Gas: Germans introduced poison gas as a weapon of war.
Key Dates
28th June 1914 -
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and wife assassinated Triggering 1914 July Crisis
1-4th Aug 1914 -
Start of WW1
Germany declare war on Russia and France
Germany invades Belgium
Britain declare war on Germany
25th Apr 1915 -
ANZAC troops land at Gallipoli
Dec 1915 -
ANZAC troops evacuated after 8 months of fighting
25th Apr 1916 -
First commemoration of ANZAC day held in Australia
1st Jul- 1st Nov 1916 -
Battle of Somme
British and France vs German
Major British Offensive, military bombardment
Stalemate on Western Front
Oct 1916 -
Aus. holds first conscription referendum
Does not pass through
Dec 1917 -
Aus. holds second referendum
Does not pass through
Jun 1919 -
Signing of the Treaty of Versailles official end of WW1
1st Sep 1939 -
WW2 starts
2nd Sep 1945 -
WW2 ends
Gallipoli Campaign - 25th Apr 1915
Attempt to break a stalemate that developed on the Western Front, Winston Churchill
argued for an attack on Turkey.
Turkey was part of the Ottoman Empire which was a German ally.
Churchill believed that the British Navy could force its way through the narrow passage
of water known as the Dardanelles and bombard the Turkish capital of Constantinople
(Istanbul)
Winston thought this might help force Turkey out of the war and open the way for
Britain and France to move supplies black sea to the Russian army fighting against the
Germans on the Eastern Front.
Planning for Campaign was poor
Operation unsuccessful when they tried to get through the Dardanelles stopped by
Turkish guns along the shore and mines placed in the water.
25th Apr - British, Indian & ANZAC troops landed on Gallipoli peninsula, French landed
at Kum Kale to distract the Turkish
Gallipoli Landing
ANZACs landed at what is now known as ANZAC cove, British landing at Cape Helles.
ANZACs found themselves ashore at a narrow beach facing steep cliffs
Confusion as small groups of men acted independently: some stayed on or near the
beach whereas others advanced inland until they were halted by Turkish forces.
More than 600 Australian soldiers were killed on the first day, barley1km of progress
achieved.
Conditions at Gallipoli
Extremely difficult for the ANZACs
Always exposed to enemy fire
Constant danger
Trenches rough, variations in weather from extreme heat to cold winds and snow
Food supplies were basic but plentiful
Unreliable water diseases
Withdrawal - Dec 1915
ANZAC troops withdrawn from Gallipoli Peninsula
8709 Australian lives gone 19 000 wounded
Turks 80 000 passed
Silent withdrawal known as the most successful part of the Campaign
The Western Front
Main theatre in WW1
German army opened the western front by marching through Belgium and deep into
France
Confined to trenches
Troops used machine guns, barbed wire and artillery to defend their position
Stalemate meant that war on Western Front became a series of attacks and counter
attacks, achieving nothing but the lives of soldiers.
Attacks followed a pattern, one side launching a long and sustained artillery attack,
enemy trenches would be bombarded with explosive shells.
Aim was to force the defending troops underground and clear the way for attacking
troops to cross No Man’s Land - Narrow strip of land between opposing trenches that
belonged to neither army.
No Man’s Land was hard to cross soldiers weighed down by heavy equipment
If enemy’s fortifications were not destroyed than the enemy could emerge from bunkers
and fire with machine guns
Only real result that took place was death and injury
Australians on the Western Front - 1916 to 1918
The Battle of Fromelles
The Battle of the Somme in Northern France
Assaults on the towns of Pozieres and Villers-Bretonneux
The Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium
The Battle of Hamel
The Battle of Amiens
Battle of Somme - Jul 1st to Nov 1st
Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, was one of the largest battles
of the First World War
Fought near the Somme river in France
Bloodiest Military battles in history
British and France vs German
Major British Offensive, military bombardment
Stalemate on Western Front
On the first day Britain suffered more than 57, 000 casualties
During and after the Battle of Somme, the British army started to improve in their tactics
Events leading up to the outbreak of WW1
Industrial Revolution: New production methods and technologies affected the society
and industry e.g. Healthcare, Education and Transport. Development of weapons,
armies and ships all caused rivalries between colonies.
July Crisis: Aug 1914 - Start of WW1 was marked by Germanys declaration against Russia
and France, followed by its decision to invade Belgium. 28th of June 1914, Archduke
Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated. The assassination led to a frantic and
confused period of bluff, threat and negotiation between European powers in July 1914.
Known as the July Crisis. Austria - Hungary blamed the government of Serbia. With the
support of their ally Germany, they issued a series of 10 harsh demands to Serbia. Serbia
agreed to nine of the ten demands. Serbia turned to their ally Russia for support. Russia
promised to protect Serbia against any threat from Austria- Hungary and Germany. A
month later Austria - Hungary declared war on Serbia.
Alliance System: Created by European powers to maintain a balance of power. Triple
Alliance - Germany, Italy and Austria - Hungary. Triple Entente - Britain, France and
Russia. Germany came up with a plan called the Schlieffen Plan which was to pull an all-
out attack on France. Aim was to put a quick end to the threat from France before
Russia was ready for war. In order for the plan to work they needed to invade France by
going through Belgium. Even though Belgium is not part of the Triple Entente, they had
an alliance with Britain, When the German army invaded Belgium, Britain declared war
on Germany.
Nationalism: Love of One’s country and sense of pride. Nationalism unites people
Rivalry over colonies: Fierce competition between powers in Europe to claim and
control territories and resources in different parts of the world. Driven by Nationalism
and Imperialism (process of acquiring and administering colonies for financial and
strategic reasons).
Arms race: War cannot be fought without guns, ammunition and soldiers. Size of its
navy and army threatened others
Warfare
Guns and Artillery
Gas: Germans introduced poison gas as a weapon of war. Mustard Gas and Tear Gas.
Tanks: British army introduced
Aircraft: Small planes used to scout enemy positions, planes armed with machine guns
known as dog fights, huge airships called Zeppelins.
Communications: Advances in communication allowed faster contact between
commanding
field officers behind the front line and soldiers in the front line
Why Australians Enlisted
AIF - Australian Imperial Force - 50 000 men enlisted
Loyalty: To give back to what the country has done
Adventure: To see the world and have an adventure
Money: Good income
2562 Nurses joined the AIR as members
The Treaty of Versailles
Jan 1919, nations met in France to come up with a plan for rebuilding Europe. The
French had suffered during WW1 and wanted revenge and compensation for the
damage done to their country. 28th June 1919, they all signed a Treaty of Versailles
which brought an official end to the war.
Conscription
By 1916 the initial enthusiasm for the war effort resulted in the realisation that war
meant suffering and death
Decline in the number of Australian volunteers and heavy losses from the stalemate on
Western front PM Billy Hughes announced there would be a referendum for
Conscription
If bill is passed the Government had the power to force men of military age to join the
army for service in the war
First referendum Oct 1916 did not pass
Second referendum Dec 1917 did not pass
Why Conscription didn’t pass
Australian people did not believe that Australia was at risk
The war was half a world away
For the size of its population, the country had done more than its fair share to support
Britain and the Empire
Supporters of Conscription were usually upper class people of British or Protestant
background
Opponents of Conscription were usually working class or of a Catholic or Irish
background
Impact on supply of workers: Some farmers and employers with skilled workers
opposed Conscription because they feared it would hurt their business
Labour Party split over the issue: Those with strong links to the Trade Union movement
opposed Conscription. Cause they feared that if even more able bodied Australians were
taken into the army then the country would have to rely on non-union labour at lower
wages
Causes of WW2
The aggression of Germany and Japan: Growing economy
Treaty of Versailles the Treaty of Versailles ended World War I between Germany and
the Allied Powers. Because Germany had lost the war, the treaty was very harsh against
Germany. Germany was forced to "accept the responsibility" of the war damages
suffered by the Allies. The treaty required that Germany pay a huge sum of money
called reparations. The problem with the treaty is that it left the German economy in
ruins. People were starving and the government was in chaos.
Hitler: In Germany, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power. The Germans were
desperate for someone to turn around their economy and restore their national pride.
Hitler offered them hope. In 1934, Hitler was proclaimed the leader and became
dictator of Germany. Hitler resented the restrictions put on Germany by the Treaty of
Versailles. While talking about peace, Hitler began to rearm Germany. He allied
Germany with Italy. Then Hitler looked to restore Germany to power by expanding his
empire. He first took over Austria in 1938. When the League of Nations did nothing to
stop him, Hitler became bolder and took over Czechoslovakia in 1939.
Australia and The Wars:
WORLD WAR I - Gallipoli, Western Front, Conscription, Home front and End of War
Causes of World War II
