Passchendaele Consequences

The Battle of Passchendaele, or the Third Battle of Ypres, was a campaign fought in World War I by the Allies, namely the British Empire and France, and Germany. The campaign began on 31 July 1917, lasting until 6 November of that year, when Passchendaele fell to the Allies. Its impetus can be found in the long-term background preceding it, such as the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the alliance system, the Schlieffen Plan, and trench warfare which resulted in a war of attrition; as well as the short-term background, such as the Battle of the Somme and subsequent pressure from the War Cabinet, and the successes at Messines Ridge and Gravenstafel Spur. The Battle of Passchendaele has also created many dramatic consequences that are significant to New Zealand. Three consequences of the most relevance to New Zealand are the impact on the soldiers during and after the Battle, the impact on the homefront, and the birth of …show more content…
These consequences happened as a result of both the long-term background preceding the Battle of Passchendaele, such as the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the alliance system and trench warfare; and the short-term background, such as the failures at the Somme, and the advancements at Messines Ridge and Gravenstafel Spur. These consequences affected the single soldier, and how the Battle of Passchendaele affected their lives during and after the Battle of Passchendaele – if they even made it out alive. It also affected the family and the wider community, as the Battle of Passchendaele caused many families to grieve immensely about their lost loved ones. Finally, the great loss of life in Passchendaele impacted New Zealand as a nation, and people could unite under a common goal – to ensure that a tragedy to this degree will never happen again, and that a catastrophe like the Battle of Passchendaele is condemned to the history