The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife had the Triple Entente (of Britain, France and Russia) fighting the Triple Alliance (of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy), leading into a full-scale war within weeks. The Archduke was the heir to the Austria-Hungary empire and his death is widely considered to be the final straw in what been many years of growing tensions between countries. …show more content…
Australia, at the time, was still a part of the British Empire and was pressured into joining the war to prove loyalty. There was the matter of Australia defending their reputation and earning respect from other countries that came from joining the war. In joining the war, Australia was proving their military power and showed that they were a force to be feared. Australia also gained Britain’s favour as they said they would be joining Australia’s side in battle if needed. The Australian troops were also naive and saw the war as an opportunity to visit new lands and travel overseas, thinking of the experience as an