T h e K o k o d a T r a i l
1-What were the causes of the campaign?
2-What are the key events of the Kokoda Trail campaign?
3-Who were the people involved?
4-What was the nature of the campaign?
5- what was the significance and impact of the Kokoda campaign?
In 1942, began the Kokoda campaign, which last four months. Despite its short duration, it was a battle that Australians will never forget. The majority of the troops fighting along the track were ill-equipped, and unprepared for the disease and harsh conditions they had to face. They had to endure all of this, whilst fighting against the Japanese, who outnumbered them.
The Kokoda Trail is situated in Papua New Guinea, which was divided into three main areas back in 1942. Kokoda was a small village situated in one of these areas (Papua) and was the central village. The Australian government controlled Papua, so the Australian troops were fighting foreign troops on their territory. The actual Kokoda Track is only 100 kilometres long, but the rugged terrain is so steep, it takes over a week to walk from one end to another.
1- For the first two years of World War 2, Australian troops fought mainly in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. While some troops were sent to Malaya and Singapore in case of attack from Japan, the Pacific was not seen as being a main theatre of the war. But as Japanese troops landed in Malaya and Thailand, and as Japanese planes bombed the US naval base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, and bases in Hong Kong and the Philippines, Australia officially became at with Japan (who had signed an allegiance with Germany.) Japan's main aim was different than Germany's. They wanted to become a major industrialised nation and all the places they were invading had important raw materials (such as iron ore, which would help them to achieve their goal.) Many historians claim that the Japanese wanted to take over Australia (due to the bombings in the Darwin and because of the...