Travelling Exhibition: After the War
The First World War not only devastated Europe, but also the dominions, colonies, and countries abroad who took part in the conflict. With more than 60 000 Canadians killed, billions of dollars spent, and life-long physical and mental scarring, the war’s ramifications extended well beyond the battlefields. Our new travelling exhibition After the War: Coming […]
“Christmas in Canada as Usual”: Celebrating on the Home Front
Earlier this week, we shared an episode from the Imperial War Museum’s Voices of the First World War series that looked at the various ways Christmas was experienced during conflict. While we are often reminded of how Christmas was celebrated on the Western Front, perhaps most famously through the Christmas truce of 1914, we are […]
Beyond November
I did a double take when I first saw the poppy dish. It is small, fragile and looks like an object that demands my attention and care, just like a poppy. When I finally had the opportunity to talk to the artist who created it, I realized it was called a pin dish. It was […]
The Liberation of Mons and the Signing of the Armistice
The hundred days campaign had forced the German army into full retreat. German morale hit a new low as death, starvation, and sickness eroded motivation to carry on. Nevertheless, German rear-guards continued to show strong pockets of resistance as it retreated towards the city of Mons. On 7 November, the Canadian Corps crossed into Belgium […]
Valenciennes and the Pursuit of the German Army
Following the allied victory at Cambrai, the Germans continued their retreat and made their final stand at Valenciennes. With the Canal de l’Escaut to their west and Mount Houy to their south, Valenciennes offered a strong natural defensive landscape where the Germans could slow their enemy’s advance. This would be where the Canadians would fight […]
The Canadians and the Fall of Cambrai
Following their success at the Canal du Nord, the Canadian Corps could now turn their attention to Cambrai. Situated in the Nord-Pas de Calais region, Cambrai was a key logistical centre that was surrounded by an elaborate network of canals. The area was heavily occupied by a retreating German army who showed no signs of […]
Crossing the Canal du Nord: the ‘linchpin’ of the Hindenburg Line
After crashing the Drocourt-Quéant Line on 2 September, the Canadian Corps could take a well-deserved rest and begin preparations for their next obstacle: The Canal du Nord. While allied forces continued their operations throughout September, Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Currie needed to develop a strategy to cross the heavily fortified canal where enemy positions were […]
The “Back-Bone” of German Resistance: Advance near Arras and the Breaking of the Drocourt-Quéant Line
Following a successful victory at Amiens, the Canadian Corps now turned its attention towards the northern hinge of the heavily fortified Hindenburg Line, the Drocourt-Quéant Line. Unlike Amiens, where Canadians could rely on the element of surprise and an ill-prepared German defense, the Arras sector, and more specifically, the D-Q Line, was fully manned and […]
The Beginning of the End: Canadians at Amiens
August 8th marked the centenary of what came to be known as the “last hundred days”, a string of Allied offensives that eventually led to the demise of the German Army and the signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918.
Listening to 1918: Popular Songs on Canada’s Home Front
As we commemorate the centenary of the First World War’s final year and attempt to better understand Canadian wartime views and experiences, music offers us a way of ‘hearing’ the past. The lyrics, music, and cover art of popular songs reflected the changing attitudes of Anglo-Canadians on the home front between 1914 and 1918. In […]
