Overview of World War One

Soldiers of an Australian 4th Division field artillery brigade walk on a duckboard track laid across a muddy, shattered battlefield in Chateau Wood, near Hooge, Belgium,
on October 29, 1917. This was during the Battle of Passchendaele, fought by British forces and their allies against Germany for control of territory near Ypres, Belgium.
A MAJOR TURNING POINT OF
MODERN HISTORY
First great war of the masses
First war of the industrial age changed the way wars were
fought
Industrial and scientific revolution created new technology:
 new weapons: powerful artillery, gas, barbed wire, machine guns, U-boats, the aeroplane
and the tank.
Military strategy remained the same
 Mass armies faced one another
 Existing strategies gave rise to mass casualty rate – 8 million dead, 20 million wounded.

Length of conflict led to terrible destruction

 (SOME) KEY DATES
Year Month Event

1914 June The Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia.
August The outbreak of World War One.
October The first AIF (Australian Imperial Force) of 20,000 men was raised.

1915 April Anzac troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsular.

August The attack on the Nek and Lone Pine.
October William Morris Hughes became Prime Minister of Australia.
November Hughes announced an increase in the Australian force to 110,000 men.
December The Gallipoli campaign ended in failure. The Anzacs and other troops were withdrawn.

1916 April The first Anzac Day remembrance service was held.
July Australian troops took part in the Battle of the Somme on the Western Front in France.
October The first conscription referendum.
November William Morris Hughes split with the Labor Party.
1917 January The Nationalist Party was formed to include Hughes’ breakaway group from the Labor Party.
December The second conscription referendum in Australia.
1918 May Sir John Monash assumed command of Australian forces in Europe.
November The armistice was signed (11 November) and World War I came to an end.
 THE SUN NEVER SETS ON THE
BRITISH EMPIRE
Empire of 367 million people around the
globe.
Most Australians held an emotional and deep
affection for Britain.
Isolation (19,000km from Britain)
strengthened bond. The mother country
would protect her children if danger
threatened.
Strong trade links.
Australia became an independent nation in
1901 BUT did not have an independent
foreign policy.
 REASONS FOR WAR #1:
TENSIONS
1914 the six major European powers were Britain, France,
Germany, Russia, Italy and Austria–Hungary.
intense rivalry between many of these powers as they sought to
preserve their influence in Europe and to expand their influence
in the world.
TENSION BETWEEN BRITAIN
AND GERMANY
Britain:
 largest overseas empire
 mighty navy to protect its empire and trade links.
Germany:
 (from 1890) most powerful military and economic power in Europe
 Challenge Britain by building its own navy
 sought to expand its overseas empire.
Germany was ruled by Kaiser Wilhelm II who wanted to
see Germany increase its influence in the world.
 TENSION BETWEEN
GERMANY AND FRANCE
Long-standing tension between
Germany and France.
1871 Germany had defeated
France in the Franco-Prussian
war and had taken the French
territory of Alsace-Lorraine.
France looked for revenge on
Germany.
TENSION BETWEEN AUSTRIA-
HUNGARY AND RUSSIA
Tension in eastern Europe between the Austro–Hungarian Empire and the
Russian Empire.
The area of potential conflict was in the Balkans, in south-eastern Europe.
The Turkish Empire once dominated this area, but as Turkish power
declined new nation-states emerged in the Balkans.
The most nationalistic and aggressive of these was the state of Serbia.
 Serbia was strongly opposed to the Austro–Hungarian Empire to its north, fearing the
expansion of Austrian influence into the Balkans as Turkish power declined.
 Added complication - Serbia had a powerful supporter (Russia) who had ambitions in
the Balkans.
 REASONS FOR
WAR #2:
ALLIANCES
By 1907 the six major
European powers had
formed themselves into
two rival alliance blocs:
1. The Triple Alliance (Germany,
Italy and Austria–Hungary)
2. The Triple Entente (Britain,
France and Russia)
KEY TERMS
Sides:
Triple Entente or “The alliance” (Britain, France, Russia) also
know as the Allies
The “Triple Alliance” or “Central Powers” (Germany, Austria-
Hungary, Ottoman Empire)
Note: Turkish Empire – modern day Turkey but 1915 Ottoman
Empire is correct
 THE JULY CRISIS
28 June 1914 the heir to the Austro–Hungarian throne—the Archduke Franz Ferdinand—and his
wife were assassinated in the town of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, a region which was then
part of the Austro–Hungarian Empire.
 Austria–Hungary blamed Serbia for the murder and took the opportunity to take action against Serbia and eliminate
its influence in the Balkans.

Any action against Serbia would provoke Russia, Serbia’s ally, so the role of Germany,
Austria’s ally, became critical. Before they would move against Serbia, Austria–Hungary
sought support from Germany, and on 6 July 1914 the German government gave this
support and encouraged Austria–Hungary to deal with Serbia. For Germany it was
important that Austria–Hungary should prove itself as a great power and punish those
responsible for the murder of the Archduke.
Throughout July 1914 there were intense diplomatic moves by all the great powers
as the world moved towards war.
 28 July 1914 Austria–Hungary, backed by Germany, declared war on Serbia.
 France and Russia were allies by the Triple Entente and France made it clear that it would stand by
Russia.
 30 July 1914 Tsar Nicolas II ordered the mobilisation of the Russian army.
 1 August 1914, because Russia had mobilised and so threatened Germany, Germany declared war on
Russia. France mobilised in support of its ally Russia.
 Germany’s military plans required that they defeat France first, and the best way to attack France was
through the small neighbouring state of Belgium.
 2 August 1914 Germany demanded access for the German army through Belgium.
 The Belgians rejected the demand and prepared for invasion.
 3 August 1914 Germany declared war on France and German troops crossed the Belgian border.
 Britain had a long-standing alliance with Belgium, and because Germany had invaded Belgium Great
Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914.
COO-EE! THE MOTHER
COUNTRY CALLS!
‘Whatever happens, Australia is part of the Empire right to
the full. WHEN THE EMPIRE IS AT WAR, SO IS
AUSTRALIA AT WAR. All our resources are in the
Empire and for the preservation and security of the Empire.’
- Australian Prime Minister, Joseph Cook, 1914
A WAVE OF EMOTIONAL
SUPPORT
The causes of the war and the justification for it became unimportant, and emotional
concepts of honour, duty and obligation became the reason to fight.
The leader of the Labor Party, Andrew Fisher, expressed the mood of the nation
when he said that Australia would ‘stand by our own to help and defend her to our
last man and our last shilling’.
As soon as war was declare, the Prime Minister, Joseph Cook, offered the British an
immediate force of 20,000 men and the ships of the Australian navy were placed
under control of the British Admiralty.
September federal election saw a Labor government elected under Andrew Fisher
leadership -> war policy remained.
1914: A CALL TO ARMS
FROM THE ARGUS, AUGUST 1914.
Northward unto Brisbane, westward unto Broome
The smoke is blacking out the stars, the clouds of battle loom;
The frightened birds wheel high above, the brooding shadows fall,
But high above the grim grey gums there comes a clarion call—
Coo-ee! It’s the mother country calling;
Coo-ee! Her sons shall make reply;
The children of the free,
From sea to surging sea,
Have heard the call, they’ll stand or fall, prepared to do or die.
Forget our tale of party strife, forget our varied creeds,
Perhaps we’ve wrangled over words, we stand as one in deeds;
Divided in her time of peace—when first the bugles blare
REASONS FOR AUSTRALIA’S
INVOLVEMENT IN WW1:
SHORT TERM
1. Pressure from Britain to participate and pressure from Australian
Government for Australians to participate (propaganda)
2. Australian unemployment and poverty.
3. Australian men ‘wanted’ to participate….thought it would be brief
(six months-Home for Christmas) and fun (travel the world for free).
4. Australia’s financial resources and manpower were promised by the
Australian Prime Minister.
5. Enthusiasm of the Australian people.
REASONS FOR AUSTRALIA’S
INVOLVEMENT IN WW1:
MEDIUM TERM
1. Provision of resources to Australia by Britain.
2. Fear of invasion by Germany via New Guinea.
3. Many Australians still thought of themselves as being British.
4. Popular belief that the British Empire was ‘superior’ (Nationalism).
5. War allowed for the development of military and medical advances.
REASONS FOR AUSTRALIA’S
INVOLVEMENT IN WW1:
LONG TERM
1. To sustain relationship with Britain and Commonwealth.
2. Australia’s reputation within the global community ‘Baptism by
Fire’.
3. Strong sense of patriotism and loyalty to the ‘mother country’.
4. Protection of trade between Australia and Britain (wheat and wool).
KEY TERMS
Nationalistic
Commonwealth
‘mother country’
Propaganda
Enlisted
Mateship
AUSTRALIAN RESPONSE TO THE
OUTBREAK OF WAR
Preparing for war was particularly difficult for a young nation that
had little experience of such a war effort.
 Troops had to be recruited, trained, equipped and transported to the other side
of the world.
 Finance had to be allocated, munitions and weapons developed, and technical
and medical services expanded.
Recruitment of men for war service was not a problem in 1914, and
the enthusiasm for the war drew thousands of young men to enlist as
soon as the call was made. By the end of August over 10,000 had
enlisted in Sydney alone, and by the end of the year enlistments for
war service stood at 52 000.
 ‘the finest body of young men ever brought together in modern times …
they were the pink of condition and didn’t give a damn for anybody’.
- English poet John Masefield

Enthusiasm for enlistment meant the army set high standards:

 168cm in height
 Very good health – medical tests
October 1914 first expeditionary force of 20,000 (the Australian Imperial
Force, or AIF) raised and left Australian in November.
‘I THINK I OUGHT TO GO’
Many carried reasons:
 Great escape on an exciting adventure
 Pay of four shillings a day
 Deep sense of loyalty for the Mother Country
 Honour

‘I am going to have a try for the war. I think I ought to go ... I think it is the greatest
opportunity for a chap to make a man of himself, those that come back from this
war will be men of the right sort that anyone would be proud of.’
 Australian soldier (KIA France 1917, aged 24)
SUMMING UP
At the time of World War I Australia was an independent nation but was also a proud member of
the British Empire.
There were many links that bound Australia to Britain at this time, and most Australians saw
Britain as the Mother Country.
World War I began in August 1914. It was caused by years of rivalry and distrust among the great
European powers.
When Germany invaded Belgium, Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914.
Australia gave total support to Britain and announced the formation of the First AIF, 20 000
soldiers who would be sent to support the British.
There was enthusiasm for the war in Australia and young men were quick to volunteer for war
service.
In November 1914 these troops set sail for war.
The Western Front

Left: Members of the Queensland 25th Battalion.

Right: Members of the Queensland 9th Battalion.
AUSTRALIAN TROOPS IN
CONFLICT
First experience of conflict was the Gallipoli campaign.
Men of the Australian Light Horse were sent to the desert campaign from
1915 to 1918 and they helped to drive the Turks out of their territory in the
Middle East.
The majority of the Australian forces were sent to the mud and destruction of
the Western Front in Europe.
For three years Australians paid a very heavy price in casualties as they
became part of some of the great battles against the Germans in France and
Belgium.
 THE AIF IN FRANCE
 March 1916 AIF troops began to arrive
 The war along the Western Front had settled into a stalemate (deadlock).
 In July the Australians were ordered into the great Battle of the Somme.
 This was a major British and French push along a 30-kilometre front on the Somme River in northern France.
 It proved to be one of the bloodiest battles of the war, and on the first day, 1 July 1916, Britain suffered 60 000 casualties,
including 20 000 killed.
 At Fromelles on the Somme, Australian troops suffered 5500 casualties in one day.
 A few days later, the Anzac troops were ordered into battle in an attempt to break the German line at
Pozières.
 In some of the most brutal fighting endured by the troops during the war, the AIF suffered another 23
000 casualties in seven weeks.
 By the end of the year there were over 42 000 Australian casualties on the Western Front.
 THE AIF IN BELGIUM
 1917 the British launched a new offensive in Flanders, Australian and New Zealand
troops were ordered in.
 Between April and November 1917, the Australian and New Zealand troops took part
in many of the battles that sought to break the German line near the town of Ypres,
beginning when they attacked the strategically important Messines Ridge in June
1917, in an attack planned by the Australian commander General John Monash.
 In a week of heavy fighting Messines Ridge fell, with 10 000 Australian and 5000 New
Zealand casualties.
 Final battle of the Flanders campaign began in October 1917, for the village of
Passchendaele near Ypres.
 Rain had fallen almost unceasingly throughout October, transforming battlefield into a mud lake.
 Troops and supplies bogged down (Nov 16 men instead of 2)
 5 month campaign killed or wounded 245,000 British men and 76,800 Australian casualties.
WWI ENDS IN 1918
YET WWII STARTS IN
1939, WHY? TREATY OF
VERSAILLES
The Allied and Associated
Governments affirm and Germany
accepts the responsibility of Germany
and her allies for causing all the loss
and damage to which the Allied and
Associated Governments and their
nationals have been subjected as a
consequence of the war imposed upon
them by the aggression of Germany
and her allies.