Battle Of Amiens Analysis

It is accurate to argue that the experiences of Australian soldiers on the Western Front in 1916 has been grossly overlooked in accounts of World War One historiography. Australian soldiers were drawn into the Battle of Amiens because of Australia’s allegiance and loyalty to the mother country, England during World War One. Australians held an emotional loyalty and deep affection for Britain. More importantly, the notion at the time was that if Britain was at war, Australia was at war. It was also the first time that Australian soldiers fought as a nation, having only been federated earlier in 1901. The Battle of Amiens, a key battle on the Western Front, should certainly feature more prominently in historical accounts of the Great War

The attack at Amiens on the Somme River in North-western France on the 8th August 1918, involved Allied forces, British, French, Australian and Canadian, against German forces during World War 1. In particular, the Amiens Battle included the Australian 31st Battalion. The Allied forces launched an offensive and were victorious in pushing through the German front lines to victory. In addition, from the position of Villers-Bretonneux, the Australian and Canadian troops in just under three hours had overrun the German’s front lines and had captured 29,144 soldiers, 338 guns, as well as liberating 116 towns and villages. Gunner J.R.Armitage’s diary entry states, “All hell broke loose and we heard nothing more. The world was enveloped in sound and flame, and our ears just couldn’t cope. The ground shook” (Gunner J.R.Armitage 7th August 1918). Armitage’s diary entry, a reliable primary source, illustrates that the attack at Amiens was very overwhelming for the Germans. It also highlights the bravery and courage of the Australian soldiers. This source corroborates with German Commander in Chief , Eric Ludendorff’s comment calling the Amine’s Battle as “The black day of the German Army” (Ludendorff’ 1918) This signifies that the tide was turning in favour of the Allied forces. Furthermore, Crown Prince Rupprecht wrote on July 20, “We stand at the turning point of the war…, all the gains which we made in the spring – such as they were – have been lost again”(Crown Prince Rupprecht July 20). This primary source further corroborates with the perspective of the Australian fighting ‘spirit’ and bravery; but more importantly, it signifies the defeat of the German army. As a side note, the German defensive positions