • With the worst rain in 30 years, the soil turned into a muddy marshland.
    • This mud and marshland clogged rifles and stopped them from working. It also stopped tanks from being used.
    • The mud was so deep that some soldiers and horses drowned in it.
The battle

The battle

  • The British launched their attack on July 1917 AD.
  • With the difficult conditions, the attack was suspended and started again on 16 August and then again on 20 September 1917 AD.
  • With the successful battles of Menin Road Ridge, Polygon Wood and Broodseinde, the British succeeded to gain the east of Ypres.
The battle ends

The battle ends

  • 6 November 1917: Field Marshal Haig called off the attack and declared British victory.
  • Passchendaele cost the Allies 325,000 casualties and Germany 260,000 casualties. The Allies gained five miles of territory in the offensive (attack).
Haig's philosophy

Haig's philosophy

  • Field Marshal Haig believed that World War One would be won on the Western Front.
  • To achieve this, he focused his efforts on the large offensives at places like Verdun, the Somme and Passchendaele to end the stalemate.
  • He hoped that huge offensives would overwhelm the Germans and force their defeat.
    • In fact, huge offensives brought about mass casualties.
Jump to other topics
1

Empires East & West: 1000 AD

1.1

The Rise & Fall of Ancient China’s Empire

1.2

The Medieval Greatness of the Byzantine Empire

1.3

The Golden Age of the Islamic Empire

1.4

The Politics & Power of the Holy Roman Empire

1.5

Medieval Religion

1.6

The Influence of the Church in Medieval Times

1.7

How Religion Tested the Power of Kings

1.8

Dynastic Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.9

Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.10

Revolts, Rebellions & Rights

1.11

Medieval England & Her Neighbours

1.12

European Renaissance

1.13

Norman Conquest & Control

1.14

Historical Skills

2

The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

2.1

Anglo-Saxon England

2.2

The Contest for the English Throne

2.3

Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

2.4

King John

2.5

The Magna Carta & Parliament

2.6

The Black Death

3

Worldviews

4

The Empire of Mali: 1076-1670 AD

5

The Renaissance & Reformations: 1500-1598 AD

6

The British Empire: 1583-1960 AD

7

The Peasants' Revolt: 1381 AD

8

Religion in the Middle Ages

9

Slavery: 1619-1833 AD

10

The English Civil War: 1642-1660 AD

11

The Industrial Revolution: 1750-1840 AD

12

US Independence: 1775-1783 AD

13

The French Revolution: 1789-1815 AD

14

The British Empire: 1857–1930 AD

15

Suffrage: 1840-1928 AD

16

World War 1: 1914-1918 AD

17

The Russian Revolution: 1917 AD

18

The Inter-War Years: 1919-1939 AD

19

World War 2: 1939-1945 AD

20

The Cold War: 1947-1962 AD

21

Civil Rights in the USA: 1954-1975 AD

Practice questions on Battle of Passchendaele

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
Answer all questions on Battle of Passchendaele

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium