Ww1 Australia Essay

According to many historians, 1917 was the worst year in WW1 for Australians. This year was the third year in a devastating war that many Australians believed we should have been involved with because it was on the other side of the world. Due to the distance and the number of deaths, volunteer numbers dropped considerably. It was because of this, that the Australian government wanted to introduce a divisive policy of conscription. 1917 Was truly a destructive year for Australia and Australians. One of the most devastating aspects of 1917 was the Battle of Somme (also known as Somme Offensive), commenced on July 1st 1916, the Battle of Somme was a series of battles fought along the Somme Valley in France. The main purpose of the Somme Offensive

The Australian units engaged in the Third Battle of Ypres were; No. 2 Squadron Australian Flying Corps, 4th Field Artillery Brigade, 7th & 43rd- 60th Australian Infantry Battalion. The commander-in-cheif Sir Douglas Haig launched an offensive, apparently a long wanted offensive, attacking Ypres in Belgium. His intentions was to drive the German’s out of the significant ridges surrounding Ypres and possible dominating the coast of Belgium. The battlefield was an onslaught, the crippling weather and the sheer losses made for a lack of man-power during the latter period of the offensive. Australian and Allied Forces’ men were in the middle of a horrific battle, a storm of artillery shells, explosions and machine gun fire. The result of this incredibly costly offensive, the return was a measly 8 kilometres. On the 10th of November 1917, the the Battle of Passchendaele was officially abandoned by the Allied Forces, with the German Empire clearly better off from the battle. By that time Australia’s contribution to the offensive were already withdrawn, after 38,000 casualties with 12,000 dead, the deaths from the Battle of Passchendaele accounted for roughly 58% of the deaths from battle during 1917. The Battle of Passchendaele is a vivid reminder of the destructiveness of the Great War, with thousands and thousands of men from all over the world sick, injured or dead as a result of this battle. The total casualties from this battle are horrific, estimated at a total 475,000 men, about 375,000 of which were Allied Forces, for the smaller nations involved (Australia, Canada and New Zealand) Passchendaele was their most costly involvement in World War 1 and with this battle being considered a defeat, their military contribution to World War 1 will only be know as a