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First Battle of Ypres: Quick Facts

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Facts

Date October 19, 1914 - November 22, 1914
Location Belgium • Flanders • Ypres
Participants British Expeditionary Force • France • Germany • United Kingdom
Context World War I

Photos

Map of Belgium and surrounding countries highlighting the location of Ypres in the western part of Belgium near the border with France. Neighboring countries France, Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg are labeled, with the North Sea to the northwest. An inset map in the bottom left shows Belgium's position within Europe.
Map showing the region of northern France and Belgium during World War I, highlighting the First Battle of the Marne. The map marks the maximum German advance in September 1914 with a dashed red line, troop movements with solid red arrows, and the front line for winter 1914-15. Areas controlled by the Allies are shaded in orange, Central Powers in purple, and neutral countries in green. Paris and key rivers such as the Marne, Aisne, and Seine are labeled, with the German advance stopping just ea
Joseph-Jacques-Césaire Joffre
Erich von Falkenhayn
Antique map from 1902 showing the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg with detailed borders, cities, and rivers. Insets in the upper left corner provide enlarged street layouts of Amsterdam and Brussels. The map uses fine lines and shading to distinguish regions and features period place names.
Ferdinand Foch seated in military uniform with a decorated kepi hat, displaying medals and a prominent mustache.
Albert I, King of Belgium, in a formal military uniform with decorative buttons and shoulder braid, facing forward in a black-and-white portrait.
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Topics
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Timeline

Historical map of the Eastern Front during World War I from 1914 to 1918, showing the farthest Russian advance in 1914, the Gallipoli campaign in 1915, the front at the time of the Russian Revolution in 1917, and the farthest Austro-German advance in 1918. The map shows Eastern Europe, including Germany, Austria-Hungary, western Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, and northern Turkey, with key cities and front lines marked.
Eastern Front
1914 - 1918
British Cavalry at the Battle of Mons
Battle of the Frontiers
August 4, 1914 - September 6, 1914
default image
Battle of Morhange-Sarrebourg
August 20, 1914 - August 22, 1914
Map of the Western Front during World War I from 1914 to 1918, showing northern France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and western Germany. Colored lines indicate the farthest German advance in September 1914, the front line at the beginning of 1915, German and Allied offensives, and the armistice line of 1918. Major cities such as Paris, Brussels, and Verdun, as well as key rivers and geographic features, are labeled.
Battle of Mons
August 23, 1914
Thousands of Russian prisoners of war stand in long, winding lines outdoors near buildings and trees after the Battle of Augustov in World War I.
Battle of Tannenberg
August 26, 1914 - August 30, 1914
French infantry soldiers in helmets and long coats walk through a barren, fortified trench landscape at the Marne during World War I.
First Battle of the Marne
September 6, 1914 - September 12, 1914
Ypres, Belgium
First Battle of Ypres
October 19, 1914 - November 22, 1914
default image
Battle of Tanga
November 2, 1914 - November 5, 1914
Falkland Islands
Battle of the Falkland Islands
December 8, 1914
Christmas Truce
Christmas Truce
December 24, 1914 - December 25, 1914
default image
battle of Gallipoli
1915
Baltic and North seas and the English Channel
Battle of Dogger Bank
January 24, 1915
Large groups of Allied soldiers gather along the shore and hillsides at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli Peninsula, with boats and piers visible in the water during the 1915 Gallipoli campaign.
Gallipoli Campaign
February 16, 1915 - January 9, 1916
The Dardanelles
naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign
February 19, 1915 - March 18, 1915
Gas masks at the Second Battle of Ypres
Second Battle of Ypres
April 22, 1915 - May 25, 1915
French soldiers in uniform rest and eat on a grassy field behind the front lines during the Battle of Verdun in World War I, with gear and rifles stacked nearby.
Battle of Verdun
February 21, 1916 - December 18, 1916
Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
May 31, 1916 - June 1, 1916
Three soldiers in World War I uniforms and helmets operate a St. Etienne machine gun in a trench at the Somme.
First Battle of the Somme
July 1, 1916 - November 13, 1916
default image
Battle of Arras
April 9, 1917 - May 17, 1917
World War I soldiers walk through muddy, debris-strewn ruins with the damaged Cloth Hall of Ypres, Belgium, standing in the background under a cloudy sky.
Battle of Passchendaele
July 31, 1917 - November 6, 1917
Cadorna, Luigi
Battle of Caporetto
October 24, 1917 - December 19, 1917
default image
Battle of Gaza
November 1917
tank in the Battle of Cambrai
Battle of Cambrai
November 20, 1917 - December 8, 1917
German Prisoners at Belleau Wood
Battle of Belleau Wood
June 1, 1918 - June 26, 1918
default image
Battle of Amiens
August 8, 1918 - August 11, 1918
John J. Pershing
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
September 12, 1918 - September 16, 1918
World War I: British army
Battle of Cambrai
September 27, 1918 - October 11, 1918
default image
Battle of Mons
November 11, 1918

Key People

Ferdinand Foch
Ferdinand Foch
marshal of France
Joseph-Jacques-Césaire Joffre
Joseph-Jacques-Césaire Joffre
French general
Erich von Falkenhayn
Erich von Falkenhayn
German general
Portrait of Albert I in military uniform, shown in profile facing left, with a high-collared jacket and shoulder strap.
Albert I
king of Belgium
default image
Sir George Arthur French
British soldier

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