Overview
Australia entered the First World War in 1914 and suffered heavy losses at the Gallipoli landing of 1915. From this experience the Anzac spirit — the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps — became fixed in national memory.
Key developments
Between the wars the Great Depression from 1929 hit the economy hard. In the Second World War, which began for Australia in 1939, Japanese aircraft bombed Darwin in 1942, the first direct attack on the mainland.
End and transition
Prime Minister John Curtin turned to an alliance with the United States in place of Britain, shifting the country’s defence strategy. Through the war, Australia moved toward becoming a more independent nation.