Baptism of Fire: The Second Battle of Ypres and the Forging of Canada, April 1915 (review)

Canadians today invariably point to the capture of Vimy Ridge, in April 1917, as the nation's most significant accomplishment during the First World War. Although typically knowing few of its details, or debates as to its relative importance to the Allied cause, the belief remains widespread among Canadians (though with good reason) that the victory at Vimy was a magnificent feat of arms and a milestone in the country's coming of age. The second Battle of Ypres, fought two years earlier, had also long held such iconic status. Reflecting that spirit, in Baptism of Fire historian Nathan Greenfield conveys how green Canadian troops, refusing to yield to more numerous enemies and the first use of poison gas during the war, 'saved the day' by preventing a major German breakthrough that could have changed the course of the Great War.

Greenfield's goal is to provide a straightforward and comprehensive account of this momentous clash. To do so, he mined battalion and personal war diaries, orders and plans, letters and newspapers, and secondary literature touching upon this battle. Although the themes he advances are well known to historians and his approach harks back to a traditional 'shot and shell' genre, he accomplishes a remarkable feat of historical reconstruction by detailing – often hour by hour – five days of intense fighting that involved scores of battalions. Much of that story is presented from the worm's eye perspective, as Greenfield wants readers to understand the hardships, sacrifices, and many – but now typically long forgotten – acts of heroism by Canadians on the battlefield. Although the details he presents can overwhelm at points, readers are rewarded with a deep understanding of why events unfolded as they did and the enormity of what untested Canadian troops accomplished.

Greenfield shows how even the most carefully constructed plans were frequently swept aside by the sheer chaos of battle, that revamped tactics were often based upon incomplete information as communications regularly broke down, and that those in the thick of things – in the fog of war – knew virtually nothing beyond their immediate surroundings. He deftly dispels many shibboleths that still resonate about the First World War, such as by showing that commanders, though making mistakes, were by no means all bumbling Colonel Blimps; that even at this early stage of the conflict, men did not always slowly advance in linear, close, and suicidal formations; and that battle exhaustion, or shell shock, while certainly evident, incapacitated only a minority of men. A gifted storyteller, he often provides poignant vignettes, like that of a woman carrying the headless corpse of her baby to symbolize the utter sorrow and desperation among refugees fleeing from Ypres. The photographs he includes enrich the story, such as that juxtaposing pre- and post-battle Ypres, and maps that he uses to preface most chapters help the reader better understand the course of battle.

While succeeding in piecing together myriad details to produce a compelling story, Greenfield commits a couple of noteworthy factual errors, such as presenting 28 August 1914 as the beginning of the war, and 66,000 casualties as Canada's total losses in the First World War. Greenfield's strong focus on the human costs the conflict – like the devastation of several units and the grisly manner in which many men met their death – arguably glosses over the fact that two-thirds of the Canadians who participated in this clash did not become casualties. More attention could have been devoted to the home front than the brief discussion in the book's last ten pages on the national pride generated by Canada's role in halting this German advance. Greenfield provides only scant information and assessment of critically important supporting military roles, such as the ability of ordinance services to adequately supply troops at Ypres and the medical services in coping with thousands of casualties, including many suffering from the gruesome and often deadly effects...