Battle of Passchendaele
History: KS3, topic 16.3.6
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
- 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 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
- 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
- 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.
Test yourself on Battle of Passchendaele
What's another name for the Battle of Passchendaele?
Which of these was NOT a battle during the Third Battle of Ypres?
What was the result of the Battle of Passchendaele?