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The Australian Army was the largest service in the Australian military during World War I. The First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was the Army's main expeditionary force and was formed from 15 August 1914 with an initial strength of 20,000 men, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Meanwhile, the separate, hastily raised 2,000-man Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF), landed near Rabaul in German New Guinea on 11 September 1914 and obtained the surrender of the German garrison after ten days; it later provided occupation forces for the duration of the war. In addition, small military forces based on the pre-war Permanent Forces and part-time Citizen Forces were maintained in Australia to defend the country from attack. The AIF initially consisted of one infantry division and one light horse brigade. The first contingent departed Australia by ship for Egypt on 1 November 1914, where it formed part of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). The infantry division fought during the Gallipoli Campaign between April and December 1915, reinforced by a second division which was later raised, as well as three light horse brigades. After being evacuated to Egypt the AIF was expanded to five infantry divisions, forming part of the I and II ANZAC Corps, which were committed to the fighting in France and Belgium along the Western Front in March 1916. Meanwhile, two mounted divisions remained in the Middle East to fight against Turkish forces in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. Later combined into the Australian Corps in 1917, the AIF divisions in France and Belgium were often used to spearhead operations, playing a significant role in the defeat of the German Army in 1918. By the end of the war the AIF had gained a reputation as a highly effective military force. Following the armistice on 11 November 1918, a process of demobilisation began, with the last Australian personnel being repatriated in late 1919. In all, 416,809 Australians enlisted during the war and 334,000 served overseas. The AIF sustained approximately 210,000 casualties, of which 61,519 were killed or died of wounds, a casualty rate among the highest of any belligerent for the war. ==Background== (詳細はCommonwealth of Australia was founded on 1 January 1901. On 1 March, 29,010 colonial soldiers, consisting of 1,544 professional soldiers, 16,105 paid militia and 11,361 unpaid volunteers, were transferred to the new Australian Army. However, the units continued to be administered under the various colonial Acts. Major General Sir Edward Hutton, a former commander of the New South Wales Military Forces, was appointed as the first commander of the Commonwealth Forces. The ''Defence Act 1903'' brought all of the state units under one piece of legislation; although more significantly, it prevented the raising of standing infantry units, only allowing the establishment of permanent administrative and instructional staff for headquarters, garrison artillery, fortress engineers, submarine mining engineers, and service, medical and ordnance units. It also stipulated that the force could only be maintained by voluntary enlistment and that it could not serve outside Australia. In this it effectively established the pre-eminence of the Citizen Forces, ensuring that the Australian Army would primarily consist of part-time militia and volunteer forces, which would be supported by a small permanent force limited to filling staff, training and garrison roles. It equally ensured that any force sent overseas could only be done so on a voluntary basis. In 1911, two significant changes followed a report by Lord Kitchener following his inspection of local forces in 1909. The Royal Military College, Duntroon was established to train staff officers, and a system of universal national service began with boys aged 12 to 18 becoming cadets, and men aged 18 to 26 serving in the Citizen Forces. These reforms were part of a process of raising a large civilian militia to defend the country against a feared attack by Japan. This force was based on conscription, and was intended to be complete in 1920. The resources devoted to this plan greatly exceeded those allocated to preparations to raise an expeditionary force to serve outside Australia. In total, a peace-time force of around 80,000 citizen soldiers, with a war-time establishment of 135,000, was to be raised and would include 84 infantry battalions (later increased to 92), 28 light horse regiments (subsequently raised to 31), 49 field batteries and seven howitzer batteries (total of 224 guns), 14 field engineer companies, seven communication companies, and various support troops. This force was to be organised into brigades, with no divisional headquarters raised, although it was envisioned that up to six divisions could be formed if required. The infantry was planned to be organised into 21 brigades (later 23) of four battalions each, while the light horse would initially form seven brigades (later eight). The field artillery be organised into 14 brigades, while eight of the field batteries would be attached to the light horse brigades, and the howitizer batteries would not be brigaded. A small permanent force of 3,200 men would operate in support. The new scheme also entailed reorganisation of the military districts, with the 1st Military District based on Queensland, the 2nd on New South Wales, the 3rd on Victoria, the 4th on South Australia, the 5th on Western Australia and the 6th on Tasmania. The Northern Territory and New Guinea were initially unalloted, but were later incorporated into the 1st Military District. Steps had also been taken to expand the pre-Federation network of coastal defences to provide protection against raids from Japanese or German warships prior to World War I. In 1912, these defences were manned by 14 companies of the Australian Garrison Artillery, each of which had a strength of over 100 men. Meanwhile, in September 1912 the government officially approved the formation of an Australian military air arm. In so doing Australia became the first of the Dominions, and one of the few nations outside of Europe, to begin to develop such a capability, even if it was initially only a modest one. The Central Flying School was established at Point Cook, Victoria in 1913. Flying training did not begin immediately, though, and it was not until 1914, that the first class of pilots were accepted. No. 1 Flight of the Australian Flying Corps was raised in the 3rd Military District on 14 July 1914. Following Britain's declaration of war on Imperial Germany on 4 August 1914 at the outbreak of the World War I, Australia and the other members of the British Empire were automatically involved, with Prime Minister Joseph Cook stating on 5 August that "...when the Empire is at war, so also is Australia." Within days, Brigadier General William Bridges and his staff officer, Major Brudenell White, had completed plans for the creation of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). White proposed an expeditionary force of 18,000 men, including 12,000 Australians and 6,000 New Zealanders. Cook subsequently approved the proposal, although he increased the offer to 20,000 men to serve in any destination desired by the British government. On 6 August 1914, London cabled its acceptance of the force and asked that it be sent as soon as possible. Recruiting offices opened on 10 August and by the end of 1914, 52,561 volunteers had been accepted, despite strict physical fitness guidelines. Meanwhile, after an additional British request for assistance on 6 August 1914, the Australian government hurriedly prepared another expeditionary force, known as the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF), to destroy the German wireless stations at Yap in the Caroline Islands, Nauru, and Rabaul in New Britain. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Australian Army during World War I」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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