On 19 July 1916, the Australian 5th and British 61st Divisions attacked German positions near Fromelles. In less than 24 hours the 5th had suffered 5533 casualties, making the Battle of Fromelles one of the bloodiest battles in Australia’s military history and a costly introduction to the Western Front.

On 18 July 2016, the Lowy Institute convened a panel of Dr Euan Graham, Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program; Professors Hew Strachan from the University of St Andrews; Joan Beaumont from the Australian National University; and Jeffrey Grey from UNSW Canberra to reflect on the significance of Fromelles within the Allies’ strategy on the Western Front in 1916, and its wider social and national impact in Australia.