Australia joined World War I immediately after Britain declared war on Germany on August 4, 1914, driven by a strong sense of patriotism and loyalty to Britain, often referred to as the "Mother Country." Both Australia's Prime Minister Joseph Cook and Opposition Leader Andrew Fisher pledged full support for Britain, reflecting widespread public enthusiasm and the country's status as a dominion of the British Empire. This commitment was also influenced by strategic and imperial interests, including protecting British colonial holdings and maintaining Australia's position within the Empire. Australian forces quickly mobilized, with the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force seizing German territories in the Pacific, and the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) deployed to fight initially in Egypt and then on the Gallipoli Peninsula and other fronts. Australia’s entry into the war symbolized its loyalty to Britain, the desire to assert itself on the world stage, and the prevailing imperial ties of the time.