Australian Occupation of Nauru

Occupation of Nauru

Australian Occupation of Nauru

Part of the Asian and Pacific theatre of World War I

Map of Nauru created by Germany (1897)
| Date| 9 September- 6 November 1914

|

Location|

Nauru

Result|  Australian victory
Belligerents

Allied Powers

* Australia

Central Powers

* German New Guinea

Commanders and leaders
Sir George Patty|  Wilhelm Wostrack [cs]
Units involved
HMAS Melbourne|  Colonial Administrators and Local Police
Casualties and losses
None|  Administrators Captured

* v
* t
* e

Asian and Pacific theatre of World War I

* Tsingtao
* Samoa
* Fanning
* New Guinea
* Nauru
* Bita Paka
* Toma
* Madang
* German colonial possessions
* Papeete
* Madras
* Penang
* Coronel
* Cocos
* India
* Tochi
* Peshawar
* Mohmand
* Mahsuds
* Battle of Broken Hill
* Kelantan
* Singapore
* Más a Tierra
* China
* Central Asia
* Manchu Restoration
* Thái Nguyên uprising
* German Tientsin
* German Hankou
* Austro-Hungarian Tientsin
* Guam

See also: Hindu–German Conspiracy

In September 1914, Australia occupied Nauru, then part of German New Guinea, following the start of World War I. This was part of a larger plan by Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand to intercept Germany's East Asia Squadron before they could return to Germany. The island continued to be occupied by Australia until the end of the war.

## Background[edit]

Following the Nauruan Civil War, in 1888 Nauru was annexed into the German Colony of Papua New Guinea. Following the outbreak of World War I, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand occupied the German Colonies of Kiautschou Bay Leased Territory, German Samoa, and German New Guinea.

## Australian landing[edit]

Following the occupation of German Samoa, the HMAS Melbourne left Australian-occupied Samoa and set off for Nauru, arriving on September 9, 1914. The Australian occupation led to the destruction of the wireless stations and the capture of the island's colonial governor. The island was then fully occupied by November 6, and continued to be occupied by Australia until the end of the war.[1]

## Aftermath[edit]

Following the war, Nauru became a mandate of Australia as decided by the League of Nations. The United Kingdom and New Zealand became the island's co-trustees.[2]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Buschmann, Rainer F. (2008-10-31). Anthropology's Global Histories: The Ethnographic Frontier in German New Guinea, 1870-1935. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-3184-4.
2. ^ "The Republic of Nauru". www.earth.northwestern.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-11.

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