The Ypres Salient was a bulge in the front line during World War I, located around the Belgian town of Ypres. It was a key area of conflict between the Allied forces and the Central Powers from 1914 to 1918, marked by intense battles and heavy casualties. The salient was surrounded on three sides by enemy forces, making it a strategically vulnerable position. Major battles, including the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915 and the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, took place here, highlighting the brutal nature of trench warfare and the challenges faced by soldiers in this region.