Between the 7th and 29th of April 1918, the Fourth Battle of Ypres – also known as the Battle of the Lys – took place on the Western Front. The First World War had been ongoing for almost four years, and German forces hoped to finally push the British back to the sea. This would involve punching past the British First Army, driving the Second Army towards the north, and surging on towards the English Channel.
With America now in the war, Germany knew that US troop numbers in Europe would only increase from now on. In an effort to beat the Allies back before the Americans could turn the tide of the conflict, Germany launched their offensive.
As the Fourth Battle of Ypres raged on, it looked as though the German troops might be successful too. Things were looking grim for the British forces, and when their pleas for reinforcements were initially denied, Field Marshal Haig issued his famous order, “With our backs to the wall, and believing in the justice of our cause, each of us must fight on to the end.”
However, reinforcements finally did arrive to bolster the Allied military. Then a further influx of American soldiers gave the British forces a much-needed boost, and Germany’s hopes of victory began to dwindle. Having sustained massive casualties and without the necessary reserves to replenish their own ranks, the offensive ended in a defeat for the Germans.
In this video, the British army’s battle against the German forces has been meticulously recreated in Lego bricks and figures. The YouTube channel behind the video, Snooperking, posts a wide range of historical and military-related videos, most of which involve remarkable Lego stop-motion animation. Complete with sound effects, voice actors and stirring music, this video and the creators behind it are well worth a look.
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