WW1: Lessons 1-5

Australia Enters WW1

• Australia entered WWI on 4 August 1914 when Britain declared war on Germany.

• Australian leaders pledged full support for Britain.

• Population ~4 million → ~820,000 men of fighting age (19–38).

Recruitment and Nationalism

• Recruitment began Aug 1914; conscription was forbidden.

• Australia promised 20,000 troops, but 50,000 enlisted by end of 1914.

• Many rejected on medical grounds.

• This began to highlight a sense of Australian nationalism – showing what it meant to be “Australian.”

Motives to Enlist

• Patriotism and nationalism — pride in showing what it meant to be “Australian”.

• Adventure and travel — visiting the “Motherland”.

• Mates joining together.

• Impressing women.

• Paid work — 6 shillings a day

Training and Deployment

• Troops trained in Egypt; defended Suez Canal.

• First major battle: Gallipoli (1915).

Decline in Volunteers

• Decline in volunteers (1915–16) as casualties increased

• Britain pressured PM Billy Hughes to provide more men.

Conscription and Referenda

• Conscription introduced elsewhere (UK, NZ, Canada) but not in Australia.

• Two referenda (1916, 1917) on conscription — both defeated.

  • Split the Labor Party, Hughes formed the Nationalists.

  • Australia, South Africa, and India remained volunteer-only forces

Formation of the ANZACs

• 50,000 Australians enlisted by Dec 1914 → formation of ANZACs (Australia New Zealand Army Corps).

• ANZACs trained in Egypt, then landed at Gallipoli (Turkey) on 25 April 1915.

Purpose and Landing at Gallipoli

• Purpose: Capture Dardanelles, open route to Russia, remove Ottoman Empire from war.

• Problems: poor planning, wrong maps, navigational errors, rough terrain, poor communication.

• Landed 1 km off target → steep cliffs, heavy Turkish defence.

• 2,000 ANZACs killed on first day.

Conditions at Gallipoli

• Harsh terrain, extreme heat, limited water.

• Disease, flies, lice, poor sanitation, trench foot.

• Basic food (bully beef, biscuits, jam).

• Constant artillery and snipers → shell shock (PTSD).

• Despite hardships, soldiers showed comradeship, endurance, and loyalty.

Outcome and Significance

Gallipoli campaign failed but became key to ANZAC identity.

ANZAC Qualities

• Bravery

• Mateship

• Larrikinism

• Resourcefulness

May 1915 Counterattack

• May 1915: Turks tried to  push ANZACs into sea — ANZACs held position.

• Heavy casualties but displayed determination and bravery.

August Offensive

• Aim: capture high ground at Sari Bair Ridge, link with British at Suvla Bay.

• Battles: Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair, Hill 971, and The Nek.

Battle of Lone Pine:

• Began 6 August 1915.

• Australians attacked from tunnels, captured trenches.

• 2,300 ANZAC casualties, 6,000 Turks killed.

• 7 Victoria Crosses awarded (e.g., William Dunstan).

Battle of the Nek

• 7 August 1915: 450 men from 3rd Light Horse Brigade attacked.

• Four waves of suicidal charges under heavy machine gunfire.

• 372 casualties (234 dead) within 45 minutes.

• Attack failed due to poor coordination and mistiming.

Creation of the ANZAC Legend

These battles helped create the ANZAC Legend — courage, sacrifice, loyalty, resilience.

Australians on the Western Front - Overview

• Western Front: 700 km trench line (North Sea → Swiss border).

• Defensive, stalemate warfare; millions dead.

Early Battles

Battle of Ypres (1914): First test of trench defences → war of attrition began.

Trench Conditions

• German trenches stronger, better built, on higher ground.

• Allied trenches poorly built, wet, disease-ridden, temporary.

The Battle of the Somme (1916)

• 1.1 million deaths; only 10 km gained; 32,000 Australians died

The Battle of Passchendaele (1917):

• Heavy rain turned battlefield to mud→ soldiers were unable to advance → guns clogged; 36,000 ANZAC deaths

Reputation and Legacy

Despite losses, Australian soldiers earned a reputation for endurance and courage.

The Eastern Front - Overview

• Extended 1,600 km (Baltic Sea → Black Sea).

• No trench warfare — “war of manoeuvre”.

Russia’s Strengths and Weaknesses

• Huge population (159 million) and natural resources (coal, iron).

• Poor industry, weak transport, lack of weapons (1 rifle per 3 soldiers → high number of casualties).

• Heavy casualties and poor leadership.

Austria-Hungary and Germany

• Able to implement tactics they had been trained in and were superior.

• They were surprised by the speed of the Russian mobilisation.

Battle of Tannenberg (1914):

• Germany’s response to defeat by Russia.

• Used railways + intercepted communications to trap Russian 2nd Army.

• Led by Hindenburg & Ludendorff; driven by revenge.

• Russian 1st Army halted, giving time to encircle 2nd Army in forest.

• 92,000 POWs, 78,000 killed/wounded, 13,000 German losses.

• Major victory but not decisive (D. Stevenson).

Russia Withdraws from War (1917):

• Russia withdrew due to internal revolution → bc of war = food shortages → angry workers → rebellion

• Tsar overthrown → Provisional Government → Lenin.

• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918): Russia lost vast territory, population, and resources.