War and Upheaval

By Max Marriott

  • 1903

    11 June - Serbian King Alexander Obrenovic is assassinated by the Black Hand nationalist movement
    22 October - First Australian Defence Act

  • 1909

    31 March - Serbia accepts Austrian control over Bosnia and Herzegovina
    13 December - Second Australian Defence Act

  • 1914

    28 June - Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated, triggering tensions between European powers
    2-7 August - Germany invades Luxembourg and Belgium
    5 August - Australia's declaration of support for Britain in the war
    5 August - A cannon at Point Nepean fires the first shot of WW1
    10 August - Austria Hungary invades Russia
    15 August - Founding of the Australian Imperial Force
    29 October - The War Precautions Act 1914
    30 October - Allied campaign at Ypres in Belgium, begins

  • 1915

    30 January - Germany makes first use of gas in warfare
    25 April - Gallipoli landing
    18 February - Germany launches its U-boat campaign in British waters
    6 September - The Aborigines Amending Protection Act, 1915

  • 1916

    21 February - The start of the Battle of Verdun
    1 July - The Battle of the Somme begins
    15 October - Germany resumes unrestricted submarine warfare against allied shipping
    28 October - The first referendum on conscription fails

  • 1917

    6 April - The US declares war on Germany
    29 August - Canada passes the War Service Act conscripting people into the armed forces
    Ausgust-September - 100,000 workers join the Great Strike in NSW and VIC
    October - Indigenous Australians were permitted into the armed forces
    31 October - The Battle of Bersheeba
    7 November - Revolution brings the Communists to power in Russia
    8 November - SA Nomenclature Act changes German sounding names
    20 December - Second conscription referendum fails

  • 1918

    11 November - The Armistice brings an end to fighting