The last 100 days

Canadian War Museum exhibition commemorates 100th anniversary of crucial period which led to Allied victory

The Hundred Days campaign - August 8 to November 11, 1918 - contributed decisively to ending the First World War where Canada played a major role in forcing Germany to sign the Armistice.

One hundred years later, the Canadian War Museum commemorates the First World War Centenary with Victory 1918 – The Last 100 Days.

The exhibition is an exploration of the critical role the Canadian Corps played in the series of battles that led to the Allied victory.

“Many historians consider the battles of the Hundred Days campaign to be some of the greatest victories of the First World War,” said Mark O’Neill, President and CEO of the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of History.

“Victory 1918 sheds light on the important role played by Canadians in the final days of the war, along with the triumphs and terrible costs that continue to reverberate 100 years later.”

Curated by Dr. Tim Cook and Dr. Jack Granatstein, two of Canada’s best-known military historians, this new exhibition weaves artworks, artifacts, documents, film and photographs together with the powerful stories of Canadians who participated in this costly combat.

Visitors will follow the Canadian Corps through a chronological series of battles in France: Amiens (August 8 to 11), Arras (August 26 to September 2), Cambrai (September 27 to October 9), and the final drive ending in Mons, Belgium (October 10 to November 11). The final section explores the soldiers’ return to Canada and the legacy of the war.

The exhibition also includes educational programming in the Eaton Activity Hub, where visitors are invited to explore the evolution and success of military tactics through interactive elements and guided activities.

Each battle is presented through personal artifacts, evocative reconstructions, compelling images and archival footage. Newly colourized photographs and archival films, along with compelling audiovisuals and soundscapes, bring fresh life to the faces of war.

GEORGE METCALF ARCHIVAL COLLECTION CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM With the deep Canadian advance, ammunition and supplies were delayed in arriving at the front, which led to a slow attack, as shown in this attack at Amiens, August 1918.

GEORGE METCALF ARCHIVAL COLLECTION, CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM. IMAGE COLOURIZED BY CANADIAN COLOUR Canadian soldiers pose with captured German tank.

GEORGE METCALF ARCHIVAL COLLECTION, CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM. IMAGE COLOURIZED BY CANADIAN COLOUR General Mewburn and Lieutenant-General Currie with marching soldiers, August 1918.

GEORGE METCALF ARCHIVAL COLLECTION, CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM. IMAGE COLOURIZED BY CANADIAN COLOUR By 1918, the Canadian Corps had developed a robust engineering capacity to support the infantry. Twelve engineering battalions built roads and bridges, found water supplies and cleared enemy-laid explosives. The attack at the Canal du Nord could not have succeeded without the bridges that allowed artillery and tanks to cross the divide.