Significance to new zealand
New Zealands involvement in World War 1 prove to be quite significant to the New Zealand culture especially the Gallipoli campaign as it created a nation identity for their country and a sense of pride for their soldiers who served their country and served their country well. Though the death toll was devastating as many of the lives of New Zealand soldiers fell into the hands of enemy Turkish troops or sicknesses and diseases caused by unsanitary living conditions, the sacrifice which was made from the ANZACs proved to be quite significant to New Zealanders and is why every 25th of April New Zealand and its neighboring country Australia commemorates the fallen comrades of the Gallipoli campaign. The Gallipoli campaign is significant to the New Zealand culture as it showed New Zealands loyalty to the throne and their worth, once considering themselves as a British nation, New Zealanders gained a sense of pride for their soldiers and themselves and for their country. Though the Gallipoli campaign ended in a failure and cost the lives of nearly 3000 New Zealand soldiers lives along with 8700 Australians lives the campaign helped create comradeship between the two neighbouring countries (ANZAC troops) fighting side by side together for 9 months. The Gallipoli campaign formed friendships for the New Zealand troops but also created a sense of national identity at first they fought for Britain and the Crown but soon the New Zealand soldiers fought for New Zealand and their overwhelming longing for home gave them something to fight for. The ANZACs endured alot during the campaign not just on the battlefield where they faced the Turkish troops but also the harsh environment with its unforgiving landscape and intense heat and cold blizzards the ANZACs kept fighting and enduring no matter what was against them.
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The Gallipoli campaign was and still is one of the most significant events in New Zealand history, as it marks a milestone in New Zealand bravery and loyalty both to the King and to the country. Though the campaign ended in a failure and cost the lives of over 2000 New Zealand soldiers lives and left plenty wounded, we remember the lives that were lost everyday and pay tribute to them for their sacrifice. New Zealand's involvement in World War 1 played to be one of the most tragic but inspiring we look at ANZAC day not just to celebrate what our soldiers and fallen soldiers did for our country but also a day for reflection and remembrance which is one of the many reasons of its significance is commemorated each year. The Gallipoli campaign will never be shadowed from its defeat but the gain of a national identity will always be remembered for the campaign was one of many campaigns New Zealand showed their courage and loyalty, some might say New Zealand's contribution to the war was a well done effort but some might consider they overdone it with their sacrifice and undying courage. The campaign will always be significant to New Zealanders as it impacted both the men overseas with the physical and mental wounds they suffered and the horrid things they had to endure, but the campaign also impacted New Zealand itself reducing the population of 1 million with deaths of loved ones and cherished friends leaving the country in mourning and broken hearted for their loss, and impacted New Zealand in a racial matter creating equality with the Whites and Maoris giving them the opportunity to fight side by side with the whites, along with feminism shown with the women of the workforce, showing that significant events during the campaign is significant to New Zealand now as it was these events that contributed to helping us gain a national identity. The Gallipoli campaign will always be seens as one of New Zealands finest and significant moments as it helped a nation finally see themselves as a nation and not just British people living in New Zealand, but as a strong nation that overcame one of its biggest obstacle and gained a national identity (Kiwis) in return for their hard work.
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The image above shows the 2014 ANZAC day (25th April) at Auckland Museum the following year reaches the 100th Anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign. ANZAC days commemorates the fallen soldiers of the campaign to pay respects to those who fought and died and sacrificed so much to make New Zealand what it is now.
Photograph of ANZAC beach day after the failed landing
Life for a soldier at gallipoli |
These photographs show the trenches which were the homes for many of the ANZAC soldiers. These photographs are the reasons why the campaign is significant to New Zealanders showing visual proof of the ANZACs endurance in a cramped space and sacrifice, lacking basic necessities such as food and water shows why the campaign is a significant moment in New Zealand history as it was the ANZACs endurance that contributed in forming a national identity for New Zealanders.
The photograph to the left shows the ANZACs in a newly dug trench showing the unforgiving landscape which the soldiers had to scale and climb, the lighting in the photograph shows the intense heat which the ANZACs had to endure . Photographs like these contributed to form New Zealands national identity of pride for their soldiers and themselves knowing the hardship and endurance which the ANZAC troops had to go through for both the crown but most of all their country.
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The campaign is significant to New Zealanders not just because of the men who sacrificed their lives for their country but also because of what they had to endure and the struggles they went through even with the constant Turkish gun fire they showed bravery. The life in the trenches was no different to the battlefield facing unbearable weather and freezing temperatures in the winter for most of the campaign Gallipolis’ unforgiving landscape was home to thousands of ANZACs. During the campaign basic necessities like food and water would have been considered as luxuries for the ANZACs. The soldiers were given only two quartz of water a day (2.3 litres) which was often drunk in a form of tea so that water wouldn't go to waste, left over tea would be used for shaving.
The ANZACs faced constant Turkish gun fire but the climate was just as dangerous, going against rainstorms that flooded their homes (trenches) and made the battlefield muddy which made fighting the Turks twice as difficult. |