The Great War, or what we now call World War I, was devastating for all participating countries, but for Australia, with its relatively small population, the suffering was keenly felt. By 1917, the honour of going to war “for king and country” had faded, and everyone knew someone whose life was lost on a conflict which had little relevance to their lives. Letters from the battlefields of Europe and North Africa conveyed the horror of the first mechanized war.
“I hope the war will soon stop now for it is sapping out the best of men all and all that Is beautiful in civilised life” (1)
-Lieutenant Wilfred Barlow, 58th Battalion, 2nd March 1917
The war began with aspirations of a triumphal empire, and with a short, efficacious and
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The 19th century British Army’s primary tactic, “line infantry”, where two to four ranks of rigidly places infantrymen would line up and advance towards the enemy still dominated strategic thinking. This was especially effective in asymmetrical conflicts where the British were significantly better trained and more technologically equipped, the typical situation which faced colonial deployments in the 19th century. The line infantry deployment also had the effect of concentrating their firepower and reducing the effect of slow reloading. This was supplemented by the cavalry, which formed a highly mobile strike force which could cut through enemy defences.
But this was a far more symmetrical conflict, where their opponents were deploying the most lethal weapons and capabilities available. In reviewing the technological deployments of both sides, the argument can easily be made that the Germans in both World Wars brought significant technologies than the British, and the strategies to use them effectively. Indeed, the win in World War I was more about economics than it was about strategy or capabilities.
By World War I the line infantry strategy, which evolved into the “over the top” charge into no-man’s land, was completely redundant and saw massive casualties. The development of the Gatling Gun (1862) (9) and the Maxim Gun (1886) (12) (13) - both heavy rapid-fire weapons
Source 4 mentions two common sayings to do with Australian realisations entering the war, "here Australia became a nation" and Blightly [Britain] is a failure, take me to Australia" (Stanley, 2011). The service of 320 thousand Australians stimulated the first growth of a self-conscious Australian nationalism. At the landing at Gallipoli Australian troops expected to learn from the British but instead looked down on them as amateurs and were disappointed with their performance, efficiency and supplies. "Real sense of inequality of sacrifice" (Carrodus, Delany, Easton, Howitt and Smith, 2014). Source 5 makes notice of the fact that by the middle of 1915 the reality of war began to dawn. Australians became disillusioned with the news of deaths upon deaths and war waged on with no visible end. Endless, helplessness, unfairly treated feelings. Australia was divided due to the working class feeling exploited and the middle and upper classes being affected less by the war. "It was a hollow mockery for citizens to celebrate the glories of ANZAC Day unless they were prepared to fulfil their promises and do their duty to the men who had fought and suffered through the war." (Brand, 1925). Source 6 is a quote from a recent time after WW1, it shows the pride Australians had in their soldiers, that they thought they were brave and to
Prior to World War 1, Australians on the whole suffered due to their geographical isolation, which technology had yet to defeat. Transport was solely by arduous sea journey, which restricted travel and communication with the rest of the world. The mass transfer of Australian youth to fight in Europe enabled the world to see for the first time the unique culture which was developing in this far away land. Recognition and respect was quickly given for the courage, good humour and strength in adversity displayed by Australian soldiers. The easy going egalitarian troops challenged the military norms of their British counterparts. While this
The ANZAC Legend ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACS, and the pride they soon took in that name endures to this day. The ANZAC legend began with the landing at Gallipoli on April 25 1915, signaling the start of the disastrous Dardanelles campaign on the Turk Peninsula. This campaign saw thousands of ANZAC fatalities before its conclusion in January 1916.
Although both the World Wars had significant impacts on Australians, the statement that wartime controls in World War One had a greater impact on Australians than they did in World War Two is fairly inaccurate. There are a number of reasons as to why this was the case, as demonstrated through the government 's wartime controls. One of the wartime controls that was utilised by the government in both World Wars but had greater impact on Australians in World War Two was conscription. Another wartime control that had a higher degree of impact on Australians in World War Two than in World War One was the detainment and isolation of ‘enemy aliens’ when the government again took steps to protect their national security. With such a large number of servicemen deployed overseas, the role of women in Australia also changed drastically to meet the needs of the armed forces, the government and the economy and this influenced Australian life more in World War Two. Therefore, although both wars affected the lives of many Australians in mental, physical, social and economic aspects, the wartime controls of World War Two had a much greater impact on Australians than in World War One.
The Great War was known as ‘the war to end all wars’ as it had such a dramatic and tragic impact on soldiers and civilians alike. Many aspects of the conscription debate, the home front, trench warfare and weaponry had a significant impact on Australia and its involvement in the war.
The Technologies and War Tactics in the First World War The First World War encompassed more than four years of battles in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, costing nearly two hundred billion US dollars in total. More than thirty belligerents mobilised sixty-five million troops across the globe. Among them, twenty million were wounded and nine million were killed. Additionally, there was a civilian casualty of nine million as well.
The technology of World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, was a big part of the determination of the outcome of the war. Much of the technology was developed during the interwar years. Some of it was developed because of failure and hindrance in war progression, obviously because of inefficient technology. Still some was in the beginning stages of development as the war ended. Though earlier war greatly utilized science, mathematics, and innovation, World War II had the largest impact on the innovation in technology of the current lives of Americans. Furthermore, no war, preceeding or succeeding, was as profoundly affected by science, mathematics, and technology as World War II. Science and technology have always made
The Battle of the Somme epitomizes the harsh realities of trench warfare for the Allies and represents the negligent battle planning and technological advancements that are associated with the stalemate of World War One. Trench warfare was common across the Western Front, with similar strategies being employed by both opposing sides. Sir Douglas Haig, one of the British coordinators for the Somme offensive is blamed with an offensive strategy destined for failure. The British offensive, an utter failure, resulted in a stalemate, which was common throughout World War One. The British development of the tank, while it eventually ended the horrendous stalemate, was ineffectively used during the Somme.
In “The Face of Battle,” John Keegan analyzed the experiences of the individuals involved in the battles of the Somme and Waterloo; he thoroughly examined the advancements of industrialization in warfare and battle strategy between 1815 and 1916. The industrialization of modern warfare during the battle of the Somme, while progressive, was very much still in its experimental stages. While the inventions during this time period were later evolved into much more useful products, it seems as though the organized warfare in Waterloo was much more effective; the soldier’s mediocre training for the Somme was obvious in the chaotic events that occurred. While each battle was disastrous in their own ways, industrialization certainly improved means of warfare and the experience that the soldiers had.
During World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945. Australia suffered many military threats. At the time heavily relying on their British allies however over the course of many significant battles such as the battle of Coral sea, the battle of Midway, the battle of Guadalcanal, the battle for northern Australia and most importantly the fall of Singapore. Left stranded and in desperate need of help Australia found themselves turning to the United States for support. Which is ultimately why the Australian and US alliance had its inception during World War II.
World War I (1914-1918) was considered the 'Great War' and Australia’s Gallipoli campaign has always been considered as the pinnacle of the Australian military feats. This is due to the constant glorification of the event despite the fact it was an unmitigated failure. However, the work of the Australian army force in the most important battleground of WW1 the 'Western Front' is often cast under the shadow of Gallipoli. The battles on the Western Front took place in France, Belgium and parts of Germany and this is where some of the most pivotal battles were fought. The contribution and success of the Australians will be assessed through the analysis of several sources related to four major contributions related to the Western Front. These include the amount of Australians involved, the external opinions of Australia in the Western front, The Battle of
Leading into the Fall of 1914, tactics on both sides of the line involved the rapid mobilization, maneuver and envelopment of the opposing side.10 Pre-1914 doctrine took little into account the effects of emerging new technology and their impact on both defensive and offensive operations. This disconnect between doctrine and technology contributed to the failure of early offensive operations in the Fall of 1914 and resulted in staggering casualties.11 Both sides developed doctrine that took into effect the unique terrain and technology that had been developed prior and during World War I. However by the end of the war, a combination of flexibility, decentralized control, and counterattack at every echelon made the German defensive system the most effective.12 This “elastic defense” had three unique characteristics; dedicated counter-attack force at all levels, decentralized command and control, fluid defensive belts and integrated artillery support at the Division level. Under this new doctrine, Corps headquarters had the role sustaining subordinate units, but not directing their actions during battle.13 This defense-in-depth and the lessons learned during the Verdun battles of 1918 were so successful that British forces adopted many of the German tactics with a special emphasis on their counterattack capability.10 Utilizing the new doctrine, by August 1918, Germany had made substantial gains, however had
How to achieve a decisive victory has been a constant quest of the Generals through all the history. In Europe, the commanders of XIX century used Napoleon’s “art of war” as a paradigm , focusing on mobility and the efficient use of logistics to move his army corps faster than enemy do. The concept of victory was a mass against mass battle, where the victor was the biggest army or the smartest general, being the infantry the main weapon of the army. As a result,
During the age of technological advancement in the British Military they contained a high advantage over the forces such as the Zulus. The English created advanced guns which were accurate and deadly. “The British military used these guns to an advantage as they used this technology to decimate the local forces. They also had the advantage of the arrival of the automatic weapon as they used this to take out groups of men. Guns saved many English lives as they were quick and effective weapons.
This might come as a surprise to some, but Germany almost won the First World War. Germany was once very close to winning the war. Their submarine warfare was taking a hard toll on Britain. Between February and June, one of every four of Britain’s large freighters never returned. The French and British armies were weakening. The French and British had worn