Introduction We decided to research the First Battle of Ypres. We picked this battle because we thought the name was funny. At first we thought it was pronounces Yippers until later we found out it was Ypres. We actually learned a lot about the First Battle of Ypres. We learned who fought this battle, why they fought it, and where. We now have a greater understanding of this battle and the tactics used.

The First Battle of Ypres (Ashlyn) Also called the first battle of Flanders

WHY?! The cause of the battle was: -The British’ desire to secure the English Ports. - The British’ desire to secure the British Army’s supply lines (Megan)Wanted to secure supply lines coming from France and wanted to secure English Ports from Central Power control. Money is power! Cut off supplies, cut resources, cut ammo…they’re done.

What led to the battle? The German offensive against France failed at the previous Battle of the Marne. The armies began to try to outflank each other in their systems of trenches. (Erin)

The Brits! They were led by Sir John French. The British had the weakest force of all the four militias. (Megan) The battle involved the British, the French, and the Belgian army, who were all a part of the Allied Forces….and the German army, who was a part of the Central Powers.

The British Attire

The Belgians! Their army was not as prepared as the others. By October 15th: 9,000 KILLED 15,000 WOUNDED (Erin) They suffered large casualties in comparison to their size. In addition, tens of thousands were missing, captured, or forced to flee.

The Belgian Attire

Les Francais! The French army was prepared for the battle. The commander-in-chief of the army was Ferdinand Foch. (Ashlyn)

The French Attire

The Germans! Mobilized very quickly. Most of the soldiers had a sufficient training and the order of battle at Ypres consisted of TWO armies. Commanded by General Feld Marschall Albrecht. (Erin) Strongest in Europe

The German Attire

Montage Time!

The Battle Commences… The battle began on October 19th, 1914 It was fought in the strategically placed town of Ypres located in Belgium. There were two battles fought there following the First Battle of Ypres: -The Battle of Langemarck (October 21st-24) (Erin) Many battles were fought in Ypres because of its position. It was the last major battle for German advance and their last offensive. -The Battle of Ghelevult (October 29th-31st

WHERE'S YPRES?! (Megan) Right on the border of Belgium, and they were defending France.

Ypres

The Strategy The French were trying to out flank the Germans. British planned to launch their attack towards Menin. (Erin) British planned to attack Menin. However, their commanders KNEW that German troops were already right in front of them.

The Germans Take Some Initiative (Ashlyn) The Germans were the ones who launched the attack on the Yser river, which spread to the south line.

TOO LATE! The British spotted the attack before it came. The attack was cancelled at 11:45 a.m. (Erin) British General Rawlingson saw the attack because they had aerial scouts above enemy lines. He cancelled the attack, but news did not reach the troops until 1:05 p.m. The British 7th division and 3rd calvary division was able to pull back, but other troops were already under attack from the flanks.

The British Fight Back Sir John French decided to go into attack and ordered the British I Corps to get into a position that was Northeast of Ypres. The first attack made some progress, but the British ran into some problems. (Megan) He ordered them to go northeast of Ypres so that they could be ready for the attack. Problems for the British: The German forces were much stronger than expected. The British commander was forced to order a halt to the attack.

RETREAT!!! Then the BEF retreated to Ypres when Antwerp fell. YPRES (Erin) BEF is the British Expeditionary Force

HELP! I need somebody! In October, the British came to reinforce the French and Belgian defense. (Ashlyn) They came to help defend Ypres against heavy German artillery.

A Perplexing Battle The battle was very unrelenting and muddled. One soldier described his time saying, “A man was not a soldier unless he had served on the Ypres front. (Erin) Mass confusion, chaotic. Imagine not being able to even get orders from your commander.

Blame it on the weather! Combat in the Ypres area lingered until November 22nd. The Allies’ last minute counterattack was what gave them victory over the Germans. (Megan) The winter weather caused the break in fighting. The Germans had come very close to breaking the Allied lines, but the counter attack stopped the breakthrough and the Allies became victorious.

Life in the Trenches

The British Casualties OUT OF OVER 160,000 TROOPS… Total casualties= 58, 155 (Ashlyn) The British couldn’t really afford that many casualties.

The French Casualties OUT OF OVER ONE MILLION TROOPS… Total casualties= around 50,000 (Ashlyn)

The German Casualties German casualties are assessed differently. There was a total of 134, 315 German casualties. The Germans referred to the battle as the “Massacre of the Innocents.” (Erin) The casualties include a total of the three battles of Ypres. Most soldiers killed were young university students from the draft.

Dramatization (Ashlyn) Show who the Allies are and who the Germans are.

Q&A Who fought in the First Battle of Ypres? Where is Ypres located? What is Yser? Who won the battle?