Canada's Hundred Days

Home , August 1918, Battle of Amiens (1918), Canadian Corps, George Lawrence Price, Jean Brillant

CANADA REMEMBERS

CANADA’S HUNDRED DAYS

Canada made great contributions and sacrifices in the First Meanwhile, the Allied forces were being reinforced by World War. Our many achievements on the battlefield American troops after the entry of the United States into were capped by a three-month stretch of victories at the the war in 1917. The Allies regrouped and stopped the end of the war during what came to be known as “Canada’s enemy advance, then set about to make their own major Hundred Days.” push to finally end the war.

THE WESTERN FRONT CANADA’S HUNDRED DAYS The First World War was fought from 1914 to 1918 and As the war progressed, Canada’s successes in battles like was the bloodiest conflict the world had ever seen up those at Vimy Ridge in France and Passchendaele in to that time. After the outbreak of the war, the fighting Belgium had earned its army the reputation for being the in France and Belgium soon turned into a stalemate of best-attacking Allied troops on the Western Front. When trench fighting. The Western Front was a string of trenches the Allies planned the offensives that would ultimately win stretching from the North Sea to the Swiss border, with the the war, Canada’s soldiers were given the responsibility of Allied and German armies facing one another across a harsh being at the forefront of the attacks. “No Man’s Land” of barbed wire, shell craters and mud. The Canadian Corps’ reputation was such that the mere Machine guns, snipers and artillery made breaking the presence of Canadians on a section of the front would enemy defences very difficult. The military leaders on both warn the enemy that an attack was coming. This meant sides struggled with devising effective new tactics to deal that great secrecy would be involved in the movements with the realities of this kind of warfare. All too often, of the Canadian Corps. A large offensive was planned soldiers were simply sent “over the top” to charge the in France in August 1918 and some Canadian troops enemy trenches head-on in attacks that cost many lives and were shifted north to Ypres, Belgium. This made the resulted in no significant gains. It would be 1918 before a Germans think a major attack was coming there before major breakthrough on the Western Front finally came. the Canadians secretly hurried back to the Amiens sector for the real attack. On August 8, Canada led the way THE 1918 GERMAN SPRING in an offensive that saw them advance 20 kilometres in OFFENSIVES three days. This offensive was launched without a long Early in 1918, the situation looked grim for the Allies. preliminary artillery bombardment as was usually done Germany began launching a series of major offensives in (which also warned the enemy that an attack was coming) March that pushed the Allied lines back, advancing to and the Germans were taken totally by surprise. This within 70 kilometres of Paris. Despite these successes, this breakthrough was a remarkable development and dashed was to be Germany’s last major effort to win the war as enemy morale, with the German high commander calling they had overextended their army. As well, after years of it “the black day of the German Army.”

Allied tanks advancing during the Battle of Amiens while German prisoners carry wounded soldier back from the front lines. lines. front the German from prisoners back carry while Amiens soldier of wounded Battle the during advancing tanks Allied PA-002946 Canada Library Archives and Photo: war, their resources of men and supplies were dwindling.

veterans.gc.ca Canadian soldiers in the main square of Cambrai, France, after liberating the city in October 1918. Photo: Library and Archives Canada PA-003270 fighting, Canadianshelpedcapture thecityofCambrai did notmeantheystoppedresisting. heavy Afterfurther The German armymayhave been retreating butthat front, the Hindenburg Linewasnow breached. Wood. CombinedwithothersuccessesalongtheBritish German defences andpressed ontocapture Bourlon success. TheCanadiansbroke through three linesof entire warandtheSeptember 27attackwasastunning unleashed theheaviestsingle-daybombardment ofthe up andbecomeeasytargets. To cover theadvance, Currie that couldcauseAlliedtroops andequipmenttobunch sectionofthecanal.However,dry thiswasabottleneck with aBritish division, wouldcross a2,500metre-wide CurrieArthur cameupwithadaringplan.His men,along but CanadianCorpscommanderLieutenant-General Sir canal’s madeitatoughpositiontoattack, earthworks the mainHindenburg completed Line.Thepartially Next upwastheCanalduNord, of whichformedpart September 2. Drocourt-Quéant Lineinfront oftheHindenburg Line by gave theenemyadvantage, theCanadiansbroke the against someofGermany’s finesttroops, interrainthat enemy’s maindefensive line.Afteraweek offierce fighting tasked withhelpingbreak theHindenburg Line—now the They were moved totheArrassectorand backnorth There wouldbelittle rest forthevictoriousCanadians. war in1918,theykeptupthepressure ontheGermans. With Alliedleaders’ hopesnow highforanendtothe advanced 130 kilometres andtookapproximately 32,000 were impressive—more truly than100,000Canadians accomplishments from August 8toNovember 11,1918, The warwasfinally over. TheCanadianCorps’ Germans inthesummerof1914. Army haditsfirstsignificantbattleagainsttheinvading of great symbolicmeaning,asthiswaswhere theBritish That daysawoursoldiersin Mons, Belgium—a place just twominutesbefore thefightingofficiallyended. death—Private George Lawrence Price—happening endwiththewar’sto thevery lastCanadiancombat finally signedon November 11,1918.Canadians fought With German resistance theArmisticewas crumbling, November. capture Mont Houy and Valenciennes by theearlydaysof to fight, overcoming stiff German resistanceandhelping a wholebuttheindividualCanadiandivisionscontinued la Sensée. Thiswas thelastactiontaken by theCorpsas and by October 11 the Corpshadreached theCanalde experiences oftwothesemen—onewhoearnedhis VC valourhighest award theycouldreceive. formilitary The Newfoundlanders earnedthe Victoria Cross (VC), the During Canada’s Hundred Days, 30Canadiansand HEROISM machine gunsandmortars. pieces, prisoners andcaptured nearly3,800artillery Canadian troops resting in the main square of Mons, Belgium, on November 11, 1918. Photo: Library and Archives Canada PA-003570 and over 170,000beingwounded.Thesacrificesand than 66,000CanadiansandNewfoundlanders dying inuniform.Theconflicttooka great toll,withmoreserve citizens—would seemore than650,000menandwomen of lessthan8million Canada—at thetimeacountry months offighting. By theendof First World War, approximately 39,000woundedduringthelastthree Canadians andNewfoundlanders were killedand impressive, butcameatahighprice.More than6,800 The triumphsduringCanada’s Hundred Days were SACRIFICE nine daysbefore theArmistice. wounded anddiedofhiswoundsonNovember 2,just the positionsandtheirweapons. He wasseriously a seriesofmachinegunposts,neutralizingandcapturing Cairns ofthe46 The lastCanadian VC ofthewar went to Sergeant Hugh the VC. days later, hediedandwouldposthumouslybeawarded wounded, heorganized achargeonGerman artillery. Two German machinegunsandtook150prisoners.Again wounded. He thenledanotherattackthatcaptured 15 and tookanenemymachinegunpost,despitebeing Lieutenant Jean Brillant ofthe22 On August 8,duringthefirstdayof Battle ofAmiens, of thekindcouragethatsomanyshowed. VC asexamples inthefinaltwo weeks ofthewar—serve at thebeginningofthisperiodandonewhoearnedhis th

Battalion. At Valenciennes, hecharged nd Battalion attacked sacrifices andachievements made by thosewhohave Canada encouragesallCanadianstolearnaboutthe The Canada Remembers Program of Veterans Affairs CANADA REMEMBERSPROGRAM the years tocome. It woulddemonstratethiscommitmenttimeandagainin the country’s commitmenttodefendpeaceandfreedom. the First World War. asanexampleof Thewaralsoserved signature onthe Treaty of Versailles thatformallyended initsown right.ThisearnedCanadaaseparate country home andaround theworld—thatitwasanindependent respectearned itanewfound andarecognition—both at being senthomein1919.Canada’s accomplishmentshad an occupationforce inGermany, however, before finally over. Many ofCanada’s of aspart soldierswouldserve After more thanfouryears offighting,thewarwasfinally LEGACY restore peaceandfreedom are notforgotten. achievements to ofthosewhogave somuchintheeffort formats. This publicationisavailable upon request inalternate toll free. Canada website at in theFirst World War, pleasevisitthe Veterans Affairs for future generations. To learnmore aboutCanada’s role remembrance theirlegacy activitiesthatwillhelppreserve peace. Aswell, itinvitesCanadianstobecome involved in duringtimesofwarand continuetoserve— served—and

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