How Did Ww1 Change Australia

By early 1916, recruiting in Australia had raised sufficient troops to replace the ANZAC losses. The Australian Imperial Force in Egypt was expanded to four divisions before being transferred to the Western Front, with a fifth division raised in Australia.

On arrival in France, the divisions were initally organised into I ANZAC Corps (1st Division and 2nd Australian Divisions, and the New Zealand Division) and II ANZAC Corps (4th and 5th Australian Divisions). The 3rd division did not arrive in France until November 1916. The composition of the two Corps changed significantly in response to operational needs and for most of the war, I ANZAC Corps included the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Divisions, while II ANZAC Corps included the Australian 3rd Division, the New Zealand Division and one or two British divisions.

In March 1916, the Australian Imperial Force moved to France, and by July and August, the Australians were heavily involved on the Western Front. The 5th Division was the first to encounter the Germans on 19 July 1916 in a small but bloody engagement at
The German offensive was halted and the Allies mounted their own offensive from July. Following a successful Allied attack just east of Amiens in August, which featured the Australian and the Canadian Corps operating side by side, the Australians were engaged in a number of battles as the Allies drove the Germans back towards eventual defeat. During this period, known as’The Hundred Days’, the Australian Imperial Force was engaged at Mont St Quentin, St Quentin Canal and Montbrehain. The Corps, which had been fighting almost continually since March, was in reserve rebuilding for the next offensive when the Armistice was signed on 11 November