TOPIC 8 World War I (1914–1918)
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DEPTH STUDY 3: WORLD WAR I TOPIC 8 World War I (1914–1918) 8.1 Overview Numerous videos and interactivities are embedded just where you need them, at the point of learning, in your learnON title at www.jacplus.com.au. They will help you to learn the content and concepts covered in this topic. 8.1.1 Links with our times In 2007 the bodies of 250 Australian and British soldiers were discovered in a mass grave near the town of Fromelles in northern France. The site was close to where they had fallen in 1916 during one of the bloodiest battles of World War I. In 2010, on the ninety-fourth anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles, the last of these soldiers was finally given a proper burial at a new military cemetery in France. For Australians this was a reminder of the terrible losses suffered by the young Australian nation. SOURCE 1 The Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne (left). World War I memorial in Cairns, north Queensland (right). The clock is stopped at the time of the first landing of the Anzacs at Gallipoli. 256 Jacaranda History Alive 9 Australian Curriculum Second Edition Each year on 25 April we commemorate SOURCE 2 A timeline of World War I Anzac Day, marking the day in 1915 on which soldiers from Australia and New Zealand fi rst CE landed on Turkey’s Gallipoli Peninsula. Each 1880 year on 11 November we observe Remembrance 1882 Day, the day that war ended in 1918. If you Germany, have travelled around Australia, you may have Austria–Hungary and Italy form the noticed that every city, most towns and many Triple Alliance. older suburbs have memorials that were fi rst built to honour Australians who died in World War I. Perhaps you have wondered why, in a 1907 country so far from the battlefi elds, that confl ict Britain, France had such a lasting impact. and Russia form the Triple Entente. World War I was a turning point in Australia’s history, and learning about it can help us 1915 25 April: The understand much about our country. But it was Anzacs land at also a turning point for the world. It brought Gallipoli. 1914 28 July: about death and destruction on a massive scale, December: The 1910 Austria–Hungary declares saw the rise of communism and the fall of Allies withdraw from war on Serbia. Gallipoli. empires, and planted the seeds of fascism. Wars 1–3 August: Germany have terrible consequences, but they do not declares war on Russia 1916 and France, and invades simply ‘happen’. They can be investigated and March–June: The Belgium. AIF joins the ght understood, and learning from the past could against Germany on 4 August: Britain declares help us to avoid war in the future. the Western Front. war on Germany. The Australian Light Horse remains in 5–10 September: Egypt to ght French and British armies Turkish forces. halt the Germans in Belgium and France. 1 July: The British Big questions and French launch a 15 September: Trench big offensive in the warfare begins in Western As you work through this topic, look for Somme Valley on Europe. information that will help you to answer these the Western Front. questions: 28 October: The rst 1. Why was Australia involved in World War I? 1915 referendum on 2. What was the signifi cance of the Gallipoli conscription is held and Western Front campaigns? in Australia. 3. How did the Anzac legend infl uence our 1917 national identity? 6 April: The USA 4. What were the main political, economic and enters the war. 1918 social effects of the war? 31 July: The third 21 March: The last 5. How did the war affect Australians on the battle of Ypres German offensive on home front? (Passchendaele) is the Western Front is launched by the launched. Germans in Starter questions Belgium. 18 July: Australian forces lead the rst 1. Why are there World War I memorials all over 7 November: successful large Allied Australia? Revolution in Russia attack in France. 2. What do you think and how do you feel leads to Russian when you visit a war memorial and read the withdrawal from The Armistice, signed the war. on 11 November, ends names of the fallen? the ghting. 3. Why is Anzac Day commemorated each year 20 December: The 1920 second conscription in Australia? referendum is lost 4. Do you think we can we learn from the past CE in Australia. so as to avoid wars in the future? TOPIC 8 World War I (1914–1918) 257 8.2 How do we know about World War I? 8.2.1 Evidence of World War I In this topic we will be investigating World War I, especially Australia’s involvement in it. The human cost of World War I was horrifi c for Australia, as for many other nations. Almost 9 million soldiers on both sides died in this terrible confl ict. More than twice that number were wounded, including many who were terribly disfi gured or who lost limbs, were blinded or were driven mad. Because of its global scale and impact, there is an enormous range of sources of evidence for World War I. Australia’s population during the war years was under 5 million, yet around 60 000 Australians died on active service. As a result, Australia has among the world’s most extensive collections of sources from the war. 8.2.2 Written sources Thousands of books and articles have been written about World War I over the many years since it ended. There are also vast quantities of written primary sources. These include campaign maps, soldiers’ military records, letters, diaries, memoirs and propaganda for and against conscription for the war. Many of these sources can now be read on line through the website of the Australian War Memorial. DID YOU KNOW ? World War I (the First World War), at the time called ‘the Great War’, was sometimes described as ‘the War to End All Wars’. However, in almost a century since World War I there has hardly been a time when war was not taking place somewhere in the world. Increasingly the main victims have come to be civilians. As many as 231 million people died in wars and other confl icts during the twentieth century. Since the beginning of this century, many more have died. 8.2.3 Visual sources SOURCE 1 Australian 2nd Division monument near the town of Peronne in Several countries, including the Somme Valley, northern France France, Belgium and Britain, have great museums dedicated to World War I. Yet none of these surpasses the outstanding collections of the Australian War Memorial. Its holdings include many thousands of photographs and artworks, weapons, equipment and dioramas depicting specifi c battles. Many documentary fi lms and several excellent websites are dedicated to the subject. The following sources will give you an idea of the variety of evidence that we have for this confl ict 258 Jacaranda History Alive 9 Australian Curriculum Second Edition SOURCE 2 Part of the World War I military service record of Private Elmer Motter of the 33rd Australian Battalion SOURCE 3 Part of Second SOURCE 4 Behind the arches along both sides of the Commemorative Lieutenant C. C. D. St Courtyard of the Australian War Memorial, the Roll of Honour lines the Pinnock’s account of the walls. It displays the names of all Australians who have died in war since aftermath of fatal charges 1885 (more than 102 000 names). More Australians died in World War I against Turkish lines by than in all other confl icts combined. soldiers of the Australian Light Horse at Gallipoli, Turkey, on 7 August 1915. Pinnock himself was killed in action just one year later. … you can imagine what it was like. Really too awful to write about. All your pals that had been with you for months and months blown and shot out of all recognition. There was no chance whatever of us gaining our point, but the roll call after was the saddest, just fancy only 47 answered their names out of close on 550 men. When I heard what the result was I simply cried like a child. TOPIC 8 World War I (1914–1918) 259 8.2 Activities To answer questions online and to receive immediate feedback and sample responses for every question, go to your learnON title at www.jacplus.com.au . Note: Question numbers may vary slightly. Check your understanding 1. Give fi ve examples of types of primary sources that are available for studies of World War I. 2. Name four countries that have museums dedicated to World War I. Apply your understanding 3. What can you tell from Source 1 about one place where Australians fought in World War I? 4. How would you account for the renaming of the street in Source 1 as Avenue des Australiens (‘Avenue of Australians’)? 5. Study Source 2 . Elmer Motter died of wounds in France on 2 September 1918. (a) How long was he in action before he was fi rst wounded? (b) What conclusions might be drawn from this fact about the dangers soldiers faced during World War I? 6. Read Source 3 . (a) When and where did the event described in this source occur? (b) What percentage of the 550 men had survived to answer their names after the attack? 7. Whose names are inscribed on the walls in the Commemorative Area of the Australian War Memorial (Source 4 )? 8. What kinds of evidence are represented by the four sources in this subtopic? 9.