Why Is ANZAC day So Special?The fierce World War 1 broke out in 1914. This was the first war Australia was invovled in. Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only 13 years.The ANZAC forces landed on Gallipoli on 25 April. The ultimate objective was to capture Constantinople, Turkey and to allow for supplies to go to Russia. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated, after both sides had suffered heavy conditions and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers had been killed. News of the landing on Gallipoli had made a profound impact on Australians at home, and 25 April soon became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in the war. The creation of what became known as the “ANZAC legend” became an important part of the identity of both nations, shaping the ways they viewed both their past and their future.
Australians all over the world now recognise 25 April as an occasion of national remembrance. There are Commemorative services, which are held at dawn. the time of the original landing, these services are celebrated across the nation. Later in the day, ex-servicemen and women meet to take part in marches through the major cities and in many smaller centres. Commemorative ceremonies are more formal and are held at war memorials around the country. ANZAC Day is a time when Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war. History Of ANZAC Day Early commemorations of the 25th of April was officially named ANZAC Day in 1916. It was marked by a wide variety of ceremonies and services. There wre even ceremonies and marches, in London, where; over 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets and the London newspaper described them as "The Kninghts Of Gallipolli". There wre also a sports day in the Australian camp in Egypt. Marches were held all over Australia; in the Sydney march, convoys of cars carried wounded soldiers from Gallipoli attended by nurses. For the remaining years of the war, ANZAC Day was used as an occasion for patriotic rallies and recruiting campaigns, and parades of serving members of the AIF were held in most cities. During the 1920s ANZAC Day became a national day of commemoration for the 60,000 ANZAC's who had died during the war. In 1927, for the first time every state observed some form of public holiday on ANZAC Day. By the mid-1930s, all the rituals we now associate with the day – dawn vigils, marches, memorial services, reunions, two-up games – were firmly established as part of ANZAC Day culture. During The ssecond World War, ANZAC Day also commemorated other Australians who died in Other wars, including WW2, and other military operations. |