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When the Anzac Corps re-entered the line on the Western Front in 1918, it was arguably the most effective Corps available to the British Imperial High Command. At that time, it comprised only nine per cent of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF); during this period won twenty-two per cent of the territory, troops and guns captured.

In December 1916, after the Anzac Corps transferred from his command to the Fifth Army, Gen. Rawlinson wrote in his diary that they were fine fighters but...not soldiers-their Company and Battalion Commanders are lamentable...I am really not sorry to lose them.' In contrast, his report on the capture of Hamel in July 1918 praised the fighting skill and spirit of the Australians. Obviously, significant changes had been wrought in the Anzac Corps during the intervening period.

In 1918, the conditions under which the AIF and NZEF fought had improved significantly from the horrors of Gallipoli and Fromelles. Training had been intense since the first troops arrived in Egypt but it was largely irrelevant and ineffective. Incompetence was endemic amongst their leaders in 1915 but by 1918 competent Australians were increasingly winning promotion to command positions within the Corps. This culminated with Monash's appointment as Corps Commander in May. Indeed the formation of the ANZAC Corps itself in November 1917 was a significant boost to morale and esprit de corps. Monash brought a new level of preparation to the Corps, and he, and his staff, deserve credit for much of its success in 1918.

Australia's rejection of conscription, and high medical standards for recruits, ensured that the Australian Divisions received replacements no less physically and mentally prepared than they were in 1915. Even when replacements outstripped losses, Australian Divisions could maintain their positions better than their British comrades by virtue of greater physical strength.
Finally, technology, such as tanks and aircraft, which were in their infancy in 1915, began to exert their dominance over the battlefield. The increased firepower lessened the load on the infantry, improving gains while minimising casualties.
An examination of these factors will reveal the keys to the Anzac Corps effectiveness in 1918.

The Pre-war Australian Military Force
The Defence Act 1909 provided for the compulsory military training. All male inhabitants of Australia between the ages of twelve and twenty-six trained as follows:
1) Junior Cadets (12-14) - not more than 120 hours.
2) Senior

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