Craig Hill Media and Consulting
World War I
On this day (Australia): In 1914, Australian troops landed in German New Guinea
On 11 September 1914, Australian troops land in German New Guinea at Bita Paka (near Rabaul). On 21 September, all German forces in the colony surrendered. German New Guinea consisted of the northeastern part of the island of New Guinea and several nearby island groups and was the first part of the German colonial empire. The mainland part of … Continue reading
On This Day In Australia: In 1915, The Battle of Lone Pine began on Gallipoli
Between 6-10 August 1915, The Battle of Lone Pine raged on Gallipoli. Seven Australians were awarded the Victoria Crosses for this battle. Lone Pine was planned as a diversion to keep Turkish reserves from the main Allied attack, an attempt to break out of the Anzac perimeter and capture the heights of Chunuk Bair and … Continue reading
On This Day In Australia: In 1914, Australia entered World War I
On 4 August 1914, the British Empire declared war on Germany and her allies. The outbreak of war was greeted with great enthusiasm in Australia, which at the time was still a young nation, and the government of Prime Minister Andrew Fisher pledged his country’s full support to Britain, the mother country. 400,000 Australians participated … Continue reading
December 25 1914 Christmas Truce
On December 25th 1914, just after midnight on Christmas morning, the majority of German troops engaged in World War I ceased firing their guns and artillery and commenced to sing Christmas carols. At certain points along the eastern and western fronts, the soldiers of Russia, France, and Britain even heard brass bands joining the Germans … Continue reading
November 11 1918 World War I ends
On November 11th 1918, at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, the Great War ended. At 5 a.m. that morning, Germany, bereft of manpower and supplies and faced with imminent invasion, signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside Compiégne, France. The First World War left … Continue reading
October 15 1917 Mata Hari executed
On October 15th 1917, Mata Hari, the archetype of the seductive female spy, was executed for espionage by a French firing squad at Vincennes outside of Paris. She first came to Paris in 1905 and found fame as a performer of exotic Asian-inspired dances. She soon began touring all over Europe, telling the story of … Continue reading
September 17 1916 The Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen shoots down his first plane
On September 17th 1916, the German air ace Manfred von Richthofen, known to history as the “Red Baron,”shot down his first enemy plane over the Western Front during World War I. Richthofen, the son of a Prussian nobleman, switched from the German army to the Imperial Air Service in 1915. He became the star pupil … Continue reading
June 28 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated
On June 28th 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie were shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. The killings sparked a chain of events that led to the outbreak of World War I by early August. On June 28, 1919, … Continue reading
April 5 1955 Winston Churchill Resigns As British Prime Minister
On April 5th 1955, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill retired as prime minister of Great Britain. The British leader, who guided Great Britain and the Allies through the crisis of World War II, is widely regarded as one of the greatest war time leaders of the 20th century. Remembered as a statesman and orator, Churchill … Continue reading
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