WWI Flashcards
What were the causes of WWI?
Nationalism, geopolitical rivalries, the arms race, war plans, the alliance system, imperialism and the assassination in Sarajevo.
How many volunteers signed up to join the war in the first few days?
40,000. (Australia had only promised Britain 20,000).
What was the name of the Australian army sent to fight in the war?
The AIF (Australian Imperial Force).
Why did Australians enlist to fight in WWI?
Sense of adventure, to avoid the disapproval of peers and young women, higher wages, duty/nationalism.
How many aboriginals fought in WWI?
400.
Why did so few Aboriginal people fight?
They were not officially allowed to. They did not feel the same degree of national identity as white Australians.
Who opposed the war and why?
Quakers - didn’t believe violence could solve problems. Pacifists - didn’t believe violence could solve problems. Unionists - thought that the war would hurt low and middle income blue-collar workers.
Who were the Quakers?
Quakers were members of the society of friends, a protestant denomination of Christianity. They believed everyone had the ‘light of God in them’ and so were against taking life.
Outline the role of Women on the war front.
Australia sent 3000 women to fight. These women served in the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS). The women worked very long hours and 23 died as a result of wounds and disease. They did not see the front lines.
When was the war of movement?
August 1914 (when the war began) - December 1914.
What happened in the war of movement?
Both sides (Germans and British/French) tried to outflank each other moving towards the sea.
Why did the war of movement end?
Once both sides reached the sea, neither could outmanoeuvre the other. Therefore, both sides setup powerful defensive formations (trenches) which led to a stalemate on the western front.
Provide characteristics of life in the trenches.
- Zigzaged. 2. Machine guns. 3. Disease (spanish flu, gangrene, trench foot). 4. Chemical weapons (so soldiers had to wear/carry gas masks). 5. Barbed wire. 6. Climate (hot summers and cold winters + lots of rain).
How many allied deaths were there by Christmas 1914?
1 million.
Who joined the axis powers in early 1915?
Turkey (the ottoman empire)
Why was Turkey joining the conflict significant?
Cut off Russian supplied (Russia was threatening the surrender). Gave more power to Germany/Austria Hungary.
How did the British plan to break the stalemate in 1915?
Sail their warships through the Dardanelles strait and attack Constantinople (Istanbul). The aim was to break Turkey and then go on to attack Austria Hungary from a new front.
Why did the British plan to break the stalemate in 1915 fail?
Dardanelles strait = very narrow. Therefore the Turks setup lots of artillery on either side of the strait and bombarded the British and French warships. Also seamines.
What date were the ANZAC landings?
25 April 1915.
How far did the ANZACs advance on the first day of the Gallipoli campaign and at what cost?
900m for 2000 casualties. They did not meet their first day objectives.
Initial issues with the Gallipoli campaign
- Failed naval bombardment. 2. Turks prepared (trenches, mines etc.). 3. Allies underestimated the Turks. `
Living conditions in the Gallipoli campaign
Horrible climate. Very poor hygiene. Disease –> dysentry, diarrhoea. 20% of all soldiers sick at some points on the campaign.
What was the general casualty rate of the Gallipoli campaign and how many casualties were there.
23%. 26,000.
What was the aim of lone pine and Nek?
Distract the Turks from a secondary gallipoli invasion.
What happened in the battle of lone pine?
Costly for both sides. 2,300 ANZAC casualties. 6,000 Turkish casualties. Lone pine successfully captured.
What happened in the battle of the Nek?
Total catastrophe. 4 waves of ANZAC troops. 372 casualties in 45 minutes.
How did Gallipoli campaign come to a close?
Sir Ian Hamilton was dismissed from command. Sir Charles Munro was chosen to replace him. Munro suggested an evacuation rather than continuing to attack (he predicted a 30%-40% casulty rate if the attack continued).
When was the Somme
July-November 1916
How many Australian soldiers died in the battle of the Somme?
32,000
How many soldiers took part in the battle of the Somme?
1.2 million.
What was the aim of the Somme?
Cut the Germans off from behind.
Why did the Somme fail?
Germans knew in advance. Artillery failed to destroy barbed wire. Soldiers were told to walk across no man’s land (instead of run).
When was the battle of Fromelles?
July 1916. Started after the Somme.
What was the aim of the battle of Fromelles?
Divert German attention away from the South.
What was the outcome of the battle of Fromelles?
5533 Australian casualties in 24 hours (very bad). Failed.
When was the battle of Poziers?
July 1916. After Fromelles.
What happened in the battle of Poziers?
AU + allied troops captured Poziers (easily) but then had to defend against a German counterattack for 7 weeks (including an artillery bombardment).
When was the battle of Passchendaele?
Mid-Late 1917.
What happened during the Battle of Passchendaele?
Aim: attack German U boat ports. Course: Germans held the high ground and resisted the allied attack. 300,000 allied casualties of which 38,000 were Australian. Also called the 3rd battle of Ypres.
What weaponry was used in WWI?
Artillery. Grenades. Machine guns. Chemical warfare. Rifles.
When did the US declare war on Germany?
April 1917.
When did Russia surrender?
Early 1918.
What (and when) was the Spring Offensive?
Huge German offensive in early-mid 1918 after transferring Eastern Front troops to the Western Front.
When was the battle of Hamel?
July 1918.
What (and when) were the 100 days?
Huge allied offensive utilising new American troops. August 1918. Successfully broke the German Army including the Hindenburg line (powerful/deep German trench system).
What happened during the battle of Hamel?
Allies captured target (a town) in 93 minutes. Highly successful coordination of military technologies and tactics.
What did the Australian branch of the British red cross society do?
Produced clothing for the AIF and sent food parcels. They had links to the social elites.
What does the ACF stand for?
Australian comforts fund.
What did the ACF do?
Provided ‘luxuries’ e.g. cakes, cigarettes, gum. They also provided dry socks to prevent against trench foot. 1.35m socks made in total. It took 10 hours to make 1 pair of socks.
What does the AWSC stand for?
Australian Womens Service Corps.
What did the AWSC do?
Completed non combant roles on the frontline to enable more men to fight. They would: cook, drive and work as hospital orderlies. They were given basic military training.
Women in the workforce
24% 1914 to 37% 1918. In general, they worked in traditionally female roles, they were discouraged from taking male jobs. Some women however, did complete traditionally male jobs. Women were paid half of a mans wage (Rural Workers 1912).
Why was there a conscription referendum in late 1916?
Enlistment numbers had dropped off sharply.
What was the outcome of the October 1916 referendum on conscription?
No. 3.2% margin.
What was the outcome of the December 1917 plebiscite?
A much larger margin of defeat.
Why did people vote yes?
- Loyalty to Britain. 2. Germany seen as evil (the hun). 3. Support volunteers. 4. Share the burden.
Why did people vote no?
- The war itself was immoral. 2. The act of conscription was unjust. 3. Self interest.
How many men volunteered to serve in WWI (in Australia)
417,000 approx. (9%)
How many men were KIA
62,000
What percentage of Australians were wounded or died in WWI
5%
How many Australians died because of the Spanish flu?
11,500
Issues concerning returned soldiers
- Repatriation took a long time (some men only got home in 1920). 2. Society had changed while men were at war. 3. Alcoholism + domestic violence. 4. PTSD
What was the RSSILA and what did it do?
The returned soldiers and sailers imperial league of Australia. Supported soldiers but also had an ulterior motive to turn them into a conservative voting bloc.
How many soldiers signed up for the RSSILA in 1924?
9%
What assistance did the Australian government provide to returned soldiers?
- Free healthcare. 2. Job assistance (advice + training). 3. Pensions to disabled soldiers and widows. 4. Soldier Settler Schemes (not successful because soldiers are not farmers).
What was the impact of the war on civilians and the economy?
- Income tax. 2. Divorce rates increased. 3. Huge costs of war/pensions for the government (148m pounds on pensions for the 20 years following the war). 4. Social divisions (Catholics and Protestants).
How does Australia commemorate WWI?
- ANZAC day (25 April). 2. Remembrance day (11 Novemeber). 3. War memorial. 4. War Graves. 5. Gallipoli vists + joint memorial. 6. Villers-Bretonneux visits.
Genesis of the ANZAC legend.
British War Correspond - newspaper article written about ANZAC determination and courage. 3 times enlistment after the article.
Contest-ability toward Anzac legend
Neglects awful death toll, strategic loss, experience was not unique, more important components
