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The Triple Alliance
In 1882 Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy signed a document that made them each part of the triple alliance. This treaty stated that they would provide military help for each other in case of war. Its aim was to stop any threats against each of these countries.
Germany's and Austria-Hungary's alliance was formed through their strong ethnic ties and because they shared borders. Italy joined as they wanted protection from France and they also wanted more land -
The Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was formed in 1894 and this alliance was originally just between France and Russia.Britain was in the talks of joining in 1904 and had officially joined by 1907.
Unlike the terms of the Triple Alliance, the Triple Entente only stated they had a 'moral obligation' to support each other yet they did not need to go to war on behalf of one of the other two countries. They all united over growing suspicions of that Germany planned to dominate Europe. -
The Schliffen Plan
The Schliffen plan was in the workings from 1897 and took nine years to finalize. It was based around the theory that Germany would be at war with both Russia and France at the same time. The plan assumed that Russia would be strong but take a long time to get its army moving whereas France would be weak and a quick defeat.
The Schliffen plan was Germanys only plan for war. -
Red Cross Establishment
The Australian Red Cross was established in Tasmania in 1914 and was a response to the outbreak of World War 1. Members of it provided many things. They raised large sums of money and made many clothing items for those going to war.
Even after the war ended they continued to help soliders in need with medical aid and housing. -
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferndinand of Austria
Archduke Franz Ferndinand heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne and his wife Sophie duchess of Hohenberg were assassinated on the 28th of June 1914. The political objective behind this was to break off Austria-Hungary's south provinces. This assassination led directly to World War 1.
They survived the first attempt on their lives by Serbian Nationalist Nedjelko Cabrinovic but were later in the day shot to death by Gavrilo Princip. -
Beginning of WW1
The main catalyst of the first world war was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferndinand. Within a month and a half of this incident occuring, Europes five major powers were at war.
There was an assortment of alliances, this meant that many countries were going in to war to defend another country. -
First use of poison gas
The first use of poison gas was in the second battle of Ypres. On the morning of the 22nd of April in 1915, the Germans poured a heavy bombardment on to the fields and had to wait for it to spread. Later on when it actually hit, many people died and it had devastating effects.
Within seconds of inhaling the yellow/green vapour, it would begin to destroy the victims lungs. This would bring on choking attacks. -
Gallipoli Campaign- The landing
The ANZAC ships are preparing to land at Gallipoli. Captain Faik (A captain in the Ottoman army) had seen the ships and had sent word back to the main person in command. The ANZACs were meant to land unseen but since that didn't go as planned, the first few hours of landing were filled with many injuries and deaths. The Ottomans were shooting from high grounds which had devasting effects.
On the day of the landing, the front line advances as much as it will for the whole campaign. -
Gallipoli campaign- Reasoning
Australia went to war for Britain (the mother land). The British wanted to be able to secure a trading route to Russia and capture the Ottoman Empire capital. If they secured a trading route to Russia they'd be able to sucsessfully supply the Russians with resources such as reinforcments and ammunition.
They hoped this would help to win the war for the allied nations and stop the Germans and Austria-Hungary on the Western Front. -
Gallipoli- Nature of warfare
Gallipoli was mainly trench warfare. In the first world war it was the standard of fighting. Living in trenches was an extremely dangerous and harsh environment for the soliders. There were many health problems that developed from trenches such as trench fever, trench nephritis and trench foot.
Not only that but there was also a constant risk of being attacked and having many different types of weapons used against the soilders- especially shells. -
Gallipoli Campaign- the effect
Although the campaign in Gallipoli overall had devastating effects such as loss of loved ones, it helped to promote a sense of national identity throughtout Australia. Australia had just federated for a little over 10 years so this was seen as challenge for the young nation to try and withstand.
With the Gallipoli campaign came a great sense of nationalism for Australians. This campaign has since became one of the symbols of Australia's identity. -
Establishment of SACPF
As adults were already doing much to help the war, children also wanted to contribute. Initally Boy Scouts and Girl Guides helped with patriotic activities but that later spread to regular students as well.
In 1915 the South Australian Childrens Patriotic Fund was established. This allowed students to participate in coordinated fundraising activities. Money raised from these activities went to things such as Cheer-Up Huts, hospitals, trench comforts, the Red Cross and repatriation funds. -
Gallipoli Campaign- Results / The ending
The ANZACs and Sulva were set to be evacuated by late December. The last troops left before dawn on the 20th of december 1915.
On the last night the troops in Anzac Cove stayed quiet for an hour until finally the ottomans got curious and checked the trenches. The ANZACs then opened fire killing many of them. On that night they had no casualties. The Royal Newfounland Regiment was chosen as the rearguard and withdrawed on the 9 of Janurary 1916. -
Solider Settlement Scheme
The NSW government introduced the Solider Settlement Act in 1916. This act allowed soliders to apply for bits of land. They were only able to apply if they had served in the Australian Imperial Forces or the British Defence Service and had to have been discharged honourably.
The land was offered on affordable terms and they were allowed to request advancments of money if they wanted to make improvments to the land, They could spend the money on seeds, stock, equipment and plants. -
Tanks used for first time in Somme
In the battle of Somme the British launched a major offensive attack against Germans that introduced tanks for the first time. 40 or so tanks advanced on enemy lines. These tanks were too slow to hold their positions for German counterattacks and also had the potential to mechanically break down.
General Doglais Haig (a commander of allied forces) saw potential in these new weapons and decided to get hundreds more produced. -
First Referendum of Conscription
The Australian troops fighting overseas had all enlisted voluntarily, but as deaths on the Wesern Front became known, the number of volunteers fell. The British government was putting pressure on the Australian Government for more reinforcements but the advertising campaign was not reaching target level.
The P.M at the time put in a referendum asking for citizens to agree to men having compulsory training. 1,087,557 were for it, 1,160,033 were against it. -
US declares war on Germany
The US decalred war on Germany in 1917 on the terms that German had violated their neutrality. It was violated by Germanys attack on an international shipping and the Zimmerman telegram. The zimmerman telegram offered military assassitance to Mexico from Germany if the US entered the war.
The US entered the war as an associated power to avoid 'foreign entaglement'. The Ottoman empire and Bulgaria both ended their relations with the US after this, but neither declared war. -
Second Referendum of Conscription
The following year there was still pressure on the Australian Government from the British. On the 20th of December 1917 the P.M of the time put in another referendum, except this time it was only asking for men that didn't have a dependant to be conscripted. This included single men, widowers and divorcees between the ages of 20-44.
1,015,159 citizens were for it, 1,181,747 were against it. -
Spring Offensive
The spring offensive was a series of German attacks on the Western front. They began these attacks on the 21st of March, 1918. This series of attacks was the deepest adavncements to be made by either side since 1914.
The Germans realised that the only way they'd have a victory was if they defeated the Allies. They decided to attack before the US human and material resources could be fully used. -
Spanish Influenza
The Spanish Influenza spread between 1918 and 1919 and killed three times the amount of people then World War 1. It would stay in places for up to 12 weeks and then suddenly disappear, only to come back a few months later,
It reached Australia in 1919. It started in Victoria, next went to New South Wales and then spread to the rest of Australia. By the end of 1919 approximately 10,000 people out of 5 million (population) died of it. They were mostly young adults between the ages of 15 and 35. -
Ending of WW1
World War 1 officially ended on the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, in the eleventh hour, of 1918. It ended when Germany signed an armistice. An armisitce is an agreement which states peace and no fighting. This agreement was created by England and France.
At the start of 1918 Germany expected to win the war. They later ealised they could not as many things had gone wrong such as the US enetering the war and the Schliffen plan failing. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the treaties signed at the end of World War 1. It was signed by Germany on the 28th of June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of the Archduke. The armistice ended the actual fighting, but this treaty ended the actual state of war. This treaty was specifically between Germany and Allied + Associated powers, other central powers were dealt with in seperate treaties. -
Paris Peace Conference
The Paris Peace Conference was an allied victors meeting. It was to set peace terms for the defeated powers after the first world war. It was held in 1919 and was a follow up of the armistices signed in 1918.
More than 32 countries and nationalities were in attendance and the main result of the conference was the Treaty Of Versailles. It also drew new national boundaries to better reflect nationalism.
