July 31 - The Battle of Passchendaele

This Day in History: 31 July 2020

 

31 July 1917

 

103 years ago, today, the Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, began. This was during World War One, when the Allies launched a renewed assault on the German lines in the Flanders region of Belgium. Unlike this battle, the first and second battles at Ypres were attacks by the Germans against the Allied-controlled area around Ypres, blocking any German advance into the English Channel. The third was spearheaded by the British commander-in-chief, Sir Douglas Haig, who was deluded by the belief that the German army was on the verge of collapse and would be broken by a major Allied victory.

 

Once the fighting had continued into its third month, the Allied attackers were reaching near-exhaustion and had few notable gains. The Germans, however, had reinforced their positions in the region, and Russia's army were sadly facing internal turmoil. Despite this, the final three attacks ordered on Passchendaele led to the capture of the village, and the end of the offensive, finally claiming victory. Nevertheless, the British had still failed to create a substantial breakthrough on the Western Front and had lost 310,000 lives. The Third Battle of Ypres remains one of the costliest offensives of the war, representing the wastefulness and futility of trench warfare.

 

Want to find out more about the Third Battle of Ypres? Click here for more information, or here to watch footage from the battle.