The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders (), was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium in October and November 1914. The German and Western Allied attempts to secure the town from enemy occupation included a series of further battles in and around the West Flanders Belgian municipality. The battle completed the entrenchments of the "race to the sea" and inaugurated the static western front. Mobile operations would not resume until 1918.
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| - The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders (), was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium in October and November 1914. The German and Western Allied attempts to secure the town from enemy occupation included a series of further battles in and around the West Flanders Belgian municipality. The battle completed the entrenchments of the "race to the sea" and inaugurated the static western front. Mobile operations would not resume until 1918.
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| Strength
| - 5400000(xsd:integer)
- Belgian Army: c. 247,000
- British Army: 163,897 men
- French Army: 3,989,103
- Total strength: 4,400,000
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| Partof
| - the Race to the Sea on the Western Front of the First World War
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| Date
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| Commander
| - Erich von Falkenhayn
- Joseph Joffre
- Ferdinand Foch
- Albert I of Belgium
- Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg
- Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria
- John French
- Alexander von Linsingen
- Gustav Hermann Karl Max von Fabeck
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| Caption
| - The frontline at the beginning of "First Ypres"
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| Casualties
| - 7960(xsd:integer)
- 17873(xsd:integer)
- 19530(xsd:integer)
- 21562(xsd:integer)
- 29562(xsd:integer)
- 31265(xsd:integer)
- 50000(xsd:integer)
- 83520(xsd:integer)
- dbkwik:resource/bBo_8eNRY915i-dlA7Ev6Q==
- British Army:
- French Army:
- Total: 134,315
- Total:126,957-161,957
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| Result
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| combatant
| - France
- German Empire
- Belgium
- United Kingdom
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| abstract
| - The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders (), was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium in October and November 1914. The German and Western Allied attempts to secure the town from enemy occupation included a series of further battles in and around the West Flanders Belgian municipality. The strategy of both the Allied and German armies is not entirely clear. The accepted and mainstream reasoning for the Ypres battle was the British desire to secure the English Channel ports and the British Army's supply lines; Ypres was the last major obstacle to the German advance on Boulogne-sur-Mer and Calais. The French strategy revolved around a desire to prevent German forces from outflanking the Allied front from the north. This was the last major German option, after their defeats at the First Battle of the Aisne and First Battle of the Marne. The Ypres campaign became the culmination point of the Race to the Sea. The opposing armies both engaged in offensive operations until the major German offensive occurred in mid-October, which forced the Allies onto the strategic defensive and limited to counter-attacks. The battle highlighted problems in command and control for both sides, with each side missing opportunities to win a significant decision early on. The Germans in particular overestimated the numbers and strength of the Allied defences at Ypres, and called off their last offensive too early. The battle was also significant as it witnessed the destruction of the highly experienced and trained British regular army. Having suffered enormous losses for its small size, "The Old Contemptibles" disappeared, to be replaced by fresh reserves which eventually turned into a mass conscripted army to match its allies and enemies. The result was a victory for the Allies, although losses were particularly heavy on both sides. The battle was called "The Massacre of the Innocents of Ypres" but only 30% of the German casualties were young and inexperienced reserves, partly volunteers from German colleges and universities. 70% were active soldiers and older members of the Landwehr and reserve.
* As an example: the „Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 211“ had:
* 166 men in active service
* 299 members of the reserve (former soldiers out of active service and between 23 and 28 years old)
* 970 volunteers (inexperienced - ages probably between 18 and 20 years )
* 1499 members of the Landwehr (former soldiers released from the reserve into the Landwehr and thus between 28 and 39 years old)
* 1 Ersatzreservist (enrolled, but still inexperienced) The battle completed the entrenchments of the "race to the sea" and inaugurated the static western front. Mobile operations would not resume until 1918.
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