World War I - The Great War Tour - The Master of War

Good morning, we are working through the series The Great War Tour with Norm Christie.  This is a series exploring the Great War from the Canadian perspective.  So far reviewing this series has been a mixed bag.  The first episode was not all that great and the second episode had a bounce back.  The run time for this episode is 51:24 and is called Master of War.

Norm Christie introduces us to Arthur Currie, he was a Canadian General during the Great War.  However, he is a soldier whom history has largely forgotten.  Christie starts his journey exploring Sir Arthur Currie in Strathroy, Ontario, and the Currie homestead.  The house is in rough shape, but this was a house that Currie would have grown up in.  His grandparents immigrated to Canada from Ireland and were the original pioneers in Strathroy, Ontario.  He was born in the house.

Currie’s life changed when his father died.  He could not go to university and he moved to British Columbia.  He taught but could never make enough money.  He had a variety of careers and he joined the militia.  He was a good officer and had a natural affinity for war.  He rose in the ranks quickly.  In 1914, he was sent to Europe to fight in the Great War.

Christie then travels to Ypres, Belgium.  The Allies wanted to keep control of Ypres because they would have lost control of the ports if they did not.  Currie found himself in charge of a Canadian infantry division.  Currie inspected his entrenchments and did not like what he saw.  He ordered his men to dig in and improve the trenches.  He noticed the landscape around him and saw a ridge.  He inspected it and ordered a defensive position created on the ridge.  This would enable the Canadians to have a fallback position.

When the German attack came at Ypres, they launched a gas attack on the French.  The French soldiers retreated and then the Germans launched an attack against the Canadians.  They used both gas and infantry.  The fallback position Currie had created saved the Canadians and they were able to repel the German attack.  Christie continues his exploration of Arthur Currie.

Currie was eventually given command of the first division of the Canadian soldiers which he considered a great honor.  Soon he would find himself at the Somme and it was here that he could get a taste of British Generalship.  Currie discovered that there was no preparation for the attack.  The barbed wire was not cut and Currie complained to the British officers about it.  The British generals ordered the attack to press on.  Christie explores the graves of the Canadian soldiers that were killed at the Somme.

Currie and the Canadian Soldiers were demoralized by the losses at the Somme.  Currie was going to change things when it came to Vimy Ridge.  Vimy Ridge would be a challenge because the Germans were a formidable force here.  Currie and another Canadian general carefully planned the attack at Vimy Ridge.  Both had developed a healthy dislike of the British Generals because of their impetuousness.  Vimy Ridge would be different and everything would be carefully planned.  The Canadians were planning for success.

As a result of his actions and success at Vimy, Currie was soon in charge of all the Canadian divisions.  He would lead his troops to Passchendaele.  I think readers should recall that the battle of Passchendaele was mentioned in Downton Abbey.  It was here that Currie refused to drive his soldiers into that battle.  He stood up for his men against the British generals.  What would change Currie’s mind about taking part in the Battle of Passchendaele?  Tune into the rest of this episode to find out more.

My mind is slowly being changed as I continue to watch this series.  Christie provides an interesting perspective on the Great War because history normally focuses on the British and Germans and then the Americans.  This episode was interspersed with excerpts from Sir Arthur Currie’s memoirs which provided a nice touch in this episode.  If I recall rightly, we did learn about some Canadian history in 7th Grade at my elementary school.  I am not sure what the curriculum looks like now, but this documentary has the potential to be shown in that class.