The Gallipoli Campaign has been of great significance to New Zealanders immediately after the campaign and now.
National Identity
Arguably, the Gallipoli Campaign is said to be the reason for New Zealand's birth as an independent nation. After the campaign New Zealand began to be recognized as an independent nation, not just another country part of the British Empire. The Gallipoli campaign is recognized more in New Zealand, than the other battles that New Zealand took part in WWI e.g battle of Passchendaele and battle of the Somme, as a form of national identity maybe because it was one of the 'first major' battles that New Zealand troops took part in. Another reason could be that it was the first time that New Zealand men experienced a growth among themselves which resulted in them making a good reputation for themselves amongst the other soldiers from different countries at Gallipoli. The New Zealand soldiers encountered a strong growth from the starting of the campaign to the end of it. They left New Zealand as 'boys', from small towns and cities and the ones that survived (and also the ones sacrificed) came out as heroes of New Zealand as an independent nation, not merely a small part of the British Empire. Some boys even lied about their age so that they could sign up to go to war.
Anzac Day
25th April is well-known as Anzac Day around the world especially in New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain. The day is commemorated in these countries as a remembrance for all those soldiers who sacrificed their lives in not only at Gallipoli in WWI but also in all the other wars that New Zealanders have fought in e.g. WWII, Korean War, Vietnam war etc. The date coincides with the initial landings of New Zealand and Australian troops at Gallipoli, which is also the day when one of history's biggest 'bloodbaths' had occurred. Anzac, which is the acronym for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, represents the soldiers from both these countries who fought alongside the British at Gallipoli in WWI against the Ottoman empire.
The term 'Anzac' and the day are so significant in New Zealand that the word has been protected under international copyright laws. in 1916 a law was passed which protects the term Anzac and continues to do so today. Also in that same year, Anzac Day was gazetted as a half-day holiday which shows that the campaign was very significant to New Zealanders. In 1921, Anzac Day was first marked as a full public holiday and in 1966 an act was past, liberalizing activities after 1:00 pm. To this day,
Every year the number of people who attend the Anzac Day ceremonies steadily increases. During WWII there was an increased interest in the multiple ceremonies and in the 1960's and onwards the day was used as a platform for anti-war protests. During the 1960s - 1990s there were a smaller number of people attending the dawn ceremonies etc due to the unpopularity of the Vietnam War etc, but soon the popularity of New Zealanders attending the dawn ceremonies at the Auckland War Memorial Museum and cemeteries grew as the 100th year anniversary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli approached. The 100th year anniversary of the initial Gallipoli landings 25th April 2015 saw an astonishing number of people who wanted to attend the services at Gallipoli. Around 40000 people from both New Zealand and Australia expressed their wishes to attend the ceremonies, but the Turkish government formally agreed that the maximum capacity for the ceremonies was 10,500, of which 2000 seats were given to New Zealanders and for the reservation of the seats a ballot was conducted. Both the New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key and Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott attended the dawn ceremonies at Gallipoli on the 100th year anniversary of the landings. This is significant as it shows that the government of both the countries, still a hundred years on express their gratitude to the ANZAC soldiers who had fallen during the campaign. This shows how significant the campaign was to New Zealanders through time and how the campaign still continues to be discussed and people still commemorate and remember the soldiers who had fallen even today. It is unknown exactly how popular the campaign will be in the future, obviously dawn ceremonies on Anzac Day will continue and the national holiday will also remain, but how many people will still acknowledge the sacrifice of the ANZAC troops and attend the numerous ceremonies could be questioned because as time passes, how many people will know about the campaign, will the campaign be studied in schools educating children on the campaign is unknown.
The term 'Anzac' and the day are so significant in New Zealand that the word has been protected under international copyright laws. in 1916 a law was passed which protects the term Anzac and continues to do so today. Also in that same year, Anzac Day was gazetted as a half-day holiday which shows that the campaign was very significant to New Zealanders. In 1921, Anzac Day was first marked as a full public holiday and in 1966 an act was past, liberalizing activities after 1:00 pm. To this day,
Every year the number of people who attend the Anzac Day ceremonies steadily increases. During WWII there was an increased interest in the multiple ceremonies and in the 1960's and onwards the day was used as a platform for anti-war protests. During the 1960s - 1990s there were a smaller number of people attending the dawn ceremonies etc due to the unpopularity of the Vietnam War etc, but soon the popularity of New Zealanders attending the dawn ceremonies at the Auckland War Memorial Museum and cemeteries grew as the 100th year anniversary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli approached. The 100th year anniversary of the initial Gallipoli landings 25th April 2015 saw an astonishing number of people who wanted to attend the services at Gallipoli. Around 40000 people from both New Zealand and Australia expressed their wishes to attend the ceremonies, but the Turkish government formally agreed that the maximum capacity for the ceremonies was 10,500, of which 2000 seats were given to New Zealanders and for the reservation of the seats a ballot was conducted. Both the New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key and Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott attended the dawn ceremonies at Gallipoli on the 100th year anniversary of the landings. This is significant as it shows that the government of both the countries, still a hundred years on express their gratitude to the ANZAC soldiers who had fallen during the campaign. This shows how significant the campaign was to New Zealanders through time and how the campaign still continues to be discussed and people still commemorate and remember the soldiers who had fallen even today. It is unknown exactly how popular the campaign will be in the future, obviously dawn ceremonies on Anzac Day will continue and the national holiday will also remain, but how many people will still acknowledge the sacrifice of the ANZAC troops and attend the numerous ceremonies could be questioned because as time passes, how many people will know about the campaign, will the campaign be studied in schools educating children on the campaign is unknown.
RSA
The Royal New Zealand Returned Services Association (RSA) was founded 3 days after the first ever Anzac Day services in 1916. The RSA was founded to care for wounded veterans and for the families of those who had died in battle. Initially, the RSA helped the New Zealand ANZAC returned troops and their families giving them the support they needed. The RSA became very popular with troops who fought in other battles in WWI e.g Passchendaele and after that the period during the Great Depression when some WWI veterans struggled to find work in during the economic crisis. The RSA opened soldiers clubs and organised fundraisers e.g through ANZAC day services to fundraise and help veterans find homes and give them other means of employment, e.g disabled returned servicemen from WWI were given embroidery jobs in Christchurch Public Hospital. Throughout the years the RSA continues to help the injured or veterans in need of support, be it from WWII to Vietnam. Even today the RSA continues to operate strongly and this is significant to New Zealanders because due to the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign the RSA was formed and thus helped many New Zealanders to support themselves again.
Anzac Customs
The campaign continues to be of significance to New Zealanders even today due to the many customs/traditions that New Zealanders carry out. One of the traditions of commemorating ANZAC is by baking Anzac Biscuits . These hard biscuits are made during this period in New Zealand and Australia because they are a symbol of remembrance of the actual biscuits that soldiers used to eat during the campaign. The biscuits were sent by women in WWI for the soldiers which could survive the journey by sea and still be edible. The biscuits became known as 'Anzac Biscuits' after the Gallipoli landings. Today many New Zealanders bake Anzac biscuits, be it home bakers or wholesale food producers. At school, children are taught how to bake Anzac cookies in their food technology or home economics classes every year, which shows that people sill continue the traditions and thus in one way they are still remembering the soldiers who fought at Gallipoli.
Another tradition of Anzac is for New Zealanders to wear artificial red poppy's on their shirts on Anzac Day. After WWI the Poppy became the international symbol of remembrance of all those who fought and died in war. In 1921, the New Zealand RSA placed an order for 366,000 poppies to be sold on Armistice Day but the shipment arrived late (one day before Anzac Day) therefore in New Zealand poppy day also coincides with Anzac Day. The poppy is very closely associated with New Zealanders as people of all ages wear the red poppy as a mark of remembrance for the men and women who have died at not only Gallipoli but also other battles in war e.g WWII battles as well. Each year many poppies are sold in schools, offices, malls etc by RSA workers and army groups e.g Air Training Corps, helping raise funds for the RSA and its members who they give financial and social support to. John Lockyer's book 'Harry and the Anzac Poppy' contains a quote from Reputed Military Historian Christopher Pugsley who says that our soldiers looked out from the trenches and imagined that each red poppy growing in the fields represented one dead soldier. New Zealanders wear the poppy to signify that they also remember the troops who have fallen at Gallipoli. |