WW1 home front

First World War - overview

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  Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife Sophie were assassinated in the Bosnian city of Sarajevo. This was a key event in sparking the Great War of 1914–18.

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• Page 5 – The war at home

  New Zealand played a small but useful part in the British Empire's war effort, and its essential war aim was achieved with the defeat of Germany and its allies in late 1918.

Supporting the war effort

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  Thousands of New Zealanders donated money, goods or time to help those affected by the First World War.

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• Page 2 – Overview: 1914-1919

  The sacrifices of the men at the front, and the plight of those living in the war zones, drove many New Zealanders to donate money, goods and time to help the war effort. By

• Page 3 – Who were the volunteers?

  The outbreak of war saw New Zealanders from all walks of life donate money, goods and time to fund-raising efforts.

• Page 4 – What were the causes?

  War relief and aid societies directed their efforts at a wide variety of causes.

• Page 5 – Supporting Belgium: Queen Elisabeth Medal

  The Belgian government created the Medaille de la Reine Elisabeth, or Queen Elisabeth Medal, to honour Belgian and foreign women who had performed outstanding services in aid

• Page 6 – Further information

  Books and website links relating to war relief and aid work in New Zealand during the First World War, 1914-1919.

Schools and the First World War

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  Schools and children were quickly called into action at the outset of the First World War in 1914. Developing patriotic, fit and healthy citizens was seen as important to the survival of the country and the Empire. Hundreds of teachers joined the NZEF, including many from sole-teacher schools. Almost 200 never returned.

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• Page 4 – The School Journal

  During the First World War the New Zealand School Journal played an important role in encouraging patriotism, self-sacrifice, obedience and support for the war effort among

• Page 6 – Supporting the war effort

  During the war children were encouraged to be ‘cheerful’ and ‘helpful’, to ease the worry and sorrow of the mothers and wives of soldiers. There were also many practical ways

• Page 7 – Teachers who served

  Whether as school cadet officers or supporters of saluting the flag, teachers did much to set the moral tone of New Zealand schools before and during the war. Many hundreds

The Post and Telegraph Department at war

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  The Post and Telegraph Department (the government agency from which New Zealand Post, Telecom and Kiwibank are descended) was crucial to this country’s participation in the First World War.

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• Page 3 – The Post and Telegraph Department in 1914

  In the early 20th century, the Post and Telegraph Department's reach extended throughout the Dominion, and it was to stretch even further after war broke out in August 1914.

First World War farewells

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  Between 1914 and 1918, New Zealanders farewelled more than 100,000 men as they headed off to a military training camp or went straight to war.

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• Page 1 - First World War farewellsBetween 1914 and 1918, New Zealanders farewelled more than 100,000 men as they headed off to a military training camp or went straight to war.

First World War laws and regulations

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  An annotated index of New Zealand wartime laws and regulations 1914-21

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• Page 1 - Index of wartime laws and regulations, 1914-21An annotated index of New Zealand wartime laws and regulations

First World War by the numbers

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  This article provides a clearly written and carefully argued statistical survey of New Zealand’s military contribution to the First World War.

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• Page 1 - First World War by the numbersThis article provides a clearly written and carefully argued statistical survey of New Zealand’s military contribution to the First World

The Public Service at war - overview

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  The New Zealand public service played a central part in New Zealand’s war effort, both at home and abroad

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• Page 1 - The Public Service at war - overviewThe New Zealand public service played a central part in New Zealand’s war effort, both at home and

NZ Railways at war

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  The railway system and its workforce was one of the most valuable assets available to the New Zealand state to support the national effort during the First World War

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• Page 3 – NZ Railways in 1914

  On the other side of the world, New Zealand’s rail network was a small link in the vast wartime supply chain

• Page 5 – Manpower challenges at home

  How did New Zealand Railways (NZR) keep up its massive manpower commitments during the First World War, while still maintaining services to its customers?

• Page 6 – Railways war memorials

  Railway workers honoured the service and sacrifice of their colleagues in numerous ways.

First World War homecomings

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  New Zealand troops began returning from overseas in small numbers in late 1914. The first arrivals, from Samoa, were followed by many more from Egypt and Turkey, and later from England and France.

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• Page 1 - First World War homecomingsNew Zealand troops began returning from overseas in small numbers in late 1914. The first arrivals, from Samoa, were followed by many more from Egypt and Turkey, and later from

The public service in 1914

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  In 1914 the public service employed 33,000 permanent employees, including railway workers, post and telegraph staff, teachers, and police, plus 16,000 temporary employees, mainly in public works and railways.

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• Page 1 - The public service in 1914In 1914 the public service employed 33,000 permanent employees, including railway workers, post and telegraph staff, teachers, and police, plus 16,000 temporary employees, mainly

Getting the men to war

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  The public service was the engine of New Zealand’s military war effort between 1914 and 1918. It took charge of signing up – and later conscripting – men for service abroad, training them, clothing them, housing them and transporting them to the northern hemisphere, where they became the responsibility of the British military.

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• Page 1 - Getting the men to warThe public service was the engine of New Zealand’s military war effort between 1914 and 1918. It took charge of signing up – and later conscripting – men for service abroad,

Maintaining public services during the war

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  The government immediately reset its priorities on the outbreak of war in August 1914. Everything else was subordinated to winning the war.

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• Page 1 - Maintaining public servicesThe government immediately reset its priorities on the outbreak of war in August 1914. Everything else was subordinated to winning the war.

Feeding Britain

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  From March 1915 the British government purchased New Zealand’s entire output of frozen meat to help ensure a regular flow of food to the British public and the British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium.

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• Page 1 - Feeding BritainFrom March 1915 the British government purchased New Zealand’s entire output of frozen meat to help ensure a regular flow of food to the British public and the British

Policing the war effort

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  In 1914 the New Zealand government moved quickly to strengthen the rule of law and keep the country focused on winning the war

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• Page 1 - Policing the war effortIn 1914 the New Zealand government moved quickly to strengthen the rule of law and keep the country focused on winning the

Repatriation of returned servicemen

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  Reintegrating tens of thousands of men into the civilian population at the end of the war presented a new set of problems

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• Page 1 - Repatriation of returned servicemenReintegrating tens of thousands of men into the civilian population at the end of the war presented a new set of

Honouring public servants

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  The public service as a whole, government departments and individual public servants found a myriad of ways to honour their employees’ and colleagues’ war service.

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• Page 1 - Honouring public servantsThe public service as a whole, government departments and individual public servants found a myriad of ways to honour their employees’ and colleagues’ war

New Zealanders who resisted the First World War

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  Lists of men who for a variety of reasons refused to serve in the First World War.

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• Page 3 – Convictions for sedition 1915-18

  The War Regulations Act 1914 allowed citizens to be arrested and charged with sedition for making ‘disloyal’ or ‘seditious’ statements, either verbally or in print. This page

Recruiting and conscription

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  Recruiting men for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was among the New Zealand government’s most pressing priorities during the four difficult years of the First World War. Tens of thousands were needed every year to keep the NZEF up to strength, and finding them presented major logistical, bureaucratic and tactical challenges to those responsible.

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• Page 1 - Recruiting and conscriptionRecruiting men for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was among the New Zealand government’s most pressing priorities during the four difficult years of the First World

Merchant marine

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  On 3 September New Zealand honours Merchant Navy Day. Here we explore the little-known but vital role played by the merchant marine during the First World War, when these civilian seafarers often found themselves in the front line of the war at sea.

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• Page 7 - Home watersThe First World War had a dramatic impact on shipping to and from New

Rolls of honour and obituaries

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  Government rolls of honour and obituaries published at the end of the First World War.

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• Page 7 - Post and Telegraph obituaries