In Australia, the outbreak of World War I was greeted with considerable enthusiasm. Even before Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914, the nation pledged its support alongside other states of the British Empire and almost immediately began preparations to send forces overseas to participate in the conflict.The war was fought between the Allied Forces and Central Powers. WWI was the most costly war ever fought by Australia. Australia’s population in 1914 was less than 5.0 million people, less than Belgium. The first Australian troops were deployed to Egypt to protect the Suez Canal which was threatened after the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers. The Australians were rushed to Egypt with little military training. They were trained after arriving in Egypt. Australians played a more independent role in WWII as it was fought in home waters and in surrounding areas of the pacific. They also had more time mobilising their army and became more prominent in WWII. Australia not only provided attacking force but also medical help as well. The Australian Navy was a major part of providing not only supplies but sending troops to different countries. Women were sent as nurses to help the wounded and become more involved as they didn’t do much in WWI. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour was a major motivation for Australia to attack the enemy with full force.
In the First World War, trenches were extremely effective because the most powerful weapons of the day weren’t highly mobile. During the course of the First World War, soldiers of all nations suffered a debilitating and lethal condition. The condition was that severe and horrific, that to this day, its name evokes images of slaughter and mud. The term Trench Foot was. Trench foot was a big factor with the use of mud trenches. Resulting in one to get their leg or foot amputated. Trench rats ate the decomposed bodies.They had to sleep on the floor in the mud with the rats which was very unsanitary. Trench warfare had many problems and one of the major problems was flooding. When it would heavily rain the trenches would get flooded and to make it worse in the cold winters the water in the trenches would freeze making it even harder to do anything. In reference to Source A, the rough conditions that these soldiers had to face can be explicitly seen through this photograph that was captured by Frank Hurley as it expresses the harsh everyday struggles that these troops had to face during the remainder of the war. By World War II, weapons like the tank were more refined and reliable. Reliable trucks, halftracks, and other transportation vehicles also meant that individual infantry units could be deployed and moved much faster than in World War I.
At the outbreak of the First World War, the number of people volunteering to enlist for the Australian Imperial Force was so high that recruitment officers were forced to turn people away. However, as the war went on, casualty rates increased and the number of volunteers declined, so that by 1916 the AIF faced a shortage of men. Conscription, compulsory military service for young men, has been a contentious issue throughout Australia’s history. Source B, the blood vote poster created in 1917, expresses this concern as it shows how women have played a large role in the conscription debate as many of the campaigns for the different sides of the debate were centered around the women of the time, trying to influence them with emotional messages, such as messages based around their husbands or children at war or who will be affected by the conscription debate. Compulsory military service for duty within Australia was revived in 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War. Upon the outbreak of World War II, Prime Minister Robert Menzies instituted conscription for militia operating in Australia. All unmarried men aged 21 and over were required to attend three months of compulsory military training. The Australian government didn’t have the intention of changing this conscription policy.
Women weren’t involved as much in the war, instead they stayed at home doing housework and looking after their children. Women were encouraged to help the war effort by joining voluntary organisations like the Australian Red Cross, the Country Women’s Association, Australian Comforts Fund and the Cheer-Up Society. Upon the Second World War the Feminist movement began and they became accepted into society in being more involved in the war as they strived to gladly support their country with great enthusiasm. Australian women volunteered for service in auxiliary roles, as cooks, nurses, drivers, interpreters, munitions workers, and skilled farm workers. While the government welcomed the service of nurses, it generally rejected offers from women in other professions to serve overseas. Australian nurses served in Egypt, France, Greece, and India, often in trying conditions or close to the front, where they were exposed to shelling and aerial bombardment. As seen in Source B, women were very empowered and involved in the war as they showed great courage and willingness. In the photograph taken in 1942, two Australian nurses, Vera Torney and Margaret Anderson were aboard a ship evacuating wounded soldiers from Singapore. The ship came under attack from Japanese aircraft, which strafed the ship. These two women shielded the wounded soldiers with their own bodies against the incoming fire. Because of their remarkable bravery, they were awarded some of the highest honours.
Many aboriginals enlisted and fought in the First World War. However, the names of these aboriginals who fought in the war were never recognised and acknowledged the same way every other soldier was. Instead they were “forgotten”. In WWII, society during the time changed their views and the names of the Aboriginal people who joined the war were now mentioned and recognised. In all, an estimated 3,000 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders served in the armed forces in World War II – many in specially raised Indigenous units. In Source D it can be explicitly seen that the Indigenous Australians in the Second World War were acknowledged as they were apart of a special platoon of Aboriginal soldiers who were all volunteers. Despite the Defence Force having equal pay and conditions, many Indigenous Australians suffered tremendously when they arrived back home from the Second World War. They Indigenous veterans believed that they would be treated differently coming back home, they thought they would finally be treated equally, however this was not the case. They had their wages stolen, while others died and were never given a proper service grave.
World War I and II were crucial in forming Australia’s identity as it aided in making Australia as their own country, with their own culture, spirit, and beliefs. Australia contributed in the wars as they wanted to supported their allies. Many Australians felt that they should help out their “mother country”, Great Britain. The war was very beneficial to Australia’s economy. Primary products were purchased as soon as they were produced, secondary industries manufactured new items for the services, and personal savings rose because there wasn’t a lot to buy so people saved their money. Also, there were a lot of jobs available meaning they had near-full employment.