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AUSTRIA-HUNGARY CONCLUDES ALLIANCES WITH GERMANY
Austria-Hungary forms the Mediteranean Alliance with Birtain and Italy and abolishes defense pacts with Germany against a possible Russian Attack. (UNKNOWN DATE) -
DUAL ALLIANCE
On the 7th of October 1979, a defensive allaince between Germany and Austria-Hungary was formed to prevent or limit war. This alliance pledged that Germany and Austria-Hungary would protect eachother in any case where Russia was to attack. This image shows a map pointing out the dual alliance between Germnay and Austria-Hungary. -
TRIPLE ALLIANCE
Italy joins the Dual Alliance (Germany and Austri-Hungary) to make it a Triple Alliance. They pledged that in any attack by any other great powers, they would provide mutual defense and support. (UNKNOWN DATE) This image shows the triple alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. -
ITALY LEAVES THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE
5 months after the Triple Alliance was resumed, France approached Italy regading a secret military alliance. Italy entered WW1 in May, as opposition to Germany and Austro-Hungary. -
ENTENTE CORDIALE
On the 8th April 1904, the Entente Codiale was signed. The Entente Cordiale was a series of agreements signed between the United Kingdom and the French Third Republic for a peaceful co-existense. This image shows two men, both dressed in their countries colours; Britain and France, dancing with eachother. -
TRIPLE ENTENTE
The Triple Entente is the name given to the agreement signed between Russia, France and Great Britain. These three great powers provided a powerful counterweight to the Triple Alliance. This image shows the leaders of the Triple Entente. -
ASSASINATION
ON the 28th June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie were shot to death in Sarajevo, Bosnia by Gavrilo Princip, one of six Bosnian Serb assassins. Austrlia blamed Seriba for the shootings. This image shows the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie walking through the town of Sarajevo. -
AUSTRI-HUNGARY DECLARES WAR
On the 28th July 1914, Austri-Hungary declared war on Serbia, because of the assasination of the heir to the Austrian throne, a month before. This date marks the beginning of the Great War. A war of militarism, alliances, imperialism and nationlism. A war that would change the face of the world. Australia had no involvemnt in this event in history though this does have an impact on the vast majority of the world as it introduced countries to one and another through fighting for the nations. -
RACE TO THE SEA BEGINS
From late September to November 1914, the Allies and German Armies attempted to outflank one another and to manoeuver thier armies to conver and portect thier northern flank. It was not an intentional race but, each army sidestepped eachother to reach the coast and this point in time is known as the 'Race To The Sea'.
Image: Boats of World War 1 -
FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES
On the 19th of October 1914, The Allies and Germnay broke out into the first of three battles to control the city of Ypres, Belgium. The Allies and the Germans were both trying to break through the boarders of others at this point in time. This occured during a crucial point in the Race to the Sea. Image: Men waiting to fight the Great War. -
RACE TO THE SEA ENDS
The race to the sea was when the Birtish prevented the Germans from capturing the Channel ports. The result of the Race to the Sea was 2 continuous lines of trenches. The Race involved a number of battles including the First Battle of Aisne, the First Battle of Picardy, the Battle of Albert, the Battle of Artios and many others. -
POISON GAS
On the afternoon of 22 April 1915, an unusal cloud swept the battlefields. This cloud was chloring gas and this was hte first time poison gas had been used effectivley during war. This is one of the most dreaded weapons in war as most soilders has no masks to defend themselves from choking. Over the next three years, both sides used gas, and 91,198 soldiers died terrible deaths. Image: First use of poison gas on the Western Front. -
SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES STARTED
The Second Battle of Ypres was the battle fought to control the town of Ypres, Belgium. It marked the first time Germnay used poison gas on the Western Front. Image: Men fighting through the gas. -
GALLIPOLI
Gallipoi began on the 25th April 1915. A year after World War 1 broke out, the ANZACS were sent out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey. The Allies couldn't defeat the Turkish and after 8 months on the battlefield, the Aliies withdrew from Gallipoli. Image: Men fighting the Gallipoli battle. -
SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES ENDS
By the end of the battle, the size of Ypres had recuded majorly. The use of posion gas was not the first but did come as a surprise to the Allies. During the battle the British, French and Canadians suffered 60,000 casualties, the Germans only 35,000. -
BATTLE OF THE SOMME
British General Douglas Haig ordered a major bomboardment at the German lines at the Somme River. This lasted roughly about a week and could be heard at the English Channel. Once the shelling was over, 20,000 of the 100,000 Birtish troops were killed and this was declared as the single most worst day in British military history. Image: The battle of Somme. -
BATTLE OF FROMELLES
The Battle of Fromelles was the first major battle Australia fought on the Western Front. As the troupes moved into position on the night of the 19th July, they did not know that they were being observed by the Germans miles away. The German's heavily sheelled the assembly area and communication trenches and there were hundreds of Australian and British casualties bfore th battles even started. Image: The battle of Fromelles. -
THE PLAN
In May 1917, Sir Douglas Haig makes plans for the Allies to attack the weakening German occupied ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge, which were the key U-boat bases. Image: Sir Douglas Haig. -
MESSINES RIDGE
The stunning success in the Battle of Messines gave the Allies much greater encourgaemnt for upcoming battles. At Messine's, nineteen enormous mines were exploded under the German front lines, but after 2 weeks on the battlefeild, thy once again failed to destroy the German positions. Image: Batlle of Messines. -
ARTILLERY BARRAGE
On the 16th July 1917, the Allies (France, Britain and Russia) began a fifteen-day artillery barraeg against the German trenches, north of Ypres. Over four million shells were fired, and as well as destroying hte infrastructure, they are ruined the drains that eliminated the water in the area. As it was one of the most wet months, the rain poured hard and thus created the vast amounts of mud. Image: Men preparing gas tanks. -
FLANDER'S OPERATION
The British Commander Sir Douglas Haig did not recieve approval for the Flander's operation from the war cabinet until the 25th July 1917. Image: Passchendaele. -
THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES BEGINS
The Third Battle of Ypres begns. This battle was also known as the Battle of Passchendaele. At 3:50am, the British army, were sent in. The weather was terrifying. They expected to gain 4000 metres of ground on the first day, but the Germans pushed them back, and also lost 27,000 men at the same time. Image: Men being pulled out of mud in Ypres. -
SEA OF MUD
By the 25th September, they had won 5km of land but sustained 86,000 caualties. Help did not come in time and hundreds of wonded soldiers would drown in the sea of mud. Image: Men waiting before the Sea of Mud. -
PREPARATION FOR BATTLES
Canaidan engineers begin to develop the tranportation system and move more ammunition and supplies to hte front, to prepare for the upcoming batles. They were forced to work with continuous shelling, gas attacks, horrendous weather and day-by-day deaths. Image: Preparing for battles. -
PASSCHENDAELE
Troupes attacked the village of Passchendaele, hoping to capture this ridge so that the Allies would have somewhere dry to spend the winter. After fierce fighting, they captured the village. Image: Passchendaele battle. -
THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES ENDS
The British lost well over 200,000 men with the Germans loosing a similar figure. It was said to be indeed one of the greatest diasters of the war. -
CAMPAIGN
The Allied forces called off the campaign. Image: Men fighting. -
END OF WORLD WAR 1
This date marks the end of what was known at the Great War. This date is also known as Armistice Day. On this date we commemerate the armistice signed between the Allies of World War 1 and the Germans at Compiègne, France. The armistice was signed at the 11th hour, of the 11th day or the 11th month of 1918. Image: Poppies represent the battles and the bloodshed of the Great War.
