The Battle of Passchendaele

What happened

The Third Battle of Ypres, known as Passchendaele, was a British offensive that aimed to break out of the Ypres salient. Heavy rain turned the battlefield into a sea of mud; over more than three months the Allies advanced about five miles at a cost of some 250,000 casualties.

Why it matters

Passchendaele became a byword for the futility and horror of the war, its muddy wasteland shaping enduring perceptions of the Western Front.

Sources

• Imperial War Museums. The Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) · Reputable source