World War I

The First War

What was it?

• A global war, centred in Europe• Began in 1914 and ended in 1918• More than 9 million people were killed• The war drew in the worlds top ‘players’

The ALLIES – UK, France, Russia VS The CENTRAL POWERS- Germany, Austria-Hungary

• The major powers expanded The Allies added Australia, Italy, Japan and the US

• The Central powers added Bulgaria

What caused it?• The concept of countries showing ‘Imperialism’ (Meaning when a

country shows their STRENGTH by taking over other countries or showing dominance in war)

• The immediate trigger which caused the war, was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo. (The aim of this assassination was to break the connections with Austria/Hungary and to create a ‘Greater Serbia’ or Yugoslavia) This set off a diplomatic crisis when Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia, and international alliances formed over the previous decades were invoked. Within weeks, the major powers were at war and the conflict soon spread around the world.

Where did the Aussies fight?

• You will need to write down on your sheet names of places that the Aussies fought

Where did the Aussies fight?• Gallipoli• The ANZAC forces, under the command of Lieutenant General William Birdwood, had

been based in Egypt due to of a lack of training and accommodation facilities in England. Later, these forces helped protect the Suez Canal following Turkey’s entry into war in October 1914. As fighting on the Western Front in France in late 1914 deteriorated into a stalemate, the British War Council suggested that Germany could best be defeated by attacks on her allies, Austria, Hungary and Turkey. Initially, the attack on Turkey was planned as a naval operation. However, following several abortive attempts to force the Dardanelles in February and March, the British Cabinet agreed that land forces could be used. A combined international force (the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force) was assembled under the command of British General Sir Ian Hamilton, and a three-pronged landing was planned to clear the Turkish defenders from the straits. Once the straits were clear, the allied fleet would steam into Constantinople where, it was believed, the threat of the fleet's guns would cause mass panic and force Turkey to surrender. At dawn on 25 April 1915, the ANZACs landed north of Gaba Tepe (the landing area later named Anzac Cove) while the British forces landed at Cape Helles on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Gallipoli• The campaign was a heroic but costly failure and by December plans

were drawn up to evacuate the entire force from Gallipoli. On 19 and 20 December, the evacuation of Anzac and Suvla was completed with the last British troops leaving Cape Helles by 8 January 1916. The entire operation evacuated 142 000 men with negligible casualties. Australian casualties for the Gallipoli campaign amounted to 26 111, comprising of 1007 officers and 25 104 other ranks. Of these, 362 officers and 7 779 men were killed in action, died of wounds or succumbed to disease. Nine Victoria Crosses were awarded to soldiers in Australian units. While the campaign is considered a military failure, Gallipoli became a household name in Australia and with it the ANZAC tradition was created. Gallipoli became the common tie forged in adversity that bound the colonies and people of Australia into a nation.

Western Front• Aussies were also found on the Western Front of France, with battles

occurring at Fromelles, where In six weeks of operations, the Australian divisions suffered approximately 28, 000 casualties. They fought in the trenches (Trench Warfare) in Bapaume

• On March and April 1918, the Australian Corps played a prominent part in the defence of Amiens, Hazebrouck and Villers-Bretonneux, during a massive German multi-pronged attack in France and Belguim known to history as the Kaiserschacht or the Spring Offensive. The German offensive was halted and the Allies mounted their own offensive from July. Following a successful Allied attack just east of Amiens in August, which featured the Australian and the Canadian Corps operating side by side, the Australians were engaged in a number of battles as the Allies drove the Germans back towards eventual defeat.

Western Front- The figures

• While the Australian Imperial Force strength in France varied in response to battle casualties and problems with recruiting, it never fell below 117 000 men. Its battle casualties for three years of trench warfare between 1916 and 1918 amounted to over 181 000 men of whom more than 46 000 died. Another 114 000 were wounded, 16 000 gassed and almost 4000 taken prisoner. In terms of total deaths per 1000 men mobilised, the Australian Imperial Force figure was 145 – the highest of all the British Commonwealth armies.

Sinai, Palestine and Syria• Participation in the initial battles of Gaza then followed. In August 1917, the Desert

Mounted Corps was formed, consisting of the ANZAC Mounted Division (3rd and 4th Light Horse and 5th Yeomanry Brigades) and the Yeomanry Division. The strategic town of Beersheba was captured on 31 October 1917 by the Light Horse in what is popularly, believed to be one of the last great cavalry charges in history, with the Lighthorsemen armed only with rifles and bayonets. The Corps also played a prominent part in the capture of Jerusalem in December 1917. Many of the British troops, including the Yeomanry Division, were withdrawn and redeployed to France to shore up Allied resistance to the German Spring Offensive in March 1918. Despite the loss of many experienced troops, the Corps defeated a determined attack by the German Asia Corps at Abu Tellul in April 1918. In September, the Corps played a significant role in the advance to Heifa and Semakh, entering Damascus on 1 October. Turkey signed an armistice at the end of that month, by which time Corps units had reached Aleppo. The total battle casualties for the Australian Imperial Force in this campaign were 416 officers and 4435 other ranks, with 96 officers and 1278 enlisted men dying from wounds and disease.

Somme

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Your task…

• Use the map you are given• Highlight using a pen the places/countries

Australia fought in• Research the LOSS of LIVES for each

place/battle