The Significance of Gallipoli to New Zealander's...
New Zealand soldiers distinguished themselves with their courage and skill, establishing an enduring bond with the Australians they fought alongside, which is already one of the main reasons to why Gallipoli was and still is a significance to New Zealanders. Anzac Day, the anniversary of the first day of conflict, does not mark a military triumph, it does remind us of a very important episode in New Zealand's history. Great suffering was caused to such a small country by the loss of so many of its young men. Gallipoli was such a big event to both Australia and New Zealand, that the landing of the Anzacs at the Peninsula on 25 April, is turned into a public holiday called Anzac Day and many memorials have been set up throughout both countries in order to remember the fallen and to remember the significance it made for both countries. Anzac Day commemorates all New Zealanders killed in war and also honours servicemen and women who have returned from the Battle Of Gallipoli safe and sound. [NZ History, Anzac Day 2016]
Gallipoli was a time where New Zealand and Australia had to clash together for battle and fight alongside each other for the first time. This may not sound much, but this is what makes it significant for Australians and New Zealanders, is that this battle was an opportunity for us, two neighbouring countries, to join forces and fight beside each other. Gallipoli gave Australia and New Zealand a very good bond within one another, and this already marks as to why this event is still a significance to New Zealanders. We got to build a stronger and tighter relationship with the Australians although it had to be done the rough way, but without this "bond" during the Battle of Gallipoli, New Zealand and Australia wouldn't have been how we are now, and our countries and people would've been somewhat different. So having that chance to develop a relationship with Australia is already a big milestone and will remain a significant thing to New Zealanders. In the article, it has stated "Gallipoli has become something bigger and better than just its military reality. It has been transformed into a type of victory, albeit not a military one. It is a victory for comradeship, endurance and for a determination to succeed against all the odds. These are values that still resonate with Australians and New Zealanders. Ultimately, Gallipoli is a victory of the human spirit over death, suffering and the futility of war. The victory is an imagined one but it is more powerful and enduring than the real thing". [Glyn Harper, Massey University, What Gallipoli Means A Century On, 2015] Personally, I think that was pretty self explanatory. Winning the battle wasn't feeling that sort of winning victory, but instead, something more rewarding, making it significant to New Zealanders, as New Zealanders are more focused on the type of victory for once again comradeship, endurance and for a determination to succeed against all the odds. This article, I find is very helpful as it contains useful and relevant information relating to the focus of why this event is a significance to New Zealanders.
This primary evidence/source is from William Birdwood (Australian), the leader and commander of the ANZAC’s- Australian and New Zealand forces that were sent to fight in the Gallipoli Campaign. This was an inspiring message to the troops, also leaving them some tips and advice for the war. This letter was before they landed in Gallipoli in 1915. The reason I have chosen this source to answer my first focusing question is because in this letter, William Birdwood had warned the people who were about to fight in the war (the troops) about what it will be like when they are in the cold war, and give them an idea of how rough of a time it will be. In this letter, we also get an idea of what the soldiers went through during the time of war, fighting alongside our Allies, for our countries and also for the safety of their own people. What our soldiers put themselves into and what they had to go through shall never be forgotten, as it was an act of bravery and courage. To fight and represent our country. Lots of men from New Zealand served in Gallipoli, and a big number didn’t come out alive which is why the Gallipoli Campaign is such a significant event to New Zealanders. [General Birdwood’s orders to troops before landing at Gallipoli, Alexander Turnbull Library, 1915]
The red poppy has become a symbol of war remembrance the world over. People in many countries wear the poppy to remember those who died in war or who still serve. The red or Flanders poppy has been linked with battlefield deaths since the time of the Great War (1914–18). The plant was one of the first to grow and bloom in the mud and soil of Flanders. The connection was made, most famously, by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in his poem 'In Flanders fields'. In a cemetery nearby, red poppies blew gently in the breeze– a symbol of regeneration and growth in a landscape of blood and destruction. McCrae threw away the poem, but one of his fellow officer rescued it and sent it on to the English magazine Punch; 'In Flanders fields' and his poem was published on 8 December 1915. As he was dying, he said ‘Tell them this, if ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep.’ Many people were moved by the pathos of 'In Flanders fields'.
The red poppy has become a symbol of war remembrance the world over. People in many countries wear the poppy to remember those who died in war or who still serve. The red or Flanders poppy has been linked with battlefield deaths since the time of the Great War (1914–18). The plant was one of the first to grow and bloom in the mud and soil of Flanders. The connection was made, most famously, by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in his poem 'In Flanders fields'. In a cemetery nearby, red poppies blew gently in the breeze– a symbol of regeneration and growth in a landscape of blood and destruction. McCrae threw away the poem, but one of his fellow officer rescued it and sent it on to the English magazine Punch; 'In Flanders fields' and his poem was published on 8 December 1915. As he was dying, he said ‘Tell them this, if ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep.’ Many people were moved by the pathos of 'In Flanders fields'.
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The Gallipoli Campaign has and never will be forgotten, and will always be remembered by the generations now and yet to come. A young country with such a small population, the 2,700+ soldiers who lost their lives had an astounding impact. The social consequences of the tragic landing are directly linked to helping New Zealand and Australia emerge as independent nations and helping them find their national identity. Following the campaign, the two nations began to seek independence from Britain as a colony. Once again the bond between New Zealand and Australia was strangely connected by the failures, the sacrifices they gave despite the odds, brought them closer together as neighbouring nations. New Zealand is recognised all over for their contribution to a still campaign.