The Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle
of Ypres, was fought by the British and their allies, including New Zealand,
against the Germans in Ypres, Belgium. It was fought from July 31st
to November 6th, 1917. Led by the commander of the British
Expeditionary Force, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, the Battle of
Passchendaele has become known as one of New Zealand’s greatest military
disasters, and the campaign is still highly controversial today.
British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George was in favour of moving the main effort to the Italian Front, however the French commander-in-chief, General Robert Nivelle, wanted to launch an offensive in Aisne, France and so he was overruled. Sir Douglas Haig still wanted to launch an offensive in Flanders, and so Nivelle agreed that should the Aisne Offensive fail, then he would be authorized to make an attack in Belgium. The main campaign of the Nivelle Offensive, the catastrophic Second Battle of the Aisne, resulted in around 187,000 French casualties and a German Victory. Nivelle’s whole offensive in Aisne proved to be a failure, with the French suffering massive losses, and it was abandoned in early May, 1917. This wasn’t France’s only problem, as just after the loss to Germany at the Second Battle of the Aisne, the French army began to mutiny. This involved nearly half of the French infantry divisions stationed on the western front in Northern France. The responsibility for carrying the fight to the Germans in 1917 was passed to the British and it was hoped that an attack in Flanders would hold down German reserves and relieve pressure on the French until American forces arrived.
Passchendaele, the area of Flanders to the east of Ypres, had great strategic importance as it was dominated by a German occupied ridge from the east to the south of Ypres. It was the only high ground in the mostly flat area and if the British were able to break out of the Ypres Salient and take it and push through General Sixt von Arnim’s German Fourth Army at Flanders then they could swing northward to the coast of Belgium and attempt to capture the German occupied ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge, which now had submarines and destroyers operating. It was thought that if Germany’s submarines could stop ships getting supplies to Britain then they could starve the British, which would force them to surrender. Admiral Jellicoe, a Royal Navy officer in the First World War, had also advised Sir Douglas Haig and the British Government that the loss of shipping for Britain, (predominantly merchant) primarily in the English Channel, could not be sustained and, if such losses continued, Britain would face severe problems in 1918. Sir Douglas Haig wanted to stop the submarines at all costs. The German position in Belgium would also be outflanked and the Ruhr would be under threat. Haig then wanted to recommence the push to evict the Germans from Belgium. Haig’s plan, however, did not receive support from Britain’s Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, but seeing as the Allies had no other plausible plan, he agreed to let him carry it out.
Sir Douglas Haig also, wrongly, believed that the morale of the German army was very low, especially after the success of the Allies at the Battle of Messines. He believed that because of this, the Allies would get through Flanders without too much trouble. He had no idea what the Allies were in for.
Causes in summary:
· The failure in Aisne cause the French army mutinies and meant that Haig was allowed to make an attack on Belgium. It was hoped that an attack in Belgium would relieve the pressure on the French.
· Haig wanted the high ground of Passchendaele ridge
· Haig wanted to push through Flanders and turn northwards to the Belgian coast to capture the ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge, to stop German submarines and destroyers.
· Haig wrongly believed the morale of the German army was very low and it would be easy to get through Flanders.
British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George was in favour of moving the main effort to the Italian Front, however the French commander-in-chief, General Robert Nivelle, wanted to launch an offensive in Aisne, France and so he was overruled. Sir Douglas Haig still wanted to launch an offensive in Flanders, and so Nivelle agreed that should the Aisne Offensive fail, then he would be authorized to make an attack in Belgium. The main campaign of the Nivelle Offensive, the catastrophic Second Battle of the Aisne, resulted in around 187,000 French casualties and a German Victory. Nivelle’s whole offensive in Aisne proved to be a failure, with the French suffering massive losses, and it was abandoned in early May, 1917. This wasn’t France’s only problem, as just after the loss to Germany at the Second Battle of the Aisne, the French army began to mutiny. This involved nearly half of the French infantry divisions stationed on the western front in Northern France. The responsibility for carrying the fight to the Germans in 1917 was passed to the British and it was hoped that an attack in Flanders would hold down German reserves and relieve pressure on the French until American forces arrived.
Passchendaele, the area of Flanders to the east of Ypres, had great strategic importance as it was dominated by a German occupied ridge from the east to the south of Ypres. It was the only high ground in the mostly flat area and if the British were able to break out of the Ypres Salient and take it and push through General Sixt von Arnim’s German Fourth Army at Flanders then they could swing northward to the coast of Belgium and attempt to capture the German occupied ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge, which now had submarines and destroyers operating. It was thought that if Germany’s submarines could stop ships getting supplies to Britain then they could starve the British, which would force them to surrender. Admiral Jellicoe, a Royal Navy officer in the First World War, had also advised Sir Douglas Haig and the British Government that the loss of shipping for Britain, (predominantly merchant) primarily in the English Channel, could not be sustained and, if such losses continued, Britain would face severe problems in 1918. Sir Douglas Haig wanted to stop the submarines at all costs. The German position in Belgium would also be outflanked and the Ruhr would be under threat. Haig then wanted to recommence the push to evict the Germans from Belgium. Haig’s plan, however, did not receive support from Britain’s Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, but seeing as the Allies had no other plausible plan, he agreed to let him carry it out.
Sir Douglas Haig also, wrongly, believed that the morale of the German army was very low, especially after the success of the Allies at the Battle of Messines. He believed that because of this, the Allies would get through Flanders without too much trouble. He had no idea what the Allies were in for.
Causes in summary:
· The failure in Aisne cause the French army mutinies and meant that Haig was allowed to make an attack on Belgium. It was hoped that an attack in Belgium would relieve the pressure on the French.
· Haig wanted the high ground of Passchendaele ridge
· Haig wanted to push through Flanders and turn northwards to the Belgian coast to capture the ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge, to stop German submarines and destroyers.
· Haig wrongly believed the morale of the German army was very low and it would be easy to get through Flanders.