Introduction Of The First World War

World War 1 (1914-1918) was the first official war that Australians took part in, only thirteen years after federating as a country in 1901. During this time, thousands of lives were lost, families were torn apart, and friends were never seen again. April 25th became the national day to commemorate the ANZAC soldiers who had served overseas. Even now, 100 years later, people still remember those who sacrificed themselves for Australia, those who fought and fell in many battles to protect the country they lived in. The Gallipoli Campaign is the most famous battle of World War 1, the battle that every Australian household knows about. However, other battles such as the ones on the

World War One is regarded as a major turning point in history and modern warfare which has impacted Australia monumentally, scarring the nation’s history. Australia played a significant role in World War One and the Gallipoli campaign, which is considered the birthplace of the ANZAC legend. These events have immensely shaped Australia as the nation we know of today. World War One began in 1914 from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and ended in 1918 on November the 11th which is now recognised as a day of mourning and a time given recognition to the lives taken on the battlefield. To a prominent extent, the ANZAC legend is significant to the concept of Australian identity and nationalism through the origins of the ANZAC legend, the key events that have helped form Australia as an independent nation, and in addition to how ANZAC day is commemorated today.

Last year, on the 25th of April was the centenary of the Gallipoli landing. Which, according to the Australian Defence force website, was to be for Australians, “one of the most significant commemorations to take place during their lifetime.” With the centenary looming in the backs of the minds of the Australian people, it is unsurprising that great pains have been taken to construct a three year long celebration that would “encompass a number of historical milestones on Australia 's involvement in conflicts”, such as both World Wars, Korea and Vietnam.

The Western Front, while the main focus of combat in WW1, many Australians ignore this part of the war, as they focus more on the Gallipoli campaign and its legend. However with the centenary of the First World War here, many people have begun to realise that Australia was involved in other theatres of the war, and not just Gallipoli. The focus of this essay will be on the Events leading up to Australia’s involvement, the weapons of the western front, life in the trenches, trench warfare, The Battle of Fromelles and the End of the war.

World War one, or ‘The Great war’ first started in late June 1914, when Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated causing threats to start the war by mid August. This was a chance to introduce the world to modernised weaponry such as gas bombs, machine guns and tanks. Australia has always been known as the country where anything goes. Where we enjoy gathering together to enjoy all of Australia’s achievements. That was no different in 1914. Australia was thrilled with the idea of going to war, we wanted the chance to show the world what we could give. Even though Australia had no choice in matter of going to war as it was already arranged. Gallipoli is known as a successful failure

On the 25th of April 1915, Australia took its first major step as a nation by sending soldiers off to fight in Gallipoli; these soldiers charged and fought their way through countless challenges, forging themselves a legend, but more importantly – forging Australia an identity. As time sparks controversy and scepticism, many begin to doubt the validity of the ANZAC legend. This opinion however, is unmistakably inaccurate as many diverse and credible sources document the ANZACS battle against their trials and tribulations as being heroic. The ANZACs endurance, mateship and courage are undoubtedly an accurate depiction of the ANZAC legend.

The ANZAC spirit was born on the twenty-fifth of April 1915, on this day Australian soldiers landed upon the shores of Gallipoli to serve their country for the first time in war. Each year Australians celebrate the mateship, courage and heroism the ANZAC soldiers showed on that day. Although, people tend to depict these soldiers as victims of a catastrophic trauma, yet this passionate sacrifice is what gave Australia its name. Furthermore, there is word of discussion about the truth behind the accuracy of the ANZAC legend. Evidence demonstrates that the ANZAC legend is an accurate portrayal of what occurred the day the ANZAC’S landed in Gallipoli. The legend of mateship, heroism, courage and bravery is an accurate representation of the fighting Australian and New Zealand soldiers in world war one.

Additionally, the Australians began to commemorate the events that occurred in Gallipoli. The pride in the Australian soldiers was strengthened due to the Australian troops fighting on the Western Front. Commemorations to show reverence continues to be held for the 63 163 Australians who were killed in the war and also for the surviving soldiers. Today and in the future, there needs to be a shared focus on both the Gallipoli and Western Front campaigns in these commemorations as the Australian soldiers who fought dauntlessly, endured the hardships and sacrificed themselves had a vital role to play in the victory of the Allies in the war and the freedom of Australia

As the centenary of World War One moves into hyper-drive following this week’s declaration and in the lead up to Anzac Day 2015, it is vital for today’s Australians to understand what occurred at places such as The Nek, the incredible stupidity of the top brass and the crazy bravery of the young men who carried out their murderous orders. Peter Weir’s wonderful film Gallipoli captures the essence of both and should be required viewing for all

The Home Front is often overlooked when discussing the impact of World War One (WWI), as the impact is often less glorified when compared to the bloodshed of the battlefields. This exhibition looks at life in Australia during WWI and explores the experiences of those away from the actual fighting who are at home. By extensively using primary sources and brief profiles of both notable and everyday Australians during WWI, the exhibit gives a holistic view on life in Australia during the Great War. The exhibit focuses on the themes of the initial excitement of those in Australia when the war began, technology advancements, how the public received news of the war and their reaction to it, as well as the sense of growing disillusionment that developed as the war progressed. It comprehensively looks at these experiences and emotions and describes them with clarity.

‘Australians at War’ a documentary made by the Australian War Memorial in Canberra designed to teach individuals on the involvement of ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) in World War 1. It follows why the notion of sending Australian troops to help the allied effort in war was widely supported and follows the ordeals of ANZAC troops through training in Egypt, being sent to Gallipoli as part of a horrendous tactical failure, the evacuation of ANZAC troops and the relocation of them to the Western Front. The episode used many primary sources such as first hand accounts of the soldiers who were present in Gallipoli, as well memories from those who were in Australia that faced the reality of the ‘home’ front.

Following federation in 1901, Australia found an opportunity to establish its domestic and international identity in World War One. Although the initial premise for the nation 's involvement was British imperialism (7), friction between the British and Australian forces soon led to a more self-assured Australian collectivity. Britain was no longer the perfect mother country, but suddenly seemed too formal and somewhat less competent on the battlefield. Australian identity, filtering down from the soldiers, resorted to outback culture, “mateship” and “fair go” mentality in response to perceived British shortcomings (9 and 16a). While the general public 's loyalty remained largely dual for some time after, arguably to this day, the postcard photo of Gallipoli with the

World War I (1914-1918) was considered the 'Great War' and Australia’s Gallipoli campaign has always been considered as the pinnacle of the Australian military feats. This is due to the constant glorification of the event despite the fact it was an unmitigated failure. However, the work of the Australian army force in the most important battleground of WW1 the 'Western Front' is often cast under the shadow of Gallipoli. The battles on the Western Front took place in France, Belgium and parts of Germany and this is where some of the most pivotal battles were fought. The contribution and success of the Australians will be assessed through the analysis of several sources related to four major contributions related to the Western Front. These include the amount of Australians involved, the external opinions of Australia in the Western front, The Battle of

WWI was an extremely important factor in Australia's history and it has affected everything since it happened. More specifically, the battle of Gallipoli has been made into one of the most significant battles in Australian history. However, the battle of the Somme does not get as much recognition as it deserves. The battle of the Somme is as significant and relevant as Gallipoli because Australian soldiers also participated in the battle, risking and losing their lives to protect what Australian and the Allies believed was right. This essay will prove why the Somme is just as important.

The Anzacs, Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, forged Australia’s national identity when on 25 April 1915, they sacrificed their lives gallantly in Gallipoli (Black 1990:33). Many of the values and virtues characteristic of this troop, are embodied in the sacredness of Australia’s civil religion (eds. Robbins & Robertson 1987:244). Mateship, egalitarian individualism, and hostility to formal bureaucracy and hierarchy are hallmark of the beliefs the nation holds sacred, in conjunction with elaborate war memorials that serve as architectural reminders, totems, of comradeship, ruggedness and sacrifice (eds. Robbins & Robertson 1987:244). RSL, Returned Servicemen’s League, clubs established throughout the nation are temples where fellowship and communion are enjoyed and tradition is perpetuated through the transmission of legend and folklore (Alpert 1993:200-1; eds. Robbins & Robertson 1987:244). The establishment of Australia’s civil religion was solidified when on 20 October 1916, the War Precautions Act was proclaimed, forbidding the use of the word Anzac in the profane and penalising any person who did so with a fine of one hundred pounds or six months imprisonment (Seal 2007:136-7). Enshrining the term ‘Anzac’ in law and imbuing it with a special status, further established it as sacred, resulting in Anzac Day being accepted in 1930 as a