Australia's involvement
Britain declared war on Germany on the 4th of August 1914. Australia was a self governing dominion within the British empire. As they were within the British empire the Australian soldiers were automatically in the war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Britain only entered the war when Germany invaded Belgium to get to France. Britain was bound to protect Belgium because of the Treaty of London. This lead to Britain entering the war then Australia entered the war after that.
Australians viewed this with great enthusiasm, and many volunteers to enlist in the exciting war that was predicted to be finished by Christmas. Australia's population at the time was less than 5 million and 416,809 men enlisted to go to war. Out of the 416,809 men, over 60,000 were killed and 156,000 were either wounded, gassed or taken prisoner. Some reasons why there where so many men that enlisted war was one, that through out their education they had been prepared to fight. In Australian schools the teacher would emphasise on British heroism at such battles as Trafalgar, Waterloo, the Crimea, the Indian "Mutiny", and the Afghan, Zulu and Boer wars. The male children where also told to sacrifice themselves when the time came, to the imperial cause. Though this was not the other reason many men enlisted. Some historians believe that most of the early men that enlisted were roused by the sense of adventure. Enlisting in war was also seen as a way to get away from the normal life and the tedium of their workplace, it was a way to get to travel and see the world. Many men saw this as a way to prove "their manhood". After the 11th of August when active recruiting began, a campaign was created called "hatred of the enemy". This did encourage recruits to point out their motives in terms of anti-German hostility. Many men were pressured to go into the war because of their friends going into war. Even some women would shame the men to go into the war because of their lack of manliness. Even some men joined the war because of poverty. The enlistment of men in the war increased when wages froze and prices rapidly increased.
When men were accepted into the army in 1914, most of them went to Egypt not Britain. They were sent to meet the threat Turkey posed to Britain's interests in the Middle East and the Suez Canal. The Australian and New Zealand Army Corp (ANZAC) after 4 months of training near Cairo, were departed by ship for the Gallipoli peninsula. On the 25th of April 1915 they landed on what is now known as ANZAC Cove. Many historians believe that the Gallipoli campaign was a tragic waste to human life as by the time it ended there was no territorial gain and there was more than 392,000 casualties and over 130,000 troops from all nations involved had died.The Australian forces after Gallipoli fought on the Western front and in the Middle East. At the Weston front it slowly turned into a stalemate with opposing sides facing each other in trench systems that extended over Belgium to north-east France, from the English cannel to the Swish border. The stalemate continued in 1916 1917, the Australians and their allies would attack but then the German survivors would repel them back which lead to only a little bit of territorial gain and a lot of casualty's. By the end of the year of 1916 around 40,000 Australians had been wounded or killed in the Western front. Another 76,836 Australians in 1917 had become causalities in battles such as the Bullecourt, Messines, and the four-month campaign around Ypres, known as the Battle of Passchendaele.
The Australian divisions withdrew from a front in early October to rest and get prepared to go back to war when Germany surrendered on the 11th of November 1918.
Australians viewed this with great enthusiasm, and many volunteers to enlist in the exciting war that was predicted to be finished by Christmas. Australia's population at the time was less than 5 million and 416,809 men enlisted to go to war. Out of the 416,809 men, over 60,000 were killed and 156,000 were either wounded, gassed or taken prisoner. Some reasons why there where so many men that enlisted war was one, that through out their education they had been prepared to fight. In Australian schools the teacher would emphasise on British heroism at such battles as Trafalgar, Waterloo, the Crimea, the Indian "Mutiny", and the Afghan, Zulu and Boer wars. The male children where also told to sacrifice themselves when the time came, to the imperial cause. Though this was not the other reason many men enlisted. Some historians believe that most of the early men that enlisted were roused by the sense of adventure. Enlisting in war was also seen as a way to get away from the normal life and the tedium of their workplace, it was a way to get to travel and see the world. Many men saw this as a way to prove "their manhood". After the 11th of August when active recruiting began, a campaign was created called "hatred of the enemy". This did encourage recruits to point out their motives in terms of anti-German hostility. Many men were pressured to go into the war because of their friends going into war. Even some women would shame the men to go into the war because of their lack of manliness. Even some men joined the war because of poverty. The enlistment of men in the war increased when wages froze and prices rapidly increased.
When men were accepted into the army in 1914, most of them went to Egypt not Britain. They were sent to meet the threat Turkey posed to Britain's interests in the Middle East and the Suez Canal. The Australian and New Zealand Army Corp (ANZAC) after 4 months of training near Cairo, were departed by ship for the Gallipoli peninsula. On the 25th of April 1915 they landed on what is now known as ANZAC Cove. Many historians believe that the Gallipoli campaign was a tragic waste to human life as by the time it ended there was no territorial gain and there was more than 392,000 casualties and over 130,000 troops from all nations involved had died.The Australian forces after Gallipoli fought on the Western front and in the Middle East. At the Weston front it slowly turned into a stalemate with opposing sides facing each other in trench systems that extended over Belgium to north-east France, from the English cannel to the Swish border. The stalemate continued in 1916 1917, the Australians and their allies would attack but then the German survivors would repel them back which lead to only a little bit of territorial gain and a lot of casualty's. By the end of the year of 1916 around 40,000 Australians had been wounded or killed in the Western front. Another 76,836 Australians in 1917 had become causalities in battles such as the Bullecourt, Messines, and the four-month campaign around Ypres, known as the Battle of Passchendaele.
The Australian divisions withdrew from a front in early October to rest and get prepared to go back to war when Germany surrendered on the 11th of November 1918.