Very few know about Sir John Monash and his achievements—apart from a university in Melbourne named after him! Monash is mostly forgotten these days but viewers are reminded of his very important contribution to Australian history.
Historians argue the Allies could have lost World War I without Monash as Commander of the Australian Corps.
Monash’s success at Amiens prevented British Prime Minister from sacking his Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshall Haig [James Shaw].
Anzac Legend
Director Malcolm McDonald weaves archival footage, dramatised scenes, expert interviews and narration into this informative biopic of Monash’s incredible journey. He also paints Monash as a showy, organised and cultured philanderer.
Actor Robert Menzies as Monash also speaks directly into the camera on key issues.
Monash: The Forgotten Anzac retells the crucial role Australians played during World War I. The Anzac legend began at Gallipoli but the diggers proved their worth on the Western Front. Monash’s legacy gave the legend substance.
He also campaigned for a Memorial (the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne) to those diggers who never returned home.
Gallipoli
Jennifer Vuletic narrates this 55-minute documentary about a remarkable leader.
Interviewees include Michael McKernan (Historian), Peter Pedersen (Author of Monash as Military Commander), Roland Perry (Author of Monash: The Outsider Who Won a War) and Peter Stanley (National Museum of Australia).
King George V [William Gluth] asks what went wrong at Gallipoli as he reviews the troops.
He was determined not to repeat the same mistakes on the Western Front. Monash studied trench warfare, trained his troops and coordinated the use of infantry, aircraft, artillery and tanks. He built scale models of battle sites so troops could familiarise themselves with the terrain.
Monash was knighted by George V on 12 April 1918 after the victory at Amiens—the first in two hundred years.
Battles
John Monash fought his way to the top—both on and off the battlefield—from Prime Minister Billy Hughes [Dennis Coard], incompetent British generals, Australia’s official war correspondent Charles Bean [Ian Bliss], and the Prime Minister’s representative Keith Murdoch [Stephen Ballantyne]. He faced discrimination as a German-Jew but his true loyalties lay with Australia.
He defeated powerful opposition to become commander of the Australian Corps. He also devised strategies which led the Allies to victory and saved thousands of lives.
Monash silenced his critics as he overcame many obstacles with his intellect and meticulous planning.
He also fought for recognition of his troops’ achievements to boost morale on the battlefield. Monash was often at loggerheads with Bean. He was not happy with Bean’s account of Messines.
Yet he faced difficulties in his personal life, especially with his wife Vic’s [Heather Bolton] poor health, and his affair with Lizette Bentwitch [Zoe Bertram] caused complications.
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