Australia's involvement in Gallipoli
Australia had gone to Gallipoli after 4 and a half months of training in Egypt the Anzac troops went on board a ship on the way to Gallipoli. These troops were sent to aid the British Naval attack against the Dardanelles which had aimed to force the Dardanelles Strait so that they could capture the Turkish capital, Constantinople.
The Australian’s landed at what is now called Anzac Cove on the 25th of April 1915. All attempts ended in failure for both sides and resulted in stalemates occurring all through 1915.
Sadly the most successful operation of Gallipoli was the evacuation on the 18th – 20th of December. Because of this the Turks were not able to inflict to many more causalities on the evacuating troops.
The Australian’s landed at what is now called Anzac Cove on the 25th of April 1915. All attempts ended in failure for both sides and resulted in stalemates occurring all through 1915.
Sadly the most successful operation of Gallipoli was the evacuation on the 18th – 20th of December. Because of this the Turks were not able to inflict to many more causalities on the evacuating troops.
The Casualties of Gallipoli
In all around 61,500 Australians lost their lives in the First World War. According to official history, 70 Australians were captured at Gallipoli.
The complete total loss was 130,842 total deaths, 262,014 total people wounded and had 392,856 total casualties.
The allies in had around a total of 44,150 die, 97,397 people wounded and 141,547 total casualties.
A- Great Britain & Ireland: 21,255 died | 52,230 wounded | 73,485 total casualties
A- Australia: 8,141 died | 19,441 wounded | 26,111 total casualties
A- France: 10,000 died | 17,000 wounded | 27,000 total casualties
A- New Zealand: 2,779 died | 5,212 wounded| 7,991 total casualties
A- India: 1,358 died | 3,421 wounded | 4,779 total casualties
A- Newfoundland: 49 died | 93 wounded | 142 total casualties
Ottoman Empire- 86,692 died | 164,617 wounded | 251,309 total casualties
Therefore Ottoman Empire paid a heavy price for their victory with an estimated 250,000 Turkish and Arab troops killed or wounded while defending Gallipoli.
The complete total loss was 130,842 total deaths, 262,014 total people wounded and had 392,856 total casualties.
The allies in had around a total of 44,150 die, 97,397 people wounded and 141,547 total casualties.
A- Great Britain & Ireland: 21,255 died | 52,230 wounded | 73,485 total casualties
A- Australia: 8,141 died | 19,441 wounded | 26,111 total casualties
A- France: 10,000 died | 17,000 wounded | 27,000 total casualties
A- New Zealand: 2,779 died | 5,212 wounded| 7,991 total casualties
A- India: 1,358 died | 3,421 wounded | 4,779 total casualties
A- Newfoundland: 49 died | 93 wounded | 142 total casualties
Ottoman Empire- 86,692 died | 164,617 wounded | 251,309 total casualties
Therefore Ottoman Empire paid a heavy price for their victory with an estimated 250,000 Turkish and Arab troops killed or wounded while defending Gallipoli.
What the conditions were like in the trenches and what life was like on the front line
The conditions in the trenches during World War One was terrible. People in the trenches were dying daily and not just from gun fire. The shellfire from the enemy brought random deaths and even the newest of troops were warned not to peer over the parapet of the trench into No Man's Land.
In the trenches there was heavy rat infestation with two types of rats, the brown and black rat. Both rats were hated but the brown rat was feared. As the rats would consume the human remains they could grow to about the size of a cat. The men in the trenches were afraid of these rats they would attempt to clear the trenches of them by using various methods of shooting them, with the bayonet, and even clubbing them to death. Lice were also another never ending problem. Lice caused Trench Fever, which is an above all painful disease that would begin suddenly with severe pain and then be followed by high fever. When trying to recover away from the trenches took up to twelve weeks. Yet lice wasn’t identified as the culprit of Trench Fever until 1918. Frogs were also found in the trenches in shell holes that were full of water. Trench Foot was yet another medical condition that you could catch in the trenches. Trench Foot was a fungal infection on the feet and caused by wet, cold and unsanitary trench conditions, it could result in amputation. Trench foot was a bigger problem at the start of the war and as the conditions in the trenches improved in 1915 it started to rapidly fade away, although some cases continued through the war.
At the beginning of the war soldiers were given 10 ounces of meat and 8 ounces of vegetables a day. As the army grew they were not able to keep these rations and went to 6 ounces of meat a day. Some of the soldiers only got meat 9 times out of every 30 days. The soldiers also had a daily bread ration but that was cut in April 1917. The bulk of the soldier’s diet in the trenches was bully beef (caned corned beef), bread and biscuits. The biscuits were hard gram crackers (mostly stale) and they would also get tea, sugar and some jam.
In the trenches there was heavy rat infestation with two types of rats, the brown and black rat. Both rats were hated but the brown rat was feared. As the rats would consume the human remains they could grow to about the size of a cat. The men in the trenches were afraid of these rats they would attempt to clear the trenches of them by using various methods of shooting them, with the bayonet, and even clubbing them to death. Lice were also another never ending problem. Lice caused Trench Fever, which is an above all painful disease that would begin suddenly with severe pain and then be followed by high fever. When trying to recover away from the trenches took up to twelve weeks. Yet lice wasn’t identified as the culprit of Trench Fever until 1918. Frogs were also found in the trenches in shell holes that were full of water. Trench Foot was yet another medical condition that you could catch in the trenches. Trench Foot was a fungal infection on the feet and caused by wet, cold and unsanitary trench conditions, it could result in amputation. Trench foot was a bigger problem at the start of the war and as the conditions in the trenches improved in 1915 it started to rapidly fade away, although some cases continued through the war.
At the beginning of the war soldiers were given 10 ounces of meat and 8 ounces of vegetables a day. As the army grew they were not able to keep these rations and went to 6 ounces of meat a day. Some of the soldiers only got meat 9 times out of every 30 days. The soldiers also had a daily bread ration but that was cut in April 1917. The bulk of the soldier’s diet in the trenches was bully beef (caned corned beef), bread and biscuits. The biscuits were hard gram crackers (mostly stale) and they would also get tea, sugar and some jam.
What life was like on the front line
The trench cycle is typically when a battalion was expected to serve a spell in the front line. This would then be followed by a spell sent in support, and then in reserve lines. A period of rest would come in between mostly in short durations before the whole cycle of the trench duty would start afresh. In reality the trench cycle was determined by the requirements of the circumstances. Even when the men are resting they might have found themselves having duties that would place them in the line of fire. Other men would spend far longer in the front line than normal, in the more ‘busy’ areas.
The front line would only lightly be managed to make sure that the soldiers wouldn’t be killed from sudden attacks. The trenches were in zig-zags rather than straight lines due to the exploding shells and the concussion waves. The trench behind the front line was called the support trench. From this trench soldiers could be called up quickly to attack or defend and to strengthen the firing line.
It was estimated that up to 1/3 of the Allied casualties on the Western Front were sustained in the trenches. Aside from the obvious enemy injuries, disease produced a very heavy toll.
The front line would only lightly be managed to make sure that the soldiers wouldn’t be killed from sudden attacks. The trenches were in zig-zags rather than straight lines due to the exploding shells and the concussion waves. The trench behind the front line was called the support trench. From this trench soldiers could be called up quickly to attack or defend and to strengthen the firing line.
It was estimated that up to 1/3 of the Allied casualties on the Western Front were sustained in the trenches. Aside from the obvious enemy injuries, disease produced a very heavy toll.
How long the troops were at Gallipoli for
The initial British war against the Ottoman Empire in Turkey did not involve them landing at Gallipoli. The Anzac troops landing at the Gallipoli peninsula on the 25th of April at dawn. Around 20,000 troops landed at the Gallipoli peninsula over the next two days. 747 men who landed at Gallipoli on the first day died. The stalemate ended in retreat, when the Anzac troops were evacuated on the 20th of December 1915. The landing at Gallipoli was only endorsed after the failure of the naval attack on the Dardanelles defences on the 18th of March 1915. On the 19th and 20th of December the Anzac and Suvla troops were evacuated from Gallipoli.
Who they fought alongside
During the war 32 countries ended up getting involved. The allies consisted of Britain, Russia, France, Italy and the United States. The countries had to fight against Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. Some other countries included in the war were:
Belgium: After initially being neutral, Belgium joined World War 1.
Brazil: Brazil joined World War 1 in 1917, joining the Allies.
British Empire: Britain and British colonies including Australia, Canada, India, and New Zealand formed part of the Allied camp.
Bulgaria: The Kingdom of Bulgaria joined the Central Powers in 1915. They fought in the war until September 1918.
China: China entered World War 1 in 1917 following U.S. entry into the war.
France and Colonies: One of the major Allied nations, France declared war with Germany on August 3, 1914.
German Empire: Germany was a major Central Power.
Greece: Following the U.S. entry into World War 1. Greece entered the war, joining the Allies on June 27, 1917.
Italy: Italy initially was reluctant to join the war, despite having an alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary. Italy the joined the war in 1915 and had sided with the allies.
Japan: Japan entered into World War 1 in August 1914.
Liberia: Liberian trade was affected by World War 1, causing the country to join the Allied Powers in 1917.
Montenegro: Montenegro was closely associated with Serbia, causing the country to join the Allies in August 1914.
Ottoman Empire: The Ottoman Empire joined World War I in November 1914, fighting with the Central Powers.
Portugal: Despite the rivalry between Portugal and Germany, Portugal had remained neutral until March 1915. Then Germany declared war on the country, causing Portugal to join the Allies.
Romania: Romania had joined the Allies in August 1916.
Russia: Russia, along with Britain and France, was one of the major Allied Powers.
Serbia: World War 1 was initiated by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Serbia. Austria-Hungary then declared war on Serbia in July 1914.
United States of America: The United States declared themselves neutral in 1914. Yet in 1917, the United States joined the Allied nations in so doing changing the course of World War I.
Belgium: After initially being neutral, Belgium joined World War 1.
Brazil: Brazil joined World War 1 in 1917, joining the Allies.
British Empire: Britain and British colonies including Australia, Canada, India, and New Zealand formed part of the Allied camp.
Bulgaria: The Kingdom of Bulgaria joined the Central Powers in 1915. They fought in the war until September 1918.
China: China entered World War 1 in 1917 following U.S. entry into the war.
France and Colonies: One of the major Allied nations, France declared war with Germany on August 3, 1914.
German Empire: Germany was a major Central Power.
Greece: Following the U.S. entry into World War 1. Greece entered the war, joining the Allies on June 27, 1917.
Italy: Italy initially was reluctant to join the war, despite having an alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary. Italy the joined the war in 1915 and had sided with the allies.
Japan: Japan entered into World War 1 in August 1914.
Liberia: Liberian trade was affected by World War 1, causing the country to join the Allied Powers in 1917.
Montenegro: Montenegro was closely associated with Serbia, causing the country to join the Allies in August 1914.
Ottoman Empire: The Ottoman Empire joined World War I in November 1914, fighting with the Central Powers.
Portugal: Despite the rivalry between Portugal and Germany, Portugal had remained neutral until March 1915. Then Germany declared war on the country, causing Portugal to join the Allies.
Romania: Romania had joined the Allies in August 1916.
Russia: Russia, along with Britain and France, was one of the major Allied Powers.
Serbia: World War 1 was initiated by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Serbia. Austria-Hungary then declared war on Serbia in July 1914.
United States of America: The United States declared themselves neutral in 1914. Yet in 1917, the United States joined the Allied nations in so doing changing the course of World War I.