First World War
The First World War of 1914–1918 was the bloodiest conflict in Canadian history, taking the lives of more than 60,000 Canadians. This collection brings together a number of our resources on the First World War.
Image above: Canadians soldiers advancing through German wire entanglements at Vimy Ridge. April, 1917. Canadian Department of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada/PA-001087.
![Canadian soldiers at Vimy in German wire entanglements](https://d14fiu1i7ba797.cloudfront.net/720x439/media/media/a9aa6aaf-406d-4a4d-89a3-95d86d7359ca.jpg)
Featured Articles
The Somme
Editorial![](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/images/tce_placeholder.jpg?v=e9dca980c9bdb3aa11e832e7ea94f5d9)
Timelines
![WWI-Vimy-troops in wire](https://d14fiu1i7ba797.cloudfront.net/720x439/media/media/49ecd1bd-bb99-4a20-8dc8-7278c9a5518c.jpg)
First World War Timeline
The First World War of 1914–1918 was the bloodiest conflict in Canadian history, taking the lives of more than 60,000 Canadians. It erased romantic notions of war, introducing slaughter on a massive scale, and instilled a fear of foreign military involvement that would last until the Second World War.
Education Guides
Think Like a Historian: Introduction to Vimy
Education Guide![](https://d14fiu1i7ba797.cloudfront.net/340x207/media/study_guide_img/Vimy-thumb.jpg)
Passchendaele Education Guide
Education Guide![](https://d14fiu1i7ba797.cloudfront.net/340x207/media/studyguides/thumbnails/Image.jpg)
First World War Education Guide
Education Guide![](https://d14fiu1i7ba797.cloudfront.net/340x207/media/study_guide_img/WWI.jpg)
Think Like a Historian: Vimy in Pictures
Education Guide![](https://d14fiu1i7ba797.cloudfront.net/340x207/media/study_guide_img/Vimy-thumb.jpg)
Think Like a Historian: Vimy in Letters
Education Guide![](https://d14fiu1i7ba797.cloudfront.net/340x207/media/study_guide_img/Vimy-thumb.jpg)
Think Like a Historian: The Halifax Explosion
Education Guide![](https://d14fiu1i7ba797.cloudfront.net/340x207/feature-img-thumbnails/Dl3Y36oU8AAS5IJ-1.jpg)
Think Like a Historian: Vimy in Newspapers
Education Guide![](https://d14fiu1i7ba797.cloudfront.net/340x207/media/study_guide_img/Vimy-thumb.jpg)
Canadian Military Innovations Learning Tool
Education Guide![](https://d14fiu1i7ba797.cloudfront.net/340x207/media/study_guide_img/ca-mil-inv-thumb.jpg)
Think Like a Historian: The Last Hundred Days
Education Guide![](https://d14fiu1i7ba797.cloudfront.net/340x207/media/education_guides/TLAH - 100 days thumb.jpg)
Primary Sources
Halifax Explosion Map
Primary SourceYpres Salient, 1917
Primary Source![Map Showing Progress in the Ypres Area](https://d14fiu1i7ba797.cloudfront.net/340x207/media/primarysources/Third-Ypres-Map-Showing-Progress-in-the-Ypres-Area.jpg)
Gallery
![Vimy Monument Vimy Monument](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/162485bf-95f4-4d5c-a699-2dec659d831e.jpg)
![Vimy Monument Vimy Monument](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/bdea7782-d512-44b8-b35e-197ef2b3a632.jpg)
![Nurse with wounded soldiers Nurse with wounded soldiers](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/0222ec7c-1784-41e6-b8cb-59af04236a11.jpg)
![Nursing Sisters Nursing Sisters](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/271eb18d-51cb-46d8-b660-42a54e9557c5.jpg)
![Wounded at the Somme Wounded at the Somme](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/ab825c2a-5eff-4aa3-99c1-f7805e3e5c34.jpg)
![Nursing Sisters, 1917 Nursing Sisters, 1917](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/51079001-dcca-4126-9416-d7ded26b6ce7.jpg)
![Two Black soldiers washing their clothing Two Black soldiers washing their clothing](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/af2cf781-9a64-49d3-ba90-98bccc45ae5a.jpg)
![Loading Ammunition Loading Ammunition](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/6421f56d-9180-4137-ad07-62e0a47e8141.jpg)
![Tumpline, First World War Tumpline, First World War](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/2d3b89f7-3e0f-42e2-a430-b16ea8bc871e.jpg)
![Second Battle of Ypres Second Battle of Ypres](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/0a50f338-3fb0-4dd9-9690-26782d9cceb4.jpg)
![Vimy Ridge Vimy Ridge](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/d1177985-fd10-4407-9251-d2f1b59aa39b.jpg)
![A Canadian soldier looking through the south entrance of the Cathedral in Ypres, 1917. A Canadian soldier looking through the south entrance of the Cathedral in Ypres, 1917.](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/058c883f-1736-494a-8864-c585ede9924d.jpg)
![WWI-Vimy-troops in wire WWI-Vimy-troops in wire](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/49ecd1bd-bb99-4a20-8dc8-7278c9a5518c.jpg)
![Canadian soldiers, Battle of Somme Canadian soldiers, Battle of Somme](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/ed77f4a4-5583-4a70-9d8a-02cb5e539309.jpg)
![Howitzer-Battle of Somme Howitzer-Battle of Somme](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/a9f22b9a-dcd7-411c-ac5e-03fa016dc09f.jpg)
![W.A. Bishop W.A. Bishop](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/14a89f72-4f49-49ef-a20a-6f0d5a1fe13b.jpg)
![Cdn. soldiers returning from Vimy Ridge Cdn. soldiers returning from Vimy Ridge](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/11751af0-ec83-4753-8f2b-bb38ed576b7f.jpg)
![Houses of Ypres Houses of Ypres](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/df0d7820-063b-443b-b82a-f67dad7deea0.jpg)
![Cathedral in Ypres, 1918. Cathedral in Ypres, 1918.](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/94e1a30d-9ac5-4e40-a9e9-b7400b6a0fd8.jpg)
![Battle of Amiens Battle of Amiens](https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/b4869e5c-53bc-48be-9395-05c3946e913a.jpg)
Videos
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