Lives of the First World War - Home page NZ History Online - The Gallipoli campaign Each year on Anzac Day, New Zealanders (and Australians) mark the anniversary of the Gallipoli landings of 25 April 1915. On that day, thousands of young men, far from their homes, stormed the beaches on the Gallipoli Peninsula in what is now Turkey. For eight long months, New Zealand troops, alongside those from Australia, Great Britain and Ireland, France, India, and Newfoundland battled harsh conditions and Ottoman forces desperately fighting to protect their homeland. By the time the campaign ended, more than 130,000 men had died: at least 87,000 Ottoman soldiers and 44,000 Allied soldiers, including more than 8700 Australians. Among the dead were 2779 New Zealanders, about a fifth of all those who had landed on the peninsula. In the wider story of the First World War, the Gallipoli campaign made no large mark.
Operation War Diary WWI Battlefields Europeana Collections 1914-1918 - Te Ara - New Zealand Origins The First World War was caused by the destabilisation of the balance of power in Europe due to the rise of Germany. The war began in 1914 when Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia because of the assassination of an archduke. Countries had made alliances with each other, and soon most of Europe was at war. New Zealand was part of the British Empire, and when Britain declared war on Germany, in August 1914, that meant New Zealand was at war too. The two sides were called the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary) and the Allies, which included the British Empire, Russia and France. New Zealand enters the war New Zealand decided to send soldiers to fight in the war for a number of reasons, including New Zealand’s strong ties to Britain and its concern with keeping trade routes open so it could continue to export to Britain. Within a month New Zealand troops had occupied Western Samoa, which was a German territory. Gallipoli Turkey had entered the war on the Central Powers side.
Untold Stories of the First World War Photos, letters and other memorabilia It was the war that tore Europe apart – a struggle between the central powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria, against the allied powers of Britain, France, Belgium, Russia, Italy and the USA. No European nation was left untouched – even neutral states felt the impact of the war. But it was the ordinary men and women who were affected the most. This exhibition gives those personal accounts from across Europe for the first time, based on stories and items contributed by the public. Renowned historian and WW1 author Peter Englund said: “This important and imaginative project tells the other side of the story, from the point of view of a young soldier who signed up seeking adventure, to the family devastated by news that he was one of millions who would never return.
Sites & sources | WW100 New Zealand A selection of sites and sources for learning about the history of the First World War from a New Zealand perspective, and the role your family members might have played in it. Soldiers inside the YMCA library in Beauvois, France. Ref: 1/2-013635-G. Courtesy of Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. Starting Places Use these websites to start your learning journey. New Zealand and the First World War history Get an overview of the history of New Zealand and the First World War. Researching First World War soldiers Read a guide to researching New Zealand soldiers and related service personnel. Cenotaph database & personnel files Discover whether someone in your family served. Use personnel files to get more detail about First World War soldiers, from Archives New Zealand. A guide to understanding personnel files is available. Digital New Zealand search Filter by ‘usage rights’ to see how you can use the material you find. Further sites and sources Guides to specific collections
The Great War Archive Happy Valentine's Day My Angel last night I received a letter from you. I learned how strong was the pain on the day we had to separate. Do you remember those beautiful kisses? This moving love letter was sent by Sergeant Major Giuseppe Castellani, to his wife Antonia at home in Fossato di Vico, while he was away serving in the Italian army during the First World War. Images: "Memory of our glorious Alps" sent 19 September 1917, and reverse View the full story and the images here. Words by Alun Edwards and Monica Rossi, University of Oxford Returned and Services' Association (RSA) Anzac Day 1916-22: The making of a holy day 25 April 1922 was a day of mourning throughout New Zealand. In cities and towns a sombre and almost surreal stillness reigned unlike any other day of the year. Government offices and banks, shops and factories, theatres and hotels were closed. 25 April 1916: The first Anzac Day For the very first Anzac Day in 1916 the NZRSA had not yet been formed and only a few local returned soldiers’ organisations existed. Anzac Day, 1916 The government suggested church services together with recruiting meetings as an appropriate means of commemoration. 1916-20: The RSA’s emergence as guardian Three days after the first Anzac Day observance, the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association was founded in Wellington. In 1917, however, 25 April had already been set aside for municipal elections in many parts of the country. It is from 1917, in fact, that the RSA began actively to secure control of the public observance. The “Boxer Service” 1921: A “muddled holiday”
National Library resources: Gallipoli Campaign Image: Anzac Cove, Gallipoli by State Library of South Australia on Flickr This year, 2015, is the 100 year anniversary since the landing of ANZAC troops on the beaches of Gallipoli, Turkey. Discover the history and what happened with the landing of the New Zealand and Australian troops. These resources have been selected to support this popular topic – Gallipoli SCIS 1674365 Digital NZThis site provides access to thousands of pictures, video, sounds and objects from New Zealand museums, libraries, galleries, archives and private institutions. Suggested level: primary, intermediate, sec All About Turkey Covers the history of Gallipoli and the campaign, World War I from the Turkish perspective, including naval battles, and land battles. Suggested level: intermediate, secondarywww.allaboutturkey.com/gelibolu.htm BBC History World War 1 The battle for Gallipoli February 1915 - January 1916. Eyewitness to History: Battle at Gallipoli 1915 The Gallipoli Campaign Books
untitled Trench Foot Many soldiers fighting in the First World War suffered from trench foot. This was an infection of the feet caused by cold, wet and insanitary conditions. In the trenches men stood for hours on end in waterlogged trenches without being able to remove wet socks or boots. Arthur Savage pointed out that trench foot had serious consequences: "My memories are of sheer terror and the horror of seeing men sobbing because they had trench foot that had turned gangrenous. The only remedy for trench foot was for the soldiers to dry their feet and change their socks several times a day.