The details behind Ypres--synonymous with the destruction, trench
warfare, poison gas, and military stalemate of WW1
Through narrative, eyewitness accounts, and images, this book explores
the first and second battles of Ypres. A medieval town known for its
textiles, Ypres became infamous during the Great War with trench
warfare, poison gas, and many thousands of casualties. As the German
Army advanced through Belgium, it failed to take the Ypres Salient. On
October 13, 1914, German troops entered Ypres. On looting the city, they
retreated as the British Expeditionary Force advanced. On November 22,
1914, the Germans commenced a huge artillery barrage, killing many
civilians. In 1917, the Third Battle of Ypres commenced making it an
exceptionally dangerous place to live. In 1918, a German major offensive
was launched, but the British held firm. Ypres was finally safe in late
September 1918 when German troops withdrew from the Salient. Today, the
battlefields of Ypres contain the resting place of thousands of German
and British soldiers.