Guide Note

Battle of Passchendaele took place during World War I in Belgium that lasted over three months in 1917.

Fast Facts

1. Date: July 31, 1917 – November 06, 1917
2. Also known as: Third Battle of Ypres or Third Ypres
3. War: World War I
4. Result: Stalemate
5. Combatants:
   • Allies: United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and France
   • Vs. the German Empire
6. Commanders:
   • Allies: Douglas Haig, Hubert Gough, Herbert Plumer, Arthur Currie
   • German Empire: Max von Gallwitz, Erich Ludendorff

Casualties

1. Allied casualties: 448,000 killed and wounded
2. German casusalties: 260,000 killed and wounded

Passchendaele was an attempt by the Allies to launch an offensive that would break the stalemate of the trench warfare that defined the first World War. Though the village of Passchendaele would eventually be taken by Canadian troops, the campaign wasn't exactly a success; thick, wet swampland and deep mud contributed to massive casualties on both sides, especially for the Allies.